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  #21  
Old Posted Oct 25, 2015, 1:24 AM
trofirhen trofirhen is offline
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Thank you everyone for your interest and input. There was a renewed interest, it seemed, in new formalism, sparked off by a picture off 900 W. Hastings.
Taking a cue from this, is new formalism perhaps a still-relevant design option to go for, even in larger buildings?
It would be a move away from freen glass towers, of course, but also away from a hodge-podge of modern designs that often make a skyline messy.
The cancelled Pacific Centre I.M. Pei building could have the window façade done in new formalism, keeping the rest of the solid building and including the arch,
as a counterpoint to green and turquoise glass.
(I'll admit it: I was thinking of that building replacing the HSBC diagonally from the Trump, done in fine pinkish stone, and the arched tunnel leading to the oasis of the West Coast Church.
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  #22  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2015, 9:26 PM
officedweller officedweller is offline
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In a way, the grids on Vancouver House and One Burrard are reminiscent of new formalism.
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  #23  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2015, 2:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by red-paladin View Post
Speaking about the Sun Tower, the lobby was recently restored/renovated.

Here's a quick pic as I was going by. There is a fitness centre to the left and a furniture store to the right. There were people in the lobby area at the time so I didn't want to disturb them. Maybe I'll get more pictures if I go by again (like on a Sunday morning).


Oct.25 '15, my pic
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  #24  
Old Posted Apr 22, 2016, 1:54 AM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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If you are ever on Comox street in the west end there's a nondescript 60's apartment building called Comox Manor at 1235 Comox st. but it has a stunning huge modernist tile wall mural on the wall of the lobby that extends outside (you can see the edge on google street view). I have tried to find out who the artist is but to no avail. and i have only seen it from the outside. anyone have any ideas on this? My biggest concern is that nobody will know about it until the building has a plan for redevelopment then it may be too late. for the life of me i can't find a full picture of it either. I would love to find out more!!!


pic from: https://www.gatewaypm.com/FileUpload...2%20-%2013.JPG


Quote:
Originally Posted by trofirhen View Post
Thank you everyone for your interest and input. There was a renewed interest, it seemed, in new formalism, sparked off by a picture off 900 W. Hastings.
Taking a cue from this, is new formalism perhaps a still-relevant design option to go for, even in larger buildings?
It would be a move away from freen glass towers, of course, but also away from a hodge-podge of modern designs that often make a skyline messy.
The cancelled Pacific Centre I.M. Pei building could have the window façade done in new formalism, keeping the rest of the solid building and including the arch,
as a counterpoint to green and turquoise glass.
(I'll admit it: I was thinking of that building replacing the HSBC diagonally from the Trump, done in fine pinkish stone, and the arched tunnel leading to the oasis of the West Coast Church.
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  #25  
Old Posted Apr 22, 2016, 9:42 PM
officedweller officedweller is offline
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The former CIBC Building at Dunsmuir and Granville also has a ground floor mural at the back - it would have been on the back wall of the original banking hall.
The Shoppers Drug Mart mezzanine interrupts its viewing, but it is still there.

Guinness Tower also has some nice tile details in its lobby.
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  #26  
Old Posted Apr 22, 2016, 10:04 PM
s211 s211 is offline
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Originally Posted by officedweller View Post
The former CIBC Building at Dunsmuir and Granville also has a ground floor mural at the back - it would have been on the back wall of the original banking hall.
If I had the money I'd pay to own that mural. It's so "of the times". Love it!
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  #27  
Old Posted Apr 23, 2016, 2:14 AM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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We need more colourful tiled buildings in place of spandrel cladding

Quote:
Originally Posted by s211 View Post
If I had the money I'd pay to own that mural. It's so "of the times". Love it!
Yeah that mural is beautiful however it's not in danger (to my knowledge) of the building being redeveloped in the near future, plus many people already are aware of it's existence, further protecting it.

This one in Comox Manor is very easy to miss, i think i saw it when i was just walking by one day. I believe there is at least one other building in the west end from the same era that has a similar tile mural but i can't remember where.

I also just realized the other day that the Blue Boy Motel in south Van had some awesome tiling work too. From the existing proportions of the Motel, the tiling is likely still entirely intact under the newer aluminum sheeting covering the lower roofline. It would be great if the salvaged some bits of the tile work for the Vancouver museum or art for the new building. If anyone remembers the tiled building that was where MC2 at SW marine and Cambie is now, i snuck into the demolition site at night and salvaged some large bits of the tiling work. Maybe i'll do the same when The Blue Boy comes down


pic from: http://www.playle.com/listing.php?i=SCVIEW234104
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  #28  
Old Posted Jul 11, 2016, 2:07 AM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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Birks facade rebuild fantasy

After exchanging several PM's with trofirhen about the Birks building loss and amusing ourselves with some ways it could be brought back (in part anyway) here's an idea i formulated to at least rebuild the facade of the Birks building but on a larger scale then original and a mirror image on the opposite side of the Vancouver Block, it would be great to have a single cohesive edwardian era 'style' high end retail block.

