[Halifax] Queen's Marque | 30 m | 10 fl | Completed

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I really do not like the structure facing Water St. The building appears bulky and massive there, and with the Dominion building across a very narrow street it will make that stretch very enclosed-feeling, dark, and canyon-ish. The design of that building looks almost institutional in nature, almost like a 1950s federal govt building....

I totally agree. It's an odd fit where I expect to have finger-type developments reaching into the harbour with openings between that provide much less of a wall.

Originally Posted by Keith P.

...
Did they state whether these will be rentals or condos? I assume it is all residential and not commercial space?...

They don't state apartments vs. condos - at least not in what I read, but they do list office space in their grandiose description of the "district."

From the website: "WORK: The commercial space is designed to be one of the most progressive office buildings in the country and will have a distinct Atlantic Canadian character. Queen’s Marque is a place to work and think that is different from other spaces in the City. With the sea almost touching the expansive windows, it facilitates a balance between productivity and creativity. Much like the culture of Nova Scotia."

But wait, there's more: "LIVE: Halifax Harbour is your living room within the residences at Queen’s Marque. Living space is pressed up against the ocean in the centre of the Queen and Cable district. The location and appointments will be unrivaled within the City and of the utmost luxury. The interiors will speak to traditional Nova Scotian craft, materials and design in a modern and contemporary application."

And a hotel... "STAY: Queen’s Marque will feature Atlantic Canada’s first ultra-luxury class boutique hotel. Guest suites will be finely appointed with Nova Scotian design and décor. Visitors will experience the finest regional hospitality amongst comfortable and beautiful, distinctly Atlantic Canadian, ocean side rooms."

What about everything artisinal you ask? "EAT: njoy a locally brewed craft beer while sitting in the warm Nova Scotian sun, surrounded by the dark blue ocean, in the centre of our City. Queen’s Marque will feature several local restaurants and cafes that strive to prepare dishes inspired by our region using fresh ingredients grown in Nova Scotia."

Let's not forget boutiques... they're being "curated" for your pleasure... "EXPLORE: Boutique style shopping and services with a distinct focus on locally made and sourced products. Retail and cultural space at Queen’s Marque is being curated with the intent to support local businesses and showcase artisan wares and high-end fashions that are unique to Atlantic Canada. Cultural feature provides Nova Scotia historical and artistic experiences within the district."

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

...
Here you're just gonna be surrounded by what looks like an interior plaza in a slightly dated office complex. (Love the stairs though.)

If I've seen anything that might be Stairs of Death™, it's those

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

Living space is pressed up against the ocean in the centre of the Queen and Cable district. The location and appointments will be unrivaled within the City and of the utmost luxury.

Queen and Cable district? What the hell is that?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Queen and Cable district? What the hell is that?

They just made it up, using the hype machine they clearly have acquired.

Murphy's is on the Cable Wharf, I believe? And this is on what was once the Queen's Wharf. Hence the name. Not that anyone actually ever called that area by such a name.

[Ziobrop]

i wrote a history of queens wharf last year
http://halifaxbloggers.ca/builthalif...-queens-wharf/

[portapetey]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I totally agree. It's an odd fit where I expect to have finger-type developments reaching into the harbour with openings between that provide much less of a wall.



They don't state apartments vs. condos - at least not in what I read, but they do list office space in their grandiose description of the "district."

From the website: "WORK: The commercial space is designed to be one of the most progressive office buildings in the country and will have a distinct Atlantic Canadian character. Queen’s Marque is a place to work and think that is different from other spaces in the City. With the sea almost touching the expansive windows, it facilitates a balance between productivity and creativity. Much like the culture of Nova Scotia."

But wait, there's more: "LIVE: Halifax Harbour is your living room within the residences at Queen’s Marque. Living space is pressed up against the ocean in the centre of the Queen and Cable district. The location and appointments will be unrivaled within the City and of the utmost luxury. The interiors will speak to traditional Nova Scotian craft, materials and design in a modern and contemporary application."

And a hotel... "STAY: Queen’s Marque will feature Atlantic Canada’s first ultra-luxury class boutique hotel. Guest suites will be finely appointed with Nova Scotian design and décor. Visitors will experience the finest regional hospitality amongst comfortable and beautiful, distinctly Atlantic Canadian, ocean side rooms."

What about everything artisinal you ask? "EAT: njoy a locally brewed craft beer while sitting in the warm Nova Scotian sun, surrounded by the dark blue ocean, in the centre of our City. Queen’s Marque will feature several local restaurants and cafes that strive to prepare dishes inspired by our region using fresh ingredients grown in Nova Scotia."

