New Vancouver Art Gallery | 9fl | Proposed

[deasine]

Well it would be interesting to see how the City of Vancouver will plan around that area of false creek. Evidently, that will be the new "cultural centre", so I wonder how the City would do that.

Hopefully they'll start with retail and pedestrian friendly greenways and paths connecting to Carrall Street Greenway, BC Place, GM Place, and Stadium SkyTrain station.

[raggedy13]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

There's potential that this project can rejuvenate that area of False Creek, bring in some pedestrian activity.....add in the renovations to BC Place across the street and the condo/office tower developments.

Ya, I'm hoping with upgrades to BC Place and appropriate developments/planning around this new VAG area it will also help improve pedestrian flow from busier areas west. Considering that this VAG site would basically be at the end of Robson Street if not for the barrier of BC Place, quite a bit of pedestrian activity could be tapped if there were improved linkages to Robson successfully drawing people around BC Place. Of course the new residential and other developments in the immediate area should help as well.

Also, there is a good chance that in the future there will be a False Creek watertaxi stop by the VAG. With the no doubt bustling SEFC/Olympic Village nearby and its watertaxi stop there should be a steady flow of people from across the water adding to the pedestrian activity as well.

Originally Posted by deasine

Hopefully they'll start with retail and pedestrian friendly greenways and paths connecting to Carrall Street Greenway, BC Place, GM Place, and Stadium SkyTrain station.

Good point about the Carrall Street Greenway. That should really help improve pedestrian traffic in the area if they are able to integrate it effectively.

[bils]

time to get rid of the viaducts

[agrant]

That would be sweet if they did that. That's got to be one of the biggest eye sores in the city. Unfortunately we can't really just "get rid" of the viaducts without finding an alternative for the traffic to flow. It would cost a multi multi million dollar sum to bury it or do something else I can't imagine right now.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by agrant

That would be sweet if they did that. That's got to be one of the biggest eye sores in the city. Unfortunately we can't really just "get rid" of the viaducts without finding an alternative for the traffic to flow. It would cost a multi multi million dollar sum to bury it or do something else I can't imagine right now.

Would be a little harder too... Spectrum development streets are integrated with the viaducts. Then there are plans to build the StreetCar OMC underneath the Viaducts too.

[Hong Kongese]

I don't mind the viaducts, they just look like bridges to me except they are not over the water.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

There's potential that this project can rejuvenate that area of False Creek, bring in some pedestrian activity.....add in the renovations to BC Place across the street and the condo/office tower developments.

^False Creek will be rejuvenated; it's going to become a much more important focal point in the city. This is just bound to happen anyway, with all the potential that is in the lands around it to the East and South. The viaducts are pretty ugly, you can't get away from that unless they have some cosmetic improvements, but they are no longer strictly necessary because their original purpose no longer exists.

[Hong Kongese]

Originally Posted by Architype

The viaducts are pretty ugly, you can't get away from that unless they have some cosmetic improvements, but they are no longer strictly necessary because their original purpose no longer exists.

What sort of cosmetic improvements you are talking about? Like putting some flowers around them? I think they are just fine as what they are now!

[cornholio]

Its not very hard to incorporate street level developments in to the viaducts and make them pretty much invisible. Infact I expect that to happen in the not to distant future as the supply of land in the area disappears. I will go as far as to say that you can incorporate towers between them along their entire length, all it would need is for the city to be a bit flexible and creative. Towers built like the Qube in Vancouver can easily fit and be quite stunning...with retail along the bottom. Really I dont see the viaducts as a problem, infact i see them as a big plus for the city and thanks to them you will end up with that part of town with a fraction of the traffic at ground level that it otherwise would have.

[flight_from_kamakura]

the viaducts...

back a few years ago, some folks at city hall were batting around the idea of reorienting them so that the entrances fed from/to main street. the idea was to demolish the overpass there and recuperate a whole load of land. but that was during the tech park days, and i haven't heard a thing about it since then.

other than that, i could see the demolition of the geogia viaduct and a 2-way conversion for dunsmuir, but (sadly) it's inconceivable that both branches would be removed.

[vanman]

I think the viaducts are fine the way they are. Sure they might be a little ugly but as long as they continue to be integrated with the city fabric I don't see any problems with them. Developers are clearly not scared of building near them, the city even built a successful skatepark underneath them and with the future condos/offices that will be built in the area I wouldn't be surprised if some form of retail was eventually built below them. It would be cool if there was some sort of LED lighting of the support columns at night.

