[Surrealplaces]

There is a flurry of new high rise residential projects these days. Which ones do people like best?

I didn't include Sasso, Brava, Princeton or Stella seeing as they are pretty much finished. I didn't include Montana, even though it is right around the corner. i didn't include the 22 floor SAIT res tower either.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3617/collagecp5.jpg

[JBinCalgary]

arriva for now

but soon nuera

[Bad Grizzly]

Union Square for me. A taller version of Chocolate gets my vote any day.

[Boris2k7]

Someone voted Vantage Pointe? Seriously? :koko:

Newayz, Arriva 4 Me

[nasdaq]

1. Union Square
2. Arriva
3. Gateway Midtown

[Wooster]

1. Colours (If Chocolate is an indication, this one will be great)
2. Gateway Midtown (Great. A podium done exactly right)
3. Union Square (hard to tell, need to see the front)
4. Xenex (Perfect for its location)
5. Nova (A nice project overall)

Arriva - the tower is nice but the horrible podium ruins it somewhat.

Vantage and London. Both embarassing. A disgrace.

By my count, the projects that are in the Centre in this list represent approximately 2400 units. That's just counting current phases U/C. That's quite a bit! That translates into about 4500 new residents.

[Surrealplaces]

1 - Union Square
2 - Arriva
3 - Gateway Midtown

[skrish]

1. Union Square
2. Vetro
3. Colours

[SHOFEAR]

I fell in love with Vantage Point when I first saw it walking south down 8th street. The closer I got, being able to see it's west facing facade, seeing it's wonderful street interaction gave me the inspiration to work hard in university and maybe one day I'll be able to afford to live in a vertical palace like that. Liquor store just an elevator ride away, does it get any better?


(I voted for arriva btw )

[niwell]

Colours, hands down.

Arriva is awesome in aesthetics (as is the Westgate project), but questionable at ground level.

Honestly, I don't mind London either. It is ugly, but the ground treatment is better than some, especially considering the location.

[bob1954]

L/M if it was listed, however, Arriva, Neura, & Exchange!

[Wooster]

^ This is an U/C list.

[freefarezone]

Keynote - not for it's look, but because it is the most "multi-use" out of the ones listed.

I really like how their plans incorporate a market (or at least it appears they want a market as a tenant), which to me, seems as though they put a bit of foresight into how the building will fit in with the surrounding community (to my knowledge, there aren't many around Vic Park since co-op closed) - though I'm not sure if it was intentional.

Retail space in the other ones, I believe, don't add as much to the local areas, in terms of building community.

That said, Union Square and Midtown look the nicest though, and it's probably not viable if all towers were multi-use.

[bob1954]

Sorry, I got carried away!

[Wooster]

Keynote - not for it's look, but because it is the most "multi-use" out of the ones listed.

I really like how their plans incorporate a market (or at least it appears they want a market as a tenant), which to me, seems as though they put a bit of foresight into how the building will fit in with the surrounding community (to my knowledge, there aren't many around Vic Park since co-op closed) - though I'm not sure if it was intentional.

Retail space in the other ones, I believe, don't add as much to the local areas, in terms of building community.

That said, Union Square and Midtown look the nicest though, and it's probably not viable if all towers were multi-use.

I heard somewhere that the entire base of Vetro was going to be a Sobey's. Anyone else heard of this?

Interestingly, The exchange project also calls for a grocery store in it. Obviously extremely important amenities for residents. I also hope that some smaller specialty grocers open in the area as well as a butcher and a bloody good bakery!!!

[Wooster]

I'd like to hear people defend their decision about Arriva. Are people not considering the whole project top to bottom here? If so, do people actually like that base? I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.

My god. :(
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1016/arriva10ih2.jpg

[Boris2k7]

I'd like to hear people defend their decision about Arriva. Are people not considering the whole project top to bottom here? If so, do people actually like that base? I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.

While the base is important, it is not so much (IMO) that it cancels out the other positives of the project. The only thing that really bugs me so far aesthetically is the chosen materials. The faux-historicism is another issue, but I will wait until the first tower is finished before I decide on it.

The tower itself is of course great. But for me what makes Arriva the best project is that I think it will have the most impact on the surrounding areas, in terms of investment and influx of activity. That is even more important than the look of the base.

[freefarezone]

I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.



My point exactly... as nice as all these projects look, they are far from what I would consider a good model to follow for the beltine. But I'm hopeful future designs will change accordingly, as the number of residents in the area increases.

