General Updates and News

[counterfactual]

Hey Someone123, so I guess this must have been your first visit back to Halifax in a few years, right?

[Empire]

I would like to see 20% of the Cogswell St. Interchange rebuilt with lost Halifax architecture. Buildings like the Customs House, School for the Blind, Halifax Hotel etc., perhaps even extend Grandville Mall to make a Grand Promenade. One building in particular that would stand out is the Flat Iron building that was demolished where the pedway from Purdy"s to the Delta Barrington now sits. Some, if not all, of the lost architecture could incorporate a tower as part of the development. Does anyone know where the pic of the Flatiron building is on this forum? It was posted about a year ago. I would also make the roundabout like Columbus Circle in New York only smaller scale.

Columbus Circle:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.767738,-7...z9x-_LCwH2Ufg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Empire

I would like to see 20% of the Cogswell St. Interchange rebuilt with lost Halifax architecture. Buildings like the Customs House, School for the Blind, Halifax Hotel etc., perhaps even extend Grandville Mall to make a Grand Promenade. One building in particular that would stand out is the Flat Iron building that was demolished where the pedway from Purdy"s to the Delta Barrington now sits. Some, if not all, of the lost architecture could incorporate a tower as part of the development. Does anyone know where the pic of the Flatiron building is on this forum? It was posted about a year ago. I would also make the roundabout like Columbus Circle in New York only smaller scale.

Columbus Circle:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.767738,-7...z9x-_LCwH2Ufg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

.

Great idea. I'd love to see some legacy heritage mixed with some impressive skyscrapers in this area.

The Customs Building was beautiful.

And I think you're referring to this as the flat iron?



You can find it here: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=7000161#post7000161

What a total disaster the Cogswell Interchange was -- demolished so many fantastic buildings in this area.

[Keith P.]

The correct name is The Pentagon Building.

It would make little sense to do an authentic recreation of it given the small scale, but perhaps something bigger that was inspired by it would be appropriate.

Our waterfront and downtown already has enough Disney-style faux heritage so I would not encourage any further.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Hey Someone123, so I guess this must have been your first visit back to Halifax in a few years, right?

Yep, I hadn't been back since 2014. Unfortunately I only had a few days (mostly spent visiting family), but it was a nice visit and the weather was decent. I managed to get out a couple of times to take pictures.

[someone123]

I think this may already have been posted but here's a reno job underway on Agricola:



Another project on Portland Street:



Maybe not so new but some nice reno jobs nearby:



Heritage restoration on Barrington. Note how the second-storey windows have been modified to restore the original fenestration pattern:



The North American Life building on the corner (former John W. Doull bookstore) is a lovely building but could use some restoration work as well. In particular, it was stipped of its original roof ornamentation and has an ugly flat metal roof covering that doesn't look very good.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Great idea. I'd love to see some legacy heritage mixed with some impressive skyscrapers in this area.

The Customs Building was beautiful.

And I think you're referring to this as the flat iron?



You can find it here: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=7000161#post7000161

What a total disaster the Cogwells Exchange was -- demolished so many fantastic buildings in this area.

Yes this is the building, thanks for posting. I think there should there should be a committee to assess what has been lost and find a way to revive our demolished heritage.

[counterfactual]

Here's another view, from above, of the Pentagon Building:



Look at all those older buildings around it; looks like a lot of old brick... all swept away.

[counterfactual]

The South Molton Street Building in London is a cool modern version of a kind of flat iron design:





More here: http://www.archdaily.com/396878/south-molton-street-building-dsdha/


Something like this would be iconic in Halifax, like the Library.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Empire

Yes this is the building, thanks for posting. I think there should there should be a committee to assess what has been lost and find a way to revive our demolished heritage.

I think the only way this might happen is to get an advocacy group together for this and start formally pestering city planners and the mayor, and getting the idea out in the press, using other examples where this sort of thing has been done. And, really, it would help to have a developer onside interested in pursuing this.

As to Keith's concern, I wouldn't want to see faux heritage either. But a building constructed with modern techniques, but clad and decorated in authentic historical materials, would be great.

I'm eager to see the Cogswell area rebuilt to an intimate urban scale, and I'll be happy to see mostly modern buildings, but a couple of the most significant buildings lost there or adjacent to the area would be a great complement.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by someone123

Yep, I hadn't been back since 2014. Unfortunately I only had a few days (mostly spent visiting family), but it was a nice visit and the weather was decent. I managed to get out a couple of times to take pictures.

Well, you're one of the best posters on here, so glad you had a chance to get an "updated" view!