Let's not forget boutiques... they're being "curated" for your pleasure... "EXPLORE: Boutique style shopping and services with a distinct focus on locally made and sourced products. Retail and cultural space at Queen’s Marque is being curated with the intent to support local businesses and showcase artisan wares and high-end fashions that are unique to Atlantic Canada. Cultural feature provides Nova Scotia historical and artistic experiences within the district."

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Queen and Cable district? What the hell is that?

It's the CtPaTown.

Not sure if you can embed video like you can photos (ETA: You can!):

• Video Link

[someone123]

Overall it looks pretty interesting to me. I like that it's not another blue or green glass building. It has a big footprint but there are openings for pedestrians on the ground level and the enclosed design is intended to cut down on wind to make the plaza area more hospitable for a larger part of the year. I could see it being a more useful space than the open lot that's there now, even if it is smaller.

Good or bad this also strikes me like a development more characteristic of a large and modern city. I like this a lot more than the small town Maritime kitsch stuff that exists along parts of the waterfront. Halifax seems to be entering a new "grown-up" phase. Then again, is that glass tower thing an imitation lighthouse?

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by someone123

Overall it looks pretty interesting to me. I like that it's not another blue or green glass building. It has a big footprint but there are openings for pedestrians on the ground level and the enclosed design is intended to cut down on wind to make the plaza area more hospitable for a larger part of the year. I could see it being a more useful space than the open lot that's there now, even if it is smaller.

Good or bad this also strikes me like a development more characteristic of a large and modern city. I like this a lot more than the small town Maritime kitsch stuff that exists along parts of the waterfront. Halifax seems to be entering a new "grown-up" phase. Then again, is that glass tower thing an imitation lighthouse?

I tend to agree, and at this point I am trying to focus on the significant positives that are in this proposal. In particular, it is awesome to see a development that plans to build using sandstone and copper. It does indeed seem to speak to a "grown up" phase of building, where developments actually look to integrate quality rather than just quick and easy construction. Clearly the design does need some tweaking, given the cavern effect of the wall on water street and the fact that at least in the renderings it seems to restrict easy flow into the plaza area. However, on the whole I think they should be congratulated for trying to do something different. The water street heaviness of the design and trying to make the plaza more visually accessible can be fixed, but having a developer use quality materials is something that they should be congratulated for.

PS: I am not 100%, but after reading more I think that glass "tower" is a placeholder for a public art installation (which admittedly could still end up being an unfortunate lighthouse). Regardless I found that tower distracting in some of the renderings, especially the one where people appear to be floating in it!

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by beyeas

PS: I am not 100%, but after reading more I think that glass "tower" is a placeholder for a public art installation (which admittedly could still end up being an unfortunate lighthouse). Regardless I found that tower distracting in some of the renderings, especially the one where people appear to be floating in it!

Perhaps it is a zero-gravity obelisk.

I'm sure skateboarders will love the ramp downhill from it.

[teddifax]

I was wondering that about the ramp, but it appears to be stepped down.

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Perhaps it is a zero-gravity obelisk.

A zero gravity obelisk I could get behind. A lighthouse, not so much!

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Perhaps it is a zero-gravity obelisk.

I'm sure skateboarders will love the ramp downhill from it.

I believe it's steps, with the developer intending on using it as a public amphitheatre.

[IanWatson]

I'm fully in support of this development because it means we finally get that teleportation beam to the moon that Halifax so desperately needs:

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

Overall it looks pretty interesting to me. I like that it's not another blue or green glass building. It has a big footprint but there are openings for pedestrians on the ground level and the enclosed design is intended to cut down on wind to make the plaza area more hospitable for a larger part of the year. I could see it being a more useful space than the open lot that's there now, even if it is smaller.

The shacks along there now are kitschy, but they also create a varied and useful collection of businesses and that bit of the waterfront is always well used. It's a great example if how easy it is to create lively civic space very easily. I don't see an boutique-ultra-super-luxury (blah blah) mega-complex retail space succeeding in that way. I said somewhere else that it looks austere and boring, like somewhere office workers will take their brown-bag lunches.

My other big concern is the interruption of the visual flow up and down the boardwalk, which could discourage pedestrian movement through the space and and interrupt the movement north and south along the boardwalk. Maybe separating the "wharf" buildings from the centre block and creating a continuous open-air passage (rather than just the "porous" building frontage) would help with that. The wharves could then connect with the main building via sky-bridges or something.

And I still think the facade of the main building is pretty graceless and the massing of the whole thing lacks symmetry.

