Quote:
Originally Posted by RyeJay
I would like to strongly disagree.
The only way I would feel okay about seeing Montréal or Vancouver on a skyscraper list for "tallest in the country" is if Canada's other mega-municipalities were experiencing slow construction cycles.
Both Vancouver and Montréal have a physical context that is worth protecting.
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I've always found that viewpoint baffling. Skyscrapers are the palaces and castles of the 21st century. The truly great cities are the ones that marry their natural assets with man made wonders. Vancouver seems to have forgotten the last part and will never join the ranks of the world's great cities because it's built form just leaves one under whelmed. Montreal used to care about both.
A building only denigrates its surroundings if it's ugly. Buildings don't simply exist to fulfill a function, they're designed to be visually pleasing, lift our spirits, captivate us, etc. These are clearly people who see buildings/architecture as a necessary evil rather than things to admire/celebrate.
Montreal used to be a place that revered the skyscraper. I doubt Vancouver ever did. Now both seem to build them with reluctance and build them as short as possible in the hope that one might not notice their existence. Looks like Vancouver and Montreal will turn their backs on the skyscraper. They almost come off as cities that have given up on amounting to something grand. How sad!