[someone123]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Well, you're one of the best posters on here, so glad you had a chance to get an "updated" view!

Thanks. I wish I had had a bit more time to explore but it was nice to check out a lot of the construction sites, tour the library (I managed to negotiate the stairs without falling to my death), and see so many of the little changes that have happened over the past few years. It's probably a good sign that when I go back for a few days I leave still wanting to visit more instead of getting bored.

The biggest thing that stood out to me was that the city seemed to have a lot more interesting bars, restaurants, and shops to visit. This includes downtown Dartmouth. These small businesses open up gradually so the overall effect is probably easy to miss when you're out and about in the city every day but after 2+ years the changes are very noticeable. I'm hoping downtown Halifax will get an even bigger shot in the arm when buildings like the Maple fill up with residents and tenants.

Next time I visit the Nova Centre will probably be open. It'll be interesting to see the interior. I don't get the negativity about the exterior appearance of the complex at all; I think it looks great and is a huge improvement over what used to be there, even before it was a big empty pit. Queen's Marque will be a big change too. It looks like something from a larger waterfront city, like Boston or Hamburg, while a lot of the current features on the Halifax waterfront, aside from the real heritage buildings, are kind of rinky dink. The Halifax waterfront needs 8 or 10 Queen's Marque and Cunard Block type developments.

[teddifax]

Isn't International Place supposed to have a flat iron type shape, if it ever gets built?

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by teddifax

Isn't International Place supposed to have a flat iron type shape, if it ever gets built?

Yes, and it would be a great way to cap off the end of Granville Mall.



Source: SSP



Source: Toronto Skyscraper and Condo Blog

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by someone123

I managed to negotiate the stairs without falling to my death.

A narrow escape, most likely, but glad nevertheless.

[IanWatson]

Personally, I'm not too keen to see any sort of heritage reconstruction on the Cogswell lands. That heritage is, sadly, gone. It seems crazy to worry about "rebuilding" it there while we lose heritage elsewhere. Cogswell, in my mind, should be very modern and very tall to fill that need in the city, and existing heritage should be preserved to fill that need in the city.

I think the approach of something like International Place makes a lot more sense, and would be a really nice contrast to the Granville Street context.

[Phalanx]

Yeah, once it's gone, it's gone, I'm afraid. Unless original materials are saved, or a lot of time and money is spent on matching materials and craftsmanship, I fear that any attempt at recreating old buildings would come off looking cheap and fake. No one wants to spend the kind of money it would take to do it right anymore.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Phalanx

Yeah, once it's gone, it's gone, I'm afraid. Unless original materials are saved, or a lot of time and money is spent on matching materials and craftsmanship, I fear that any attempt at recreating old buildings would come off looking cheap and fake. No one wants to spend the kind of money it would take to do it right anymore.

I have to agree with that. As much as I think it would be cool to see some of those long-lost buildings reproduced, unfortunately the materials and craftsmanship to do it right would not be available today for an acceptable price point. If you could even find somebody who has the skills and knowledge to do it properly, the time it would take to do it would put the price through the roof, IMHO.

Meanwhile, as Ian mentioned, actual heritage properties are still being leveled, or in danger of, for the sake of cost.

I am curious of how the "Roy Building" will turn out in their "recreation" of the original. I'm under the impression that it will get higher-quality finishes than most, as it will be a high-end building, but pulling off 'faux heritage' that doesn't look faux is a difficult undertaking. I'm hoping for the best!

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Great idea. I'd love to see some legacy heritage mixed with some impressive skyscrapers in this area.

The Customs Building was beautiful.

And I think you're referring to this as the flat iron?



You can find it here: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=7000161#post7000161

What a total disaster the Cogswell Interchange was -- demolished so many fantastic buildings in this area.

Just because... a gratuitous photo of the pentagon block viewed from the west side during an earlier time (late 1800s, I'm guessing):

https://novascotia.ca/archives/Rogers/archives.asp?ID=42



Edit: Added contemporary advertising:

https://novascotia.ca/archives/Rogers/archives.asp?ID=43

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I am curious of how the "Roy Building" will turn out in their "recreation" of the original. I'm under the impression that it will get higher-quality finishes than most, as it will be a high-end building, but pulling off 'faux heritage' that doesn't look faux is a difficult undertaking. I'm hoping for the best!

It shouldn't be difficult, but yes, it rarely works out. But there are still kilns that specialize in producing heritage brick, snd there are still stonemasons and the like who work on restorations. Certainly it wouldn't be cheap to do it, of course, but the materials and expertise exist.