[RWin]

Honestly, I don't mind London either. It is ugly, but the ground treatment is better than some, especially considering the location.

And its so much better than what it replaces.

And its close to Heritage Station.

[The Chemist]

I'd like to hear people defend their decision about Arriva. Are people not considering the whole project top to bottom here? If so, do people actually like that base? I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.

My god. :(
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1016/arriva10ih2.jpg

Personally, I like Arriva's base as well as the tower. Sure, it's faux historic, but it fits in with the area it's in (brick and sandstone). What's wrong with that?

I picked Arriva, with Union Square and Colours close behind.

[CorporateWhore]

alright, which jokester picked London?

[Coldrsx]

nova - clean, simple, modern, townhouses...

[SteveP]

1) Union square
2) Nova
3) Gateway
4) Colors

i like the modern look of theose projects, and IMO they have the great podiums.

[freeweed]

In defense of Arriva, I like it because of what it represents - a very large tower outside of the downtown core, in an area that's needed revitalization for decades. The area around the Saddledome was one of the scariest parts of Calgary not too many years ago, and soon it's going to be one of the nicest.

I realize this thread is intended to be strictly about the building itself, but I think the role a building plays in a community is as important as the architecture. Yes, Arriva isn't the first in that area, but it's certainly the nicest so far. And it's so damned TALL. :yes:

[Stephen Ave]

Some really good projects out there. Xenex, Gateway, and Union Square are my favorites. Colors may well turn out to be the best, as Batistella's renderings don't always do justice. Look at Chocolate, the rendering makes the building look ho-hum, but it turned out to be great.

[JBinCalgary]

from that rendering, arriva will have a great street presence

[Rob D]

1. Colours
2. Union Square
3. Encore
4. Xenex
5. Nova

[Rob D]

I heard somewhere that the entire base of Vetro was going to be a Sobey's. Anyone else heard of this?

Interestingly, The exchange project also calls for a grocery store in it. Obviously extremely important amenities for residents. I also hope that some smaller specialty grocers open in the area as well as a butcher and a bloody good bakery!!!

Yes I have heard about the Sobey's "urban market" as well. Possibly from you Josh! :)

The grocery store in the Exchange project is supposedly going to be a reduced size Calgary Co-op.

Then there is the grocery store proposed for the new Eau Claire market as well.

More choice in the core would be great IMHO :tup:

[jeffwhit]

I picked Colours,

I like Arriva but I heartily agree with my brother about the podium level.

Colours actually turned the necessity of above ground parking into a huge plus.

[dubiousmike]

Yep, Colours for me. I'm also quite fond of Union Square.

I'm enormously excited about the future of 1 St.

[Western Spaghetti]

Union Square all the way. Although Colors could be great as well. I don't like all of the colored patches on the parking part of the building. I would put it as number one, if not for that.

[WhipperSnapper]

1. Colours
2. Stella
3. Gateway
4. Union Square
5. Gateway/Arriva

[SteveP]

Looks like Arriva, Colors and Union Square are the big winners, not only with first place votes, but also it seems that those three are in most people's top five list. Nova and Gateway seem to be well liked as well.

[Bokimon]

Mine are ArriVa, Colours and Union Square.
the tallest and most handsome of condo towers in the city and also the first 34 storey to get built in the city in a long time.
I like Colours because I think if they do a good job like they did for Chocolate, that area will be that much better.
Third place is a tie to me, Union and Nova.
Union because that rendering makes it look so much better but I want more views. Nova because Stella turned out so nice and the rendering for Nova showed some improvements which will make it slightly sleeker than Stella.

[Surrealplaces]

I wonder if anyone has any connections to one of theose Condo magazines? It would be interesting to see if they would ever consider printing off these results. It might show the developers/architects which projects are well liked.

I doubt that the condo mags would print this though because they are magazines that rely on advertising and probably wouldn't want to offend some of the clients who did poorly in the voting.

On the hand the results could be sent to Torode, and he could put them in one of his adverts. ;)

[Bassic Lab]

Aesthetically speaking I'd have to say Union Square with Colours a close second. Arriva loses points for the base, not because of the individual materials, I personally don't mind brick and stone, but the combination of those two with the glass on the podium just doesn't do it for me.

London should get some special recognition though. Upon completion of the four tower complex it will hold something like 1500 new units in an established community without having destroyed any part of that community. The city should really push for more complexes like London, high density developments on brownfield sites, in inner or near inner city areas, close to great transit. Two such complexes mean something like a square mile less sprawl on the city's perephery. If they could only make the next ones better looking, and I really hope there are next ones, the Horton Road strip alone could easily house more than 10 000 people and such areas exist all over the city.

