The Olympia Club | ? | 4fl | Complete

[ScreamingViking]

What a HUGE improvement. They've done a fantastic job.

The building stock along King St. between Wellington and James has really changed for the better over the past couple of decades. There are still fix-ups and renos to be done, plus what is being built now and the stuff that's still at the proposal stage, but compared to the 1980s and 1990s it looks so much nicer.

Originally Posted by StEC

They have done such an amazing job here! I'm very excited to see what the downtown core will look like in a few years when most of the construction in this area is complete!

Photos taken today, are clickable to see larger size.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Love that yellow brick building. We have so few of that sort.

Let's hope King & James is next!

[Chronamut]

Wow it SO does not feel like the same building.. imagine if all the buildings in the core were restored to their "original" facade look

Can't wait to see inside!

[Markus83]

Taken this morning:

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Wow it SO does not feel like the same building.. imagine if all the buildings in the core were restored to their "original" facade look

Can't wait to see inside!

Imagine Kresge's restored to it's original 1920/30s grandeur with a tower rising out the back. That was my idea...

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

Imagine Kresge's restored to it's original 1920/30s grandeur with a tower rising out the back. That was my idea...

Unfortunately the outside of kresges never looked good - it was always stained with the coal/soot of the time - even after it was relatively new from pictures that I have seen of the times - I am not too beat up about that - that and they chiseled out the art deco elements that were originally in the ziggarut designs - it's one I was iffy on them restoring.

Also I am still iffy on the choice of brick on the second building there which is the same colour as the kresges building was - as we know it doesn't age well, and from far away it is the same colour and look as particle board so I keep seeing this building from far away and my mind tricks me into believing it's not finished yet..

also wish theyd paint the sides of the buildings - looks weird this beautiful new facade and then you see the side on the right there and it's still all grungy looking. At least slap some paint or stucco on it. At least they cut the brick design into the side in a zipper in out fashion - that looks nice

[ChildishGavino]

Or better yet, a mural.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by ChildishGavino

Or better yet, a mural.

YES! Use up that space - I mean people go up there and tag the walls anyways - why not put something nice there instead. Maybe brick a mosaic in with different coloured tiles.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Unfortunately the outside of kresges never looked good - it was always stained with the coal/soot of the time - even after it was relatively new from pictures that I have seen of the times - I am not too beat up about that - that and they chiseled out the art deco elements that were originally in the ziggarut designs - it's one I was iffy on them restoring.

But what would make anyone think these two buildings were worth saving? That's the point. Underneath all that grime and neglect is a thing of beauty that we couldn't possibly replace. A restored Kresge's, with the deco embellishments rebuilt, would have been fabulous!

Who knows what the new facades on King will look like? They'll most certainly be outshone by these beauties. Trust me.

[davidcappi]

These facades are brand new recreations using new materials. Nothing here is original - just designed to reflect the original appearance. The original facades were removed a long time ago when the building was renovated in the 50s.

[King&James]

wouldn't it be nice in Liuna took cues from UrbanCore and wrapped the lowere 3 floors of their creation in something complementary to this site and/or the Right House ... King William Strip. I know , not what was there or being a "lets recreate the Victorian age" fanboy, but something that is human scale , with brick and stone.....then step back to high density modern

[Innsertnamehere]

I mean that’s more or less what they seem to be trying next door, the podium will be brick.. but the big problem is that they hired the craptacular architects that are G+C. So of course they are going to screw it up. G+C doesn’t have a “good” building in their portfolio.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I mean that’s more or less what they seem to be trying next door, the podium will be brick.. but the big problem is that they hired the craptacular architects that are G+C. So of course they are going to screw it up. G+C doesn’t have a “good” building in their portfolio.

I just find it sad that nothing new seems to reflect a nice amount of detail oriented craftsmanship - I mean yeah they could have added some nice pillar elements to the entrance of the olympia club - I mean they did some fancy brickwork on the building next door.

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

But what would make anyone think these two buildings were worth saving? That's the point. Underneath all that grime and neglect is a thing of beauty that we couldn't possibly replace. A restored Kresge's, with the deco embellishments rebuilt, would have been fabulous!

Who knows what the new facades on King will look like? They'll most certainly be outshone by these beauties. Trust me.

I am not particularly looking forward to the brick facade designs of the building going up next door - personally I am a huge fan of combining old with new - the courthouse imo is a brilliant example of that - stone artisan design elements (slight recessed designs) combined with glass and some modern elements - old with new.

I think for me I just hold the downtown core to a higher quality of aesthetic - not a huge fan of ellen faircloud style prison-like architecture.

Then again architectural designs change so much even as the project is being completed I am not even convinced what we have seen will even be the final result.

As for kresges.. like the olympia club it would have to have been entirely gutted and rebuilt - aside from the curved glass which is very rare to still see in hamilton, there wasn't anything that could really be salvaged from it facade wise.

If the entire thing had been recreated in say a yellow facade with the art deco elements being recreated in say, black and silver, and maybe gold, that could have looked real sharp.

It doesn't take much to make a building shine- a slight design element here and there, a cornice, a splash of colour - I just find new architecture rather uninspiring, but core urban is at least a light in that dark tunnel of mediocrity.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I mean that’s more or less what they seem to be trying next door, the podium will be brick.. but the big problem is that they hired the craptacular architects that are G+C. So of course they are going to screw it up. G+C doesn’t have a “good” building in their portfolio.

No love for Aura? I think it looks sexy at night time.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

No love for Aura? I think it looks sexy at night time.

Their "Auberge on the Park" project seems to be more in line with this project than Aura..



I don't mind the look of their YC condos.. cuz it looks beefy and substantial..



..but most of their designs just feel big for bigs sake and kinda intimidating looking. Lago's entrances just feel.. unnecessarily high.



Their residences of college park project shows they are at least CAPABLE of traditional commercial/residential grade elevation facades..

[thomax]

The Olympia Club | 6/30/2020 by Joe, on Flickr


The Olympia Club | 6/30/2020 by Joe, on Flickr

[Chronamut]

That entranceway is certainly very substantial looking - I just.. my heart swells at how much better this building looks now - makes me so optimistic for their other projects

Can't wait to see inside!

[ScreamingViking]

I love the diagonal bricks between the 3rd and 4th floor windows, and on the shorter building as well. Went by in person last night and they drew my eye immediately.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I love the diagonal bricks between the 3rd and 4th floor windows, and on the shorter building as well. Went by in person last night and they drew my eye immediately.

Yeah I just wish they had used a 2 colour system on the second building like they did on the first - unfortunately all that being the same colour causes it all to blend together..

The city should make a rule that for all facades that are 3-5 stories that they have to contain some sort of heritage design element like the olympia club in the gage park core to spare us from boring bland buildings like what was built across the street that they just demolished.

My fave elements of this building have to be the white diamond inserts and the bannister railing at the top - little elements that gave the original its more illustrious vibe. It's the little things.

I want to see the Right house Stone pediment go back up.



without it the building just feels.. incomplete



I dont get the citys obsession with stripping every detail off a building that makes it shine - like why was this even removed in the first place..?

[Skully2001]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

That entranceway is certainly very substantial looking - I just.. my heart swells at how much better this building looks now - makes me so optimistic for their other projects

Can't wait to see inside!

I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't do anything to the Cash Money entrance - the building above looks fabulous, but then it's the same entrance and sign. Wonder why they didn't do anything? Hopefully once CM's lease expires they are gone!