Quote:
Originally Posted by Biff
I know some here are critical of the finishes on this project and as some have said it may not age well, but I still stand by my assertion that I really like it for downtown. It really breaks up the monotony and blandness that our skyline currently displays. Wait for it to be lit up an fully animated before the final judgement is cast.
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Agreed. While concerns about how it will age are quite legitimate, I don't think anyone should be concerned about how it looks now (of course we can all have an opinion). Far, far too often in Canada we let everyone have their say about the aesthetics of new buildings- city councillors, neighbors, even people from across the city who have virtually no stake in it. The result is that the only thing that satisfies
everyone is a dull, bland, who cares. You cannot make a great design in such a city- great works like the Eiffel tower or Sydney Opera House were once decried by neighbors as eye sores. Thankfully, those cities build them over these objections.
A good contrast to this for those of you who travel and love architecture is the parts of Barcelona from Gaudi's time 100 years ago. They had virtually no rules or approval process and people built their facade however the hell they felt like it. Yes, some of the buildings are ugly and yes, some of them clash with their neighbors, but the end result is one of the most diverse, stimulating urban areas in the world and it is full of gems.
At the end of the day, if you don't like the look of a building, you don't have to live there. But please refrain from supporting any laws/legislation telling other people what they can and cannot build on their own properties (I'm talking about aesthetics here, not zoning- ie. building height- which is obviously important to have rules about).