Marquee Residence | 102.9 m | 32 fl | Complete

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

Too ugly, this should still be a parking lot

Hamilton: We'd be Grateful for Anything.

I just read the thread again, and not a single person said that they wouldn't like a development here. Some of us were commenting on the render that was posted. But I guess we should be happy there's going to be a building, and who cares what it looks like.

[markbarbera]

I actually thought it a very attractive building with a unique profile. It will be a nice addition to the skyline. Certainly head and shoulders above the boring cookie cutter design adopted by the very ugly City Square block, or even The Connolly for that matter.


City Square - puke


Connolly - boring


22 George - that's different!

So yeah, get rid of the parking lot and bring on this beauty!

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

Hamilton: We'd be Grateful for Anything.

I just read the thread again, and not a single person said that they wouldn't like a development here. Some of us were commenting on the render that was posted. But I guess we should be happy there's going to be a building, and who cares what it looks like.

They could totally mess it up and I wouldn't be happy, but if the tower looks like that then it will be a solid edition. The podium isn't great, but it will hopefully get tucked behind some infill and hidden from most people's view.

[Jon D]

What is it about the podium that everyone finds so repulsive? Does every single downtown street need to be endless glass store-fronts? I don't think people will mind walking 20 metres without being able to peer into a shop. When I look at this podium I see variety in colour and texture. I'm liking how you have these two vertical elements (the louvers(?) and the wider concrete openings) of different size and spacing that both contrast each other but also serve the same function of pulling your eye upwards. The terracing on multiple levels adds to the interest as well.

[davidcappi]

What is it about the podium that everyone finds so repulsive? Does every single downtown street need to be endless glass store-fronts? I don't think people will mind walking 20 metres without being able to peer into a shop. When I look at this podium I see variety in colour and texture. I'm liking how you have these two vertical elements (the louvers(?) and the wider concrete openings) of different size and spacing that both contrast each other but also serve the same function of pulling your eye upwards. The terracing on multiple levels adds to the interest as well.

Yeah pretty much what I'm saying. Since when was Caroline and George a major intersection and shopping destination?

[lucasmascotto]

In my opinion, the podium isn't crazy gorgeous and it certainly isn't some architectural masterpiece but I really don't mind it at all. Like David and Jon said on here, George and Caroline streets aren't shopping or even really entertainment destinations rather small arterial roads to transfer onto King or Main. And while it doesn't have the quaint inviting feeling of a glass storefront Starbucks or artisanal bakery it definitely isn't sterile and dark like the side of the Ellen Fairclough Building and it thankfully isn't trying to horribly fake an inviting commercial scene with box windows that have decaying advertisements and broken clothing merchant set-ups just like the Ellen Fairclough Building. Unfortunately most of city council is opposed to condo building and re-zoning for high-rises and many battles are fought on the issue of parking. Often times projects that could've started selling units in a matter of weeks are pushed back months and even years because of petty squabbles fought by suburban councillors for parking spaces. While frankly I don't like to drive everywhere and rely on transit for pretty much most of travel needs and don't like parking lots for obvious urban design and environmental reasons I'm perfectly willing to allow it to be built if it means one more empty lot filled with a modern high-rise. Also, Bella Towers has both storefront and internal retail space - there's only so much bidding Vrancor can do to attract viable tenants.

[ScreamingViking]

To each their own about how the podium design feels (I like the terraces too, but the podium itself just seems very institutional to me). But why not make it more pedestrian friendly and interactive with the street? Especially since these streets will be connecting dense residential blocks including those south of Main to the LRT corridor, placing emphasis on pedestrian and cycling flows as much as automobile connections to the main arterial roads. I'd hope the design review panel would make this very criticism, if this indeed ends up being the final proposal.

These sections of Caroline and George streets haven't been "destinations" for much of anything aside from parking. But now that there are two hotels and hundreds of residential units going in on adjacent blocks, there's likely going to be more of a market for retail/commercial uses (especially when the other empty lots in the vicinity get developed too; yes I wrote "when" and not "if")

The opportunity to finally give these blocks an appealing streetscape is only going to happen once.

[markbarbera]

Also important to remember that the podium as shown in the only publicly available conceptual drawing is a view of its Caroline Street frontage as seen from the west side of Caroline just north of George, so you only see the streetwall along Caroline. The streetwall along George Street is not visible from this perspective, and this is the streetwall that will feature pedestrian interaction with the development. If you look at the footprint of the development, the podium along George is not nearly as "boxy" as it is along Caroline, and features retail space fronting George. Its design will encourage the existing retail/commercial environment along George to extend eastward, making it much more contiguous from Queen right to Bay. This particular conceptual drawing's perspective just doesn’t allow for a visual representation of those features. This development is a definite win for the neighbourhood, given its unique design, as well as the fact that another 178 residences will be brought into the city's urban centre.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

Also important to remember that the podium as shown in the only publicly available conceptual drawing is a view of its Caroline Street frontage as seen from the west side of Caroline just north of George, so you only see the streetwall along Caroline. The streetwall along George Street is not visible from this perspective, and this is the streetwall that will feature pedestrian interaction with the development. If you look at the footprint of the development, the podium along George is not nearly as "boxy" as it is along Caroline, and features retail space fronting George. Its design will encourage the existing retail/commercial environment along George to extend eastward, making it much more contiguous from Queen right to Bay. This particular conceptual drawing's perspective just doesn’t allow for a visual representation of those features. This development is a definite win for the neighbourhood, given its unique design, as well as the fact that another 178 residences will be brought into the city's urban centre.

True, the George St. side may be much better. I just think buildings need to present well on all street facings.

Overall, if this happens, it will definitely be a great addition to the west side of downtown.

[realcity]

For all those that want set backs.


No set backs here, just a nice urban canyon.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by realcity

For all those that want set backs.

Who said they wanted setbacks?

[matt602]

I don't remember anyone saying anything about setbacks. Just that the podium was ugly.

[realcity]

Tivoli is being redesigned with larger setbacks.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by realcity

Tivoli is being redesigned with larger setbacks.

That's to alleviate the high rise impact on James N which is a 3 story street.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by realcity

For all those that want set backs.


No set backs here, just a nice urban canyon.

That's a 4 story street. A high rise would ruin that look. A 30 story high rise there would probably require a set back on a 4 story podium to alleviate the impact, which is essentially what's happening with the Tivoli.

[davidcappi]

[thomax]

I like it. The podium looks better, it looks like there's a lot more glass. I like the new tower design as much as the previous version, and I really like the height increase


This thread needs a name update from 22 George Street | ? | 25 fl | Proposed to 20/22 George Street | ? | 32 fl | Proposed

[LikeHamilton]

Soon I hope! He doesn't seem to like to wait for permits.

[SteelTown]

I like that it's not a boxy tower, however the podium is massive. It looks like a skinny tower, 32 storey and only 227 units? It'll look kinda weird with a big hunky box and a tall skinny building. But the curves is what saves this proposal.

If it goes ahead it'll be Hamilton's 2nd tallest building, until Connaught goes ahead with the 36 storey addition.

[king10]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

I like that it's not a boxy tower, however the podium is massive. It looks like a skinny tower, 32 storey and only 227 units? It'll look kinda weird with a big hunky box and a tall skinny building. But the curves is what saves this proposal.

If it goes ahead it'll be Hamilton's 2nd tallest building, until Connaught goes ahead with the 36 storey addition.

Is that cannaught addition still on the table? Been pretty quiet on that front.