Robson Square Renovations

[worldwide]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

now if only we could get the city to celebrtae new years like even fricking edmonton has fireworks

we have in the past been known to get exceptionally rowdy in this city at the mere mention of fireworks.

btw London, Ontario also has fireworks and im sure there are dozens of cities in north america 1/5th its size that do aswell

- thunder bay anyone -

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by deasine

I just hope this roof thing won't turn out to be another Plaza of Nations.

i.e. temporary? no problem then - just wait 20 years if no one likes it.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by worldwide

we have in the past been known to get exceptionally rowdy in this city at the mere mention of fireworks.

btw London, Ontario also has fireworks and im sure there are dozens of cities in north america 1/5th its size that do aswell

- thunder bay anyone -

it sucks - world class city my ass

i was watching CNN throughtout the day they showed, sydney, Moscow, Paris, London, Berlin, Istanbul, India, Honk Kong and Taipei were amazing with fireworks coming off the buildings and signs and crowds

and there is vancouver

yea well were going to close the street today around 9 pm - such a joke

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it sucks - world class city my ass

i was watching CNN throughtout the day they showed, sydney, Moscow, Paris, London, Berlin, Istanbul, India, Honk Kong and Taipei were amazing with fireworks coming off the buildings and signs and crowds

and there is vancouver

yea well were going to close the street today around 9 pm - such a joke

Edmonton does a great show...









awesome shot!

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it sucks - world class city my ass

i was watching CNN throughtout the day they showed, sydney, Moscow, Paris, London, Berlin, Istanbul, India, Honk Kong and Taipei were amazing with fireworks coming off the buildings and signs and crowds

and there is vancouver

yea well were going to close the street today around 9 pm - such a joke

Frustrating, isn't it?

Why can't we in Vancouver strive to be mentioned amongst those great cities you mentioned rather than sleepy, boring cities like Portland Oregon.

With our position on the globe, we could be featured on international newscasts the way a REAL world class city, Sydney Australia gets coverage with their great fireworks display around their world famous bridge with the light dancing off of the water. Hmm....sounds similar to what COULD happen here...instead... we get the usual scaled down lame attempt at an event and the police and civic officials advising people to stay home rather than venturing to the city center as was the case during the 99/00 New Years disgrace.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it sucks - world class city my ass

i was watching CNN throughtout the day they showed, sydney, Moscow, Paris, London, Berlin, Istanbul, India, Honk Kong and Taipei were amazing with fireworks coming off the buildings and signs and crowds

and there is vancouver

yea well were going to close the street today around 9 pm - such a joke

I was at Tsim Sha Tsui in HK watching the fireworks go off at New Years Eve.....it was quite breathtaking.....too bad we're unwilling to pull off such a similar event, even though we're quite capable of doing it.

i've always thought we could use Science World as the site for New Years Eve countdown celebrations. the many spikes of the geodesic dome could be installed with lasers and lights, with fireworks going off from the dome and along False Creek on barges.



with regards to the clamshell, why does the article keep saying it will change our skyline forever? how tall can this clamshell really be??? they make it sound like we're building the Great Pyramid or something.

i welcome change to Robson Square, the underpass where the rink is is often empty....opening the area up would be great.

[mr.x]

Architects slam roof idea
Damian Inwood, The Province
Published: Sunday, January 13, 2008

Premier Gordon Campbell has been urged by the prestigious Royal Architectural Institute of Canada to keep a proposed "wooden umbrella" over downtown Vancouver's Robson Square firmly furled.

And NDP Olympic critic Harry Bains said yesterday it's time for Campbell to end the secrecy surrounding the project, which surfaced in news reports last week.

Campbell is apparently interested in building a large, clamshell-shaped wooden roof over the square to create a covered outdoor space for public gatherings during the 2010 Games.

"Mr. Premier, please do not rush into a quick solution to construct a roof structure that may not be reversible, appropriate or sustainable just to impress the world during the Olympics," RAIC president Kiyoshi Matsuzaki wrote in a letter to Campbell.

"If Gordon Campbell wants to make such a drastic change to a treasured public space, he needs to involve the public," said Bains. "But even though it has been almost a week since the premier's plans for Robson Square were first made public, we are still in the dark."

Campbell couldn't be reached for comment.

dinwood@png.canwest.com

[deasine]

I don't see why everyone is so negative about this (well not everyone here of course).

This is a welcome change. With regards to the Sky line - yeah I'm sure this clamshell will be Wall Centre height =.=" Gosh that NDP Olympic critic needs to like shut his big mouth up... god I vomit everytime i see him speaking >=/

[Rusty Gull]

Mr. X and Deasine have a good point. Anything is preferable to the current status quo -- an empty and rather pathetic public square. Glad to see that the Premier is at least paying attention to our public spaces. Let's hope he, the various levels of government, and Arthur Erickson can work something out.

[natelox]

Because architecture is so tangible, many people treat it as something easy and simple. But, as I'm sure many of you can appreciate, just because one can draw does not mean their work deserves to be placed in an art gallery. What Gordon Campbell should have done / should do, is consult the architectural community with what he wants Robson square to be. Let the architects figure out how to best manifest his idea.

And by architectural community, I mean the upper echelon architectural community.

[deasine]

I'm sure there is an architecture firm that already gave renderings to the premier.

Anyway, we know large wooden roofs can look very nice. Just look across the Fraser to the Olympic Skating Oval:

[SpongeG]

the square gets good use in the summer though - most weekend nights there is something going on

problem is no one on robson really notices

they really need to work on making the entrances more obvious and welcoming

[natelox]

Originally Posted by deasine

I'm sure there is an architecture firm that already gave renderings to the premier.

Anyway, we know large wooden roofs can look very nice.

That is not the point. On both accounts.

[Canadian Mind]

I agree with both points. This should be far more public, or at least transparent.

[Architype]

It seems any addition to the Square should have input from Erikson himself.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by Architype

It seems any addition to the Square should have input from Erikson himself.

so he can fuck it up even MORE? sure nice plan not!

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by Architype

It seems any addition to the Square should have input from Erikson himself.

he's the one who built Robson Square, which is usually dead, as well as the prison-like SFU campus atop Burnaby Mountain. the campus does have its architectural merits, but i find that it has a cruel atmosphere.

[djh]

Originally Posted by Architype

It seems any addition to the Square should have input from Erikson himself.

The problem with consulting Erickson is that he cannot look at his work with functional perspective - he almost sees his work as purely art. A few years ago he was consulted to work on structural changes expansions to the Museum of Anthropology. He basically slated any plans that involved changing his work!
So I bet if he was asked to change the Robson Square he would say it was perfect as it was and didn't warrant any change of any kind, even if it meant the whole place would be more usable!

[mr.x]

^ he's in his late-80's isn't he? i'm amazed that he hasn't gone senile already (though he might have, he said there was a need for a lot of parking for the new Waterfront Stadium a few years ago during those public meetings). however, gotta give him a pat on the back for the Ritz Carlton. that's one design i would never ever want to see changed.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

^ he's in his late-80's isn't he? i'm amazed that he hasn't gone senile already (though he might have, he said there was a need for a lot of parking for the new Waterfront Stadium a few years ago during those public meetings). however, gotta give him a pat on the back for the Ritz Carlton. that's one design i would never ever want to see changed.

seems to me he has been Senile for about 50 years......have you seen the shit he turns out? His buildings dont relate to pedestrians or the street well at all......he is a car loving old man.

Its all wanna be artist crap that comes out looking like an accident at a concrete factory.

1500 West Georgia makes me want to cut myself when ever I walk by it.