CF Pacific Centre Developments

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The blank walls also had functioning display windows - the long horizontal ones. They were made non-functional in the circa 1999 eaton's reno.
I think the Nordstrom reno will make that block of Howe worse than it was before, as there won't be a store entrance except at the corner with Robson.
Interesting that in the 1980s pic showing the rooftop addition the construction trailers were above the parking ramps - as they are now for this reno.

A shame, as the Howe St. side will have a nice reflectivity that will mirror the Art Gallery and Robson Square open space and sky.
Aren't there ANY amenities that could go there? It seems such a travesty to leave it bleak and unwelcoming at the pedestrian level.

[officedweller]

Not even any display windows on those new blank walls...
I'm wondering if that screen at level 2 (top of the alcove) may have some feature lighting. But that's about it, it appears

******

Pic by me today - rotunda all squared up:

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by officedweller

o.

I think the Nordstrom reno will make that block of Howe worse than it was before, as there won't be a store entrance except at the corner with Robson. There will I think be an entrance to the office lobby through the vestibule, but not to the store.

Agreed, the Howe Street facade looks more 'wall-like' than ever, big disappointment as that's always been a big dead-zone, opportunity lost.

[nickbeaulieu]

I was just walking north up Hornby and looked at the new building. I gotta say, it looks incredible so far. From the angle I was at, you got a VERY good sense of what it will look like when complete. It's such an improvement.

[nickbeaulieu]

IMG_2368 by nbeaulieu98, on Flickr

Looks great I think

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by connect2source

Agreed, the Howe Street facade looks more 'wall-like' than ever, big disappointment as that's always been a big dead-zone, opportunity lost.

For the moment, that is true, and it's a shame. However, things change, things evolve, and it may be not too far in the future when an amenity (another entrance / sidewalk café, whatever) is put there. Here's hoping.

Originally Posted by nickbeaulieu

I was just walking north up Hornby and looked at the new building. I gotta say, it looks incredible so far. From the angle I was at, you got a VERY good sense of what it will look like when complete. It's such an improvement.

Thanks for that photo, Nick. Already, the mirrored effect is evident, and it lends an airy, spacious feel to the centre of the city.

[spm2013]

...

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by nickbeaulieu

IMG_2368 by nbeaulieu98, on Flickr

Looks great I think

Looks absolutely fantastic. Thanks for posting.

[NewWester]

I find that I'm really disappointed with their choice of materials for the non-glass sections. That white board with the blue speckles looks really cheap and fails to live up to the quality of the glass.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by NewWester

I find that I'm really disappointed with their choice of materials for the non-glass sections. That white board with the blue speckles looks really cheap and fails to live up to the quality of the glass.

I thought the white, blue-speckled board was the underlayer for the sandstone finish.

[spm2013]

...

[Denscity]

Ya I think that's underlay.

[nickbeaulieu]

I'm pretty sure NewWester is joking, guys.

[Hourglass]

^^
Well, there are so many disparate design elements with this building, the speckle board fits right in!

[dleung]

This prominent site could have used something more unique. The biggest crime was the attempt to "break down the massing" - Vancouver-style - with arbitrary projections and recesses, instead of maintaining the monolithic simplicity of the original design (that said, I always hated how the marble aggregate cladding came all the way to the ground, and wish the ground level was continuous storefronts instead) It wouldn't have killed them to put some curved glass at the corners.

When complete, I'd imagine most people won't even notice that it's new... they'll just mistake it for the CTV building on steroids.

[trofirhen]

I still think that, while far from "perfect" (and how subjective that is), that when it's all finished, the reflectivity of it will add something to downtown.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by NewWester

I find that I'm really disappointed with their choice of materials for the non-glass sections. That white board with the blue speckles looks really cheap and fails to live up to the quality of the glass.

You are too outdated buddy, cheap cardboards with tacky prints are the in thing these days. Keep up with the times......

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by dleung

... It wouldn't have killed them to put some curved glass at the corners.

The "sad" part is that they have squared off the chamfered corners on the upper part of the building (and rounded corners on the 1980 addition), but on the Robson side at street level, they have oddball chamfered corners.

[ozonemania]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

I still think that, while far from "perfect" (and how subjective that is), that when it's all finished, the reflectivity of it will add something to downtown.

Yes, the (original) monolithic white looked nice, but it killed street life and that's why that area has always been a dead zone.

Once the glass is all up it'll look wonderful! I don't know if the street life will improve any tho, one can only hope.

The the that TOTALLY ruins the Robson/Howe intersection are those FUGLY FUGLY FUGLY Robson Square stairway pavillions. Weren't they going to destroy those for 2010??? I mean come ON!

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by ozonemania

..................
The the that TOTALLY ruins the Robson/Howe intersection are those FUGLY FUGLY FUGLY Robson Square stairway pavillions. Weren't they going to destroy those for 2010??? I mean come ON!

I think a number of people share your feelings about those. They are hokey and ugly. I can't understand what happened, either.