I got a bit creative with an old image from the 50's and where the birks building once was i put a low rise version that would attach on the Georgia side to the Scotia tower (not pictured but i would definitely keep the scotia tower) making the Georgia facade smaller then original but making the Granville facade much longer on the original site and put a full height facade either on a rebuilt winners/Best Buy building or new office/retail building. If they can rebuild the facade of the Flack Block in the DTES then the Birks facade should be do-able. I also found some interior shots of the Birks building in the 70's and from what i can see and from what trofirhen had heard from someone who remembers the Birks building; the interior was beautiful but fairly typical for the era and rebuilding the interior isn't as important as the stately facade was. It would be nice if they did recreate a small lobby to mimic the large original retail arcade and mezzanine. I love the staircase and those balustrade lamps.

I hacked up the image quickly on MS paint and the mirror image where the winners/best buy is should be longer to be to scale and trofirhen thinks it should be full height on both sides, to each is own, there's many variations that can be done.

Original image:

From: http://thevisiblecity.ca/upload/ense..._granville.jpg

my quickly hacked up version (not to scale)

from:https://imageshack.com/i/pm4dv1kvj

Some interior shots also showing the model of the Scotia Tower in the lobby of the Birks building





pics from: http://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw1birks.html
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  #29  
Old Posted Jul 12, 2016, 6:18 AM
trofirhen trofirhen is offline
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oh, to get a taste of it back again ...

The Birks Building exterior and retail interior was one of the classiest pieces of work this city has ever had. And nobody seems to care, in fact, despite the lip service given here and there.
Pity.
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  #30  
Old Posted Jul 12, 2016, 6:35 AM
whatnext whatnext is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by retro_orange View Post
....
I also just realized the other day that the Blue Boy Motel in south Van had some awesome tiling work too. From the existing proportions of the Motel, the tiling is likely still entirely intact under the newer aluminum sheeting covering the lower roofline. It would be great if the salvaged some bits of the tile work for the Vancouver museum or art for the new building. If anyone remembers the tiled building that was where MC2 at SW marine and Cambie is now, i snuck into the demolition site at night and salvaged some large bits of the tiling work. Maybe i'll do the same when The Blue Boy comes down


pic from: http://www.playle.com/listing.php?i=SCVIEW234104
Where's the replica Blue Boy painting that used to be on the hotel in that pic? Later addition?
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  #31  
Old Posted Jul 12, 2016, 8:45 AM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whatnext View Post
Where's the replica Blue Boy painting that used to be on the hotel in that pic? Later addition?
No clue that pic is from 1968.
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  #32  
Old Posted Jul 12, 2016, 8:57 AM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whatnext View Post
Where's the replica Blue Boy painting that used to be on the hotel in that pic? Later addition?
pic here from 1964 showing it

https://www.flickr.com/photos/453798...n/photostream/

I just noticed in this image that there was a cool jet-age ornament (light?) on top of the blue boy sign at the street corner (far left), you can see it better if you zoom in.
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  #33  
Old Posted Sep 1, 2016, 1:39 AM
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It's crazy that they demolished an eleven storey tower with beautiful architecture to build another taller building, even though right across the street is a parking lot (although it was later developed). I guess that's the Vancouver way.
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  #34  
Old Posted Sep 1, 2016, 2:09 AM
trofirhen trofirhen is offline
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Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog View Post
It's crazy that they demolished an eleven storey tower with beautiful architecture to build another taller building, even though right across the street is a parking lot (although it was later developed). I guess that's the Vancouver way.
Sadly, it seems that it is.
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  #35  
Old Posted Sep 1, 2016, 2:43 AM
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I've always loved the Gothic Revival architecture of the former Convent of the Sacred Heart School (now my alma mater's Junior school) on 29th Avenue near Dunbar.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C...ed_Heart_3.JPG


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C..._signage_1.JPG
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  #36  
Old Posted Sep 1, 2016, 3:08 AM
retro_orange retro_orange is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog View Post
It's crazy that they demolished an eleven storey tower with beautiful architecture to build another taller building, even though right across the street is a parking lot (although it was later developed). I guess that's the Vancouver way.
Which building are we talking about?
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  #37  
Old Posted Sep 1, 2016, 3:14 AM
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Originally Posted by retro_orange View Post
Which building are we talking about?
Scotia Tower
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  #38  
Old Posted Mar 4, 2019, 3:54 AM
whatnext whatnext is offline
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I've gone by this building on South Granville hundreds of times but until I stopped to take a photo did I realize what a great compact piece of midcentury design it is, right down to its brass-looking spandrel. All on what looks to be one city-sized lot:

[IMG]IMG_0135 by whatnextyvr, on Flickr[/IMG]
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  #39  
Old Posted Mar 4, 2019, 4:15 AM
trofirhen trofirhen is offline
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ît's almost 'International Style' done on a small scale.
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  #40  
Old Posted Mar 4, 2019, 9:58 PM
officedweller officedweller is offline
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Like the old Royal Bank building at Granville & Robson.
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