[connect2source]

This developments blows me away!! So proud of my old hometown!! The quality of materials is like nothing before and raises the bar! The concept reminds me a little of the Norwegian Opera House in Oslo with the waterfront location and the ramps. This is truly a world class building and will transform the area and set a new benchmark for architecture in Halifax!

Pic : ArchFolios

[Keith P.]

Everyone's favorite journo Tim Bousquet craps all over this today:

https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featu...y-may-10-2016/

A sampler:

"Regular readers will know to read such pronouncements with a grain of salt — besides short-term construction jobs, even the biggest developments “create” exactly zilch in terms of new employment, but rather simply reshuffle existing employment opportunities. Maybe Queen’s Landing will need a bunch of building managers and janitors, and maybe some retail shops and offices in the new development will hire some people, but only because the Maritime Centre (or whatever) finally gives up the ghost and people working there lose their jobs."


So I guess when Tim started the Halifax Examiner, another rag must have shut down?


"Remember when you were a kid and went to the fair and ate three giant cotton candies and two chocolate-covered bananas with nuts and then went with your sister on the Tilt-a-Whirl? Yes, reading that press release is exactly like that. The website is a lot of sickening fun, too, as we learn about “Honest. Authentic” condos, and that, somehow, the developers are promising to dictate what kind of food and drink are served in the new restaurants in the complex"


I find it remarkable that his readers actually pay for this stuff. And more scarily, that many of them seem to believe that what he produces is true.

[gypsy]

As a middle aged Dartmouthian I am somewhat disturbed that the Obelisk is somewhat reminiscent of the Carousel of Death in Logan's Run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSnLU9nyFSA
Of course it will bring the tourists.

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

T
My other big concern is the interruption of the visual flow up and down the boardwalk, which could discourage pedestrian movement through the space and and interrupt the movement north and south along the boardwalk. Maybe separating the "wharf" buildings from the centre block and creating a continuous open-air passage (rather than just the "porous" building frontage) would help with that. The wharves could then connect with the main building via sky-bridges or something.

Yeah that I was what I was trying to get across in my post above as well. Massing on Water Street aside, the other big issue is how people access and flow through to the plaza space. Right now it really doesn't feel like this would have any continuity with the boardwalk space, and instead is its own separated area. I respect Mackay-Lyons comment about have a sheltered space, but if it is so sheltered that it becomes uninviting to flow through it, then we have effectively a barrier separating a non-contiguous North and South boardwalk area.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Everyone's favorite journo Tim Bousquet craps all over this today:

https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featu...y-may-10-2016/

A sampler:

"Regular readers will know to read such pronouncements with a grain of salt — besides short-term construction jobs, even the biggest developments “create” exactly zilch in terms of new employment, but rather simply reshuffle existing employment opportunities. Maybe Queen’s Landing will need a bunch of building managers and janitors, and maybe some retail shops and offices in the new development will hire some people, but only because the Maritime Centre (or whatever) finally gives up the ghost and people working there lose their jobs."


So I guess when Tim started the Halifax Examiner, another rag must have shut down?


"Remember when you were a kid and went to the fair and ate three giant cotton candies and two chocolate-covered bananas with nuts and then went with your sister on the Tilt-a-Whirl? Yes, reading that press release is exactly like that. The website is a lot of sickening fun, too, as we learn about “Honest. Authentic” condos, and that, somehow, the developers are promising to dictate what kind of food and drink are served in the new restaurants in the complex"


I find it remarkable that his readers actually pay for this stuff. And more scarily, that many of them seem to believe that what he produces is true.

To be fair, I think some of what he points out is pretty funny: a pre-occupation with being local (I DO really appreciate that the architects are local, something that's missing from the Convention Centre, and sorta missing from the library where the headliners were fancy come-from-aways who were supported by local joes) contrasted with illustrative photos that are the antithesis of local.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by beyeas

Yeah that I was what I was trying to get across in my post above as well. Massing on Water Street aside, the other big issue is how people access and flow through to the plaza space. Right now it really doesn't feel like this would have any continuity with the boardwalk space, and instead is its own separated area. I respect Mackay-Lyons comment about have a sheltered space, but if it is so sheltered that it becomes uninviting to flow through it, then we have effectively a barrier separating a non-contiguous North and South boardwalk area.

I think that's a valid concern, actually. I've often wondered if the Marriott Hotel is the reason that waterfront pedestrian traffic pretty much stops at the north end of the boardwalk, even though it continues around the perimeter of the building. The hotel feels like a barrier to the pedestrian rather than a continuation of the boardwalk.

That said, there's not much to do beyond there, except to go to the casino (which is more easily accessed through the pedways IMHO). So it may not be blamed entirely on the hotel's layout.