Tunney's Pasture Redevelopment

[Postmaster]

Originally Posted by OttawaSteve

Wellington West: the fast-food-chain dead zone. There used to be a McDonald's at Holland Cross, where Marcello's is now, and it didn't last (how often do you see a McDonald's location fail?).

The former Macdonalds express at then North End of Orleans Blvd. I remember waiting 15 minutes for a double quarter pounder. That's how Macdonalds fails even within walking range of 2 highschools.

[silvergate]

I'd really like to see the grand boulevard broken up a little bit, or at least turned into some kind of linear park through the middle. Right now both sides feel too far across and really don' have anything going for them, and it feels like a really long walk from Holland and Scott to B-C. Not to mention those redevelopment plans don't seem to add much along the boulevard.
Something like this building in Toronto's distillery district right through the middle leading to Brooke-Claxton.



From : http://jamiesarner.com/toronto-life/2012/05/photo-essay-different-toronto/#

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by silvergate

I'd really like to see the grand boulevard broken up a little bit, or at least turned into some kind of linear park through the middle. Right now both sides feel too far across and really don' have anything going for them, and it feels like a really long walk from Holland and Scott to B-C. Not to mention those redevelopment plans don't seem to add much along the boulevard.
Something like this building in Toronto's distillery district right through the middle leading to Brooke-Claxton.



From : http://jamiesarner.com/toronto-life/2012/05/photo-essay-different-toronto/#

I love that building, but it'd never happen on the median grass. That entire strip is a preserved view corridor to Brooke Claxton. That said, no reason the rest of the strip can't be developed. Overall, not too impressed with the redevelopment. They don't want highrises, and they want to keep most of the low-rise government buildings.

[1overcosc]

A protected view corridor of a brutalist eyesore? Such a thing exists?

[J.OT13]

Brook Claxton is not a brutalist eyesore but an International masterpiece.

The median going down Tunney's Pasture Driveway (name change please, maybe Holland) should be developed into an awesome linear park, as silvergate suggests. Maybe lines of trees on each side with a plaza/fountain in the middle and/or monument. No buildings though.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Brook Claxton is not a brutalist eyesore but an International masterpiece.

The median going down Tunney's Pasture Driveway (name change please, maybe Holland) should be developed into an awesome linear park, as silvergate suggests. Maybe lines of trees on each side with a plaza/fountain in the middle and/or monument. No buildings though.

Yes, because Ottawa already doesn't have enough pointless, purposeless, useless, unused, windswept, goddamn stupid "linear parks".

[RTWAP]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Brook Claxton is not a brutalist eyesore but an International masterpiece.

The median going down Tunney's Pasture Driveway (name change please, maybe Holland) should be developed into an awesome linear park, as silvergate suggests. Maybe lines of trees on each side with a plaza/fountain in the middle and/or monument. No buildings though.

It might not be ugly, but I find it quite bland and uninteresting. I'd expect a masterpiece to evoke a different response. If it's only a masterpiece in the eyes of a learned few then it's not really a masterpiece. It's just popular in one particular echo chamber.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by RTWAP

It might not be ugly, but I find it quite bland and uninteresting. I'd expect a masterpiece to evoke a different response. If it's only a masterpiece in the eyes of a learned few then it's not really a masterpiece. It's just popular in one particular echo chamber.

What to you is a masterpiece? What are the criteria for designating a building a masterpiece that excludes others, such as this, from such a title?

[Urbanarchit]

Brooke Claxton is one of my favourite buildings in Ottawa. It's of the International Style with hints of Brutalism, but it's definitely a Modernist building that evoked the Zeitgeist of the '60s.

I took some photos tonight because I thought it was quite interesting to get a nighttime perspective. However, I was told off by one of the security guards circling Tunney's in their van, saying that unless I have a permit I'm not allowed to photograph government office buildings, as I could be a spy selling photos to China or Russia. I said that this is news to me that people aren't allowed to shoot buildings, and I believe this is Crown Land and is Crown-owned (which it is according to their website), so it's a surprise to me that I need to get a permit to photograph here.