[RWin]

London should get some special recognition though. Upon completion of the four tower complex it will hold something like 1500 new units in an established community without having destroyed any part of that community. The city should really push for more complexes like London, high density developments on brownfield sites, in inner or near inner city areas, close to great transit....

Yes!

London gets too much bad mouthing around here. I think its good too. As far as how it looks? Lets wait until its finished.

[CorporateWhore]

London should get some special recognition though. Upon completion of the four tower complex it will hold something like 1500 new units in an established community without having destroyed any part of that community. The city should really push for more complexes like London, high density developments on brownfield sites, in inner or near inner city areas, close to great transit.

Brava has done all those things, but in a much more aesthetically pleasing package.

[Bassic Lab]

Brava has done all those things, but in a much more aesthetically pleasing package.

To a point, but if I remember correctly Brava doesn't include a retail component. London just seems to include more public space. The retail portion, along with finally adding some connectivity over the tracks along the mile long fencing between Heritage and Southland, make it something that will actually benifit the local areas more than Brava. Well, that's the impression I get any way. There is probaboly also some defense of the underdog occuring. People should really try to see London for what it is, not just centering on the ass ugly looks and the embarassing advertising campaign. Instead they are saying that they hope it disapears.

[Arriviste]

Brava has a mall (albeit decrepit) right across the street. I nearly bought in Brava, and now wish I had. A beautiful complex it will be. Mind you, I don't like it aesthetically all that much, but agree its infinitely better than London.
I hope Guy Fawks makes an appearance and takes that bitch down.

[Arriviste]

Almost forgot the point of this thread. I chose Union becasue nothing else really does it for me. Colors i alright. Neura will be tops for me once construction commences.

[niwell]

Brava, while an aesthetically pleasing design, has horrible ground level treatment. Very much 'tower in the park'. In my mind this is unacceptable for a site that will eventually be right next to an LRT station.

[Bigtime]

London should get some special recognition though. Upon completion of the four tower complex it will hold something like 1500 new units in an established community without having destroyed any part of that community. The city should really push for more complexes like London, high density developments on brownfield sites, in inner or near inner city areas, close to great transit. Two such complexes mean something like a square mile less sprawl on the city's perephery. If they could only make the next ones better looking, and I really hope there are next ones, the Horton Road strip alone could easily house more than 10 000 people and such areas exist all over the city.

I pretty much agree with all of that, but London loses points on one very petty point for me. I hated those radio ads of theirs!

Edit: Oh yeah, I voted Arriva. But I'm hoping to see great things from Union and Colours!

** Edited by administration (Dylan Leblanc) 21 Jan 2007 **

[Habanero]

I wonder if anyone has any connections to one of theose Condo magazines? It would be interesting to see if they would ever consider printing off these results. It might show the developers/architects which projects are well liked.

I doubt that the condo mags would print this though because they are magazines that rely on advertising and probably wouldn't want to offend some of the clients who did poorly in the voting.

On the hand the results could be sent to Torode, and he could put them in one of his adverts. ;)

I'd like to see these results published somewhere, but I doubt it would happen. As you said, if the results were sent to the people at Torode, they may use it for bragging rights, but outside of that I don't see it happening.

[jeffwhit]

I'm actually a little surprised that Arriva is dominating as much as it is.

[Reesonov]

I hate to say it, but there is still more bad than good on that list. Hopefully the quality of design will continue to improve with new projects and renderings released this year.

[jeffwhit]

^^ True, but it will balance out this year for sure.

[CorporateWhore]

I hated those radio ads of theirs!

There are so many products out there that I will simply not buy because of their horrendous advertising. Some that come to mind: that bitch-slut Christine McGee and her awful Sleep Country ads; or the fat-ass blue-cheese pizza dude drooling over Panagos pizza.

[Bigtime]

** Edited by administration (Dylan Leblanc) 21 Jan 2007 **

[Reesonov]

^^ True, but it will balance out this year for sure.

Yes, definitely construction of St. Germain, the Exchange, etc combined with the end of projects like Churchill and Vantage Pointe will make that list far more impressive.

[SteveP]

^I think the balance of good will be better than the bad in 2007. Xenex, Encore, Union Square, Colors, Nova, and Nuera coming online in 2007 will mark a great year.

[Calalb]

1.Arriva.
2.Union Square.
3.Vetro.