The Merit | 61 m | 20 fl | Completed

[McC]

No doubt!

I think that inauthenticity is easier to describe than authenticity, because authenticity is something you become more aware of when it's absent (same way it's easier to describe a phony than someone who's being genuine). The inauthenticity here is about paying tribute to a very specific style of architecture that is well-recognized for its connection to another place (Manhattan) in another era that has come and gone, and has very little connection to it's actual location (Ottawa) and what was happening here during that era. Merit and HP 1& 2 are writing a history of art deco into Ottawa's skyline that it never actually had.

Update: Just to be clear I'm not saying that Ottawa has no history of Art Deco, there are actually some really good examples of the style ranging from the Medical Arts and some low rise apartment buildings around Centretown, of course the lost Daly Building, and later examples like Main Stats and the Memorial Buildings. But they're lower profile buildings, scattered, and far outnumbered by examples of the styles that preceded and followed; e.g. bobcage's comment below

Time and timing matters, if someone had built NewYork-style deco buildings here decades ago, even if it was after they'd gone out of style in New York, they would now be part of Ottawa's history, and it would be more authentic to pay tribute to them.

Whereas if we were talking about a modern building taking some cues from the neo-gothic vocabulary, or the railway hotel style, that would be more authentic because it would be building on aspects well-connected with Ottawa. (Note: these aspects don't have to be things that are exclusively connected with Ottawa, London has a Neo-Gothic Parliament, other Canadian cities have railway hotels). BUT, that wouldn't necessarily be a better/nicer building! Authenticity isn't the be all and end all, I don't think things need to be authentic, but deliberately aspiring to inauthenticity can be annoying (see also "Tribeca" the "Riviera" all of the streets in Riverside south named for flora, fauna and geography from the US southwest)

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

That tower looks a little lonely. It would be nice to see 1 or 2 more towers on that side of Elgin.

As far as I know, this is the only other proposed project east of Elgin, and it certainly is a contrast from The Merit, but not in a good way. Bland 18 floor + mechanical penthouse condo tower.

http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__85YJQP

http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Im...0Rationale.PDF

And the Skyscraper forum;

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=199174

[bobcage]

I guess "authentic" for Ottawa would be the shit brown building to the far right?

[gjhall]

Originally Posted by bobcage

I guess "authentic" for Ottawa would be the shit brown building to the far right?

Therein lies the problem. And what of Vancouver before their condo boom, much the same crap. Ottawa's biggest problem with buildings is that much was built in a grim time for the industry, and built without concern for creating an urban oasis we now demand.

I see what McC is saying, as they are distinctly inauthentic in the way you've described, but something I think we all learned from Brutalism, say, is that there's often good reason why something that's not "pure" or "authentic" resonates with people. For most, pastiche is really what they're after, so I think it's probably OK for some to seek that market and others to do more contemporary (in the true sense of the word) projects that respond to the current architectural climate. A bit of variety wouldn't kill this town.

Let's not forget that the rebuilding of Parliament was mocked at the time as a pastiche, as was the original neo-gothic architecture which itself was out of fashion at the time. There was once a real movement, with actual MPs behind it, to tear down the Houses of Parliament at Westminster because they were jealous of CANBERRA.

I'm ranting...sorry.

[waterloowarrior]

It's also quite visible from the Queensway eastbound after passing the Beaver Barracks... adds interest from the skyline IMO

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by gjhall

Let's not forget that the rebuilding of Parliament was mocked at the time as a pastiche, as was the original neo-gothic architecture which itself was out of fashion at the time. There was once a real movement, with actual MPs behind it, to tear down the Houses of Parliament at Westminster because they were jealous of CANBERRA.

Canberra!?

Their Parliament is the ugliest piece of junk I have ever seen, how could anyone be jealous of that thing? It's weird how people change their views of what is modern, beautiful, ugly, historic... through the years.

[bobcage]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

It's also quite visible from the Queensway eastbound after passing the Beaver Barracks... adds interest from the skyline IMO

If you blink you can miss it, It's a few floors too short to make a great impact in the skyline from the 417 IMO but I think when it's all done and lite up at night it might be an eye catcher.

Merit looks pretty nice from the war monument

BUT there's too many trees blocking so many potential nice views around the war monument/NAC lot /across Chateau Laurier Canal overlook area-- why do they let those trees grow so big? the war monument shouldn't look like a mini forest in the summer.

shouldn't have any big tree at all in that central area

[McC]

Couldn't disagree with you more, there.

Can you honestly look at pre-Dutch Elm Disease pictures of downtown and tell me that it looks better now without that glorious canopy along what were then boulevards?

[bobcage]

Originally Posted by McC

Couldn't disagree with you more, there.

Can you honestly look at pre-Dutch Elm Disease pictures of downtown and tell me that it looks better now without that glorious canopy along what were then boulevards?

ya I could be wrong I dunno, next time i'm in Toronto I'll go check how many big mature trees they have in Dundas Square or around the CN tour/Rogers Center/waterfront/downtown area.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by bobcage

ya I could be wrong I dunno, next time i'm in Toronto I'll go check how many big mature trees they have in Dundas Square or around the CN tour/Rogers Center/waterfront/downtown area.

We're talking about to extremities; maybe Ottawa has a few to many green spaces, especially along our waterways, but Toronto has a definite lack of green space. The whole place is nothing but concrete and glass.

[Harley613]

I was driving up Colonel By tonight and looking across and made the connection for the first time: The Merit matches Place Bell very nicely! Place Bell is art deco as well, albeit far more subtle. It's a neat look for the area, I'd like to see another art deco go up in that area!

[harls]

Might as well throw this in here as well..

Originally Posted by harls

I was at the Museum of Nature this weekend and snapped this with me cameraphone underneath the big whale.

[TMA-1]

There are no balconies (?) - those suites are going to feel really small.




Mmmmm...no balconies by southfacing, on Flickr

[blackjagger]

Originally Posted by TMA-1

There are no balconies (?) - those suites are going to feel really small.




Mmmmm...no balconies by southfacing, on Flickr

The smallest units are 800 SF with over half being 1600 SF and up.

Even with only small balconies I don't think they'll feel small.

Cheers,
Josh

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by TMA-1

Flying pretty low to the ground there Chuck! ;-)

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I was driving up Colonel By tonight and looking across and made the connection for the first time: The Merit matches Place Bell very nicely! Place Bell is art deco as well, albeit far more subtle. It's a neat look for the area, I'd like to see another art deco go up in that area!

I didn't really think of it until I saw your comment. But you're right, especially with those silver vertical stripes going down the middle of the windows on both buildings.

[TMA-1]

It was the damn wind, jetstream up at crane level!

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Flying pretty low to the ground there Chuck! ;-)

[TMA-1]

Happy now? :-)




8035076 by southfacing, on Flickr

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Flying pretty low to the ground there Chuck! ;-)

[Rico Rommheim]

Ottawa has some density, and it's getting denser, too.

[Postmaster]

It's very strange to be travelling eastbound on the highway and see 4 buildings going up around and near PBC. By virtue of being surrounded, it looks better.