Are they going to keep the security guards to circle Tunney's at night when it's redeveloped? I can't imagine it'll be a very pleasant neighbourhood if it'll be so heavily patrolled and restricted.

More of my stuff you can find here.


Brooke Claxton by Shel DeF on Flickr


Brooke Claxton Building by Shel DeF on Flickr


Here's a skyline shot of Tunney's and West Wellington/ Hintonburg that I like. I re-shot it with my new camera.


Tunney's Pasture by Shel DeF on Flickr

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Yes, because Ottawa already doesn't have enough pointless, purposeless, useless, unused, windswept, goddamn stupid "linear parks".

What are the the other "pointless, purposeless, useless, unused, windswept, goddamn stupid" linear parks in Ottawa?

This one has a purpose, despite not having a use; it's used to provided a clear view of Brooke Claxton. Like J.OT13 said we can keep it as a park but redesign it so it looks better, interacts better with other buildings, yet is a pleasant enough space to be used by people who will work and live (hopefully) in this area.

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Brook Claxton is not a brutalist eyesore but an International masterpiece.

The median going down Tunney's Pasture Driveway (name change please, maybe Holland)

Numbering for Holland starts at Scott at 1, so perhaps it could be Upper Holland or Lower Holland, like they've done in Toronto along the waterfront where arterials have been extended south.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by defishel

What are the the other "pointless, purposeless, useless, unused, windswept, goddamn stupid" linear parks in Ottawa?

Byron, the "green spaces" that line the canal instead of public buildings, the "green spaces" that line the sacred shores of the river parkways.

This one has a purpose, despite not having a use; it's used to provided a clear view of Brooke Claxton.

Why in the name of decency do we need Brooke Claxton, let alone a sacred view of an ass-ugly building?

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Byron, the "green spaces" that line the canal instead of public buildings, the "green spaces" that line the sacred shores of the river parkways.

You do know those green spaces are heavily used and make the areas more pleasant, right? I'd understand if they were never used, but that's not the case.
However, I'm all for getting rid of the parkways/ Queensway off-ramp into Lowertown and replacing them with buildings.

[silvergate]

The problem with the grand boulevard still remains that there is literally nothing to do along it that will make people visit. Aside from working hours, the strip is dead, and the redevelopment doesn't talk about replacing any of the buildings for most of its length. A great view of Brooke-Claxton it might be, but there is very little reason to actually use it right now (working hours aside).

[J.OT13]

I think it's safe to say that the majority of people on this site like the Brooke Claxton. As far as Federal architecture goes, it is spectacular. Worth noting that it was the first new tallest building (correct me if I'm wrong) since the Blackburn in 1913. Might have been a bit of an inspiration for the 3 new tallest buildings 3 years later, Place de Ville I.

Anyway, yes their is an overkill of green space everywhere in this city that need not be, but we still need to preserve a few of these within every urban neighborhood. There is nothing wrong with one tree lined boulevard within a newly developed Tunney's Pasture.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by defishel

You do know those green spaces are heavily used and make the areas more pleasant, right?

More pleasant than what?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

More pleasant than what?

Wall to wall concrete.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Wall to wall concrete.

Pointless green space, and wall to wall concrete, are not the only two possibilities.

[acottawa]

Something like this would be nice

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.507439,-...1!3m2!1sjc0e3DYPSY-b86wJHnRw4A!2e0?hl=en

or this

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.225327,-7...3!1sr7MF5f787_eK892IhgBcFg!2e0!3e5?hl=en

[S-Man]

When I hear the term 'grand boulevard', I can't help but be reminded of the Chretien-era plan to dynamite everything along Metcalfe street to create just such a Capital-building feature.

It was terrifyingly Greberish at the time.

Obviously Tunney's is completely different surroundings, and I really can't get worked up for either the 'yes' or 'no' argument. As for the tranquil fields of crabgrass (now with skeletal dead ash trees), I say use it (ie - do something with it) or lose it.