[twoNeurons]

If the Viaducts are really an issue, why not put sound barriers around them, making an architectural statement in the process:


source


source


Wikipedia Link

[canucks23]

Speaking of viaducts, I found these really neat pics on Flickr.

http://flickr.com/photos/gwilli/2511863968/sizes/o/

http://flickr.com/photos/gwilli/2511863374/sizes/o/

[Architype]

^ Great time lapse there !

Originally Posted by Hong Kongese

What sort of cosmetic improvements you are talking about? Like putting some flowers around them? I think they are just fine as what they are now!

How about paint, some material trim, lights, cleaning, camouflage, flags, murals, landscaping, or adding architectural elements like in the photos above; someone can be creative. Everyone hates viaducts, and these do not have a graceful design.

I was reading some comments on other media sites about the chosen location, and a lot of people don't like it being virtually in the shadow of 2 stadiums (collision of cultures too), also the viaducts, and away from other "cultural" establishments and restaurants. Most people like the waterfront aspect of it though.

[fever]

I'd like to see the Dunsmuir viaduct brought down to grade near Carrall and the Georgia viaduct brought down to grade between GM and BC place. There should be a more direct connection between Georgia/Beatty and the VAG that doesn't involve walking around BC place. The street network in that area can be difficult to navigate as well, and ramping the Georgia viaduct down to grade, in particular, would help to form a grid.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

Also, there is a good chance that in the future there will be a False Creek watertaxi stop by the VAG. With the no doubt bustling SEFC/Olympic Village nearby and its watertaxi stop there should be a steady flow of people from across the water adding to the pedestrian activity as well.

There's already a water taxi stop at the plaza of nations.

And as someone who worked in the plaza for a long time, I have to say the Stadium station is not nearly close enough for tourists. It's a long lonely walk between the stadiums and tourists are already constantly getting disoriented between the intimidating grey walls.

I read talk of a streetcar going from waterfront station to False Creek in a Waterfront Station Hub redevelopment plan pdf? Is that anything more than a dream?

[deasine]

Sort of a dream. But with the City of Vancouver, I'm pretty sure they'll make it happen, god knows when though.

Basically becasue funding constraints, the city has been breaking this project into MANY phases. The latest first step in the streetcar is a pilot project using old rails between Granville Island and Olympic Village station. The next would be having it to Main Street, then to Waterfront and beyond.

[raggedy13]

Awesome find canucks23, those pics are pretty cool.

Originally Posted by Pinion

There's already a water taxi stop at the plaza of nations.

Oh, good to know, thanks. Clearly I don't make enough use of the water taxis. I guess they'll no doubt intend to keep that service with the VAG there.

[itinerant]

I don't think the problem is the Viaduct (which competes with the Skytrain in the beauty department). Dunsmuir/Georgia viaducts are actually very effective and welcome relief from a motorist's point of view to the gridlock which is Georgia.

The present location of the VAG is actually perfect with respect to its prominence in the city and ease of access for residents and visitors. The new location is isolated on the other side of a huge sports edifice, which I would suggest isn't the best neighbour for a fine arts complex. Further to that, it would be wedged between cookie-cutter green-glass residential towers (from the look of the rendering).

I think the site itself is spectacular, and would need to focus attention on itself rather than the distraction of the BC place behind. Use the water and transportation already on the water. Definitely a better connector from skytrain stadium station would be needed, and should IMO connect both visually and architecturally to the VAG complex.

A direct bridge from Stadium Skytrain, over Pacific Boulevard, and down to VAG would be my preference.

The layered strata currently in place that puts the cars from downtown on the upper level, jutting out from the escarpment and landing past Main Street, is actually pretty effective at creating a relatively calm lower strata for False Creek North and Pacific Boulevard. I would not spend the effort on bringing cars down to the lower level and losing the opportunity to use the lower level to enhance the livability of that area.

[flight_from_kamakura]

^ good points, especially on a skytrain walkway. my thinking about the transit aspect of this site is that we'll have to wait to see how the streetcar lines develop. while i doubt this would be a game-changer in the sense of causing the city to reconsider the streetcar route (or add another one), it could well compel folks to get the network in quicker... meaning that a vag streetcar stop could well be in place when all of this opens ~2013.