Chinook Arch
Active Member
I like it alot. I liked it even before the reveal, but it looks better than I expected now that we can see all of it.
My thoughts exactly.Couldn't agree more. For me, a good urban/pedestrian-oriented design comes first, everything else later. This is why I can't stand buildings like Scarbro 17. With a good design that integrates with the streetscape, a building can always be recladded in the future. However, with a horrible design like the 1 block concrete bunker that WV Towers is, that can't be fixed.
I don't mind this project at all. I can see it being an issue for people who had high expectations, but this is still a win for a City playing catch up on pedestrian-oriented developments and density!
This really shows how little the building looks like the rendering.Just borrowing @LloydBraun 's photo, as he basically replicated the viewpoint (and weather) of the rendering. Here they are for direct comparison. I will admit, I was skeptical when we saw the initial few panels. Still not sure how much I like it, but do think it has turned out better than I expected it to. The biggest difference I see is the "openness" of the stairwell in the rendering, vs. reality. The two story glazing and more open ceiling of it seems to have not made the final product.
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No, the commercial spaces are recessed from the front of the building. The columns aren’t even shown in the rendering. This is the issue I have with this building. RNDSQR heavily promoted this building with renderings that are deceiving. I know this is a common occurrence, but this feels like a particularly egregious example.Wait, why are the retail entrances pushed so far back into the building in comparison to the rendering? Are they still working on that? Cause the current spacing from the columns is gonna basically hide retailers. Also, this is gonna definitely need some trees upfront.
AgreedGlass railings would have looked pretty good on this, the facade looks cool when you can see all the angles and steps. Definitely looking better now that we can see most of the building and not the scaffolding.
The top storey also appears to have ended up with noticeably less articulation than shown in the renders. The window/balcony openings also look smaller and more “slit-like” than in the renders — a result of not being able to replicate the renders’ paper-thin floor plates, I guess. But I agree that the biggest disappointment in this comparison is that the retail frontage and staircase to the courtyard are looking far less open, airy and inviting than shown in the renders, even before any shade from future street trees is factored in. I suppose once those retail units are occupied and lit up inside it won’t look quite so dark and uninviting.Just borrowing @LloydBraun 's photo, as he basically replicated the viewpoint (and weather) of the rendering. Here they are for direct comparison. I will admit, I was skeptical when we saw the initial few panels. Still not sure how much I like it, but do think it has turned out better than I expected it to. The biggest difference I see is the "openness" of the stairwell in the rendering, vs. reality. The two story glazing and more open ceiling of it seems to have not made the final product.
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