[Burnaby] The Amazing Brentwood | 15 Towers | 186m | 56 flrs | U/C & Proposed

[giallo]

A retractable canopy could work. I'm not sure what the price would be for that, but for those four month, Metro Vancouverites want as much unfiltered sun as humanly possible, so a permanent canopy over the square wouldn't fly, I don't think.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by giallo

A retractable canopy could work. I'm not sure what the price would be for that, but for those four month, Metro Vancouverites want as much unfiltered sun as humanly possible, so a permanent canopy over the square wouldn't fly, I don't think.

Retractable canvas/Teflon (same material a BC Place) could work and wouldn't be so difficult/expensive to build and maintain

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Would have been awesome to see some sort of canopy over it similar to the Sony Center in Berlin so that it could be used year round with cafes and maybe even bars.

Sony Center was my favorite place in Berlin. Fabulous square full of life 24/7. It would be great to have something like it in Downtown Vancouver (in the Entertainment District), but I doubt it would ever happen in Brentwood.

[SpongeG]

its just not part of the lifestyle here

[GeeCee]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Thanks for the pics!

Agreed that disjointed designs are "in" - UBC's SUB plaza comes to mind.
Looks like a logical corridor leading to the existing mall.

I hope the opening under that escalator doesn't read "underground parkade" like at the Canadian Tire on SW Marine Drive.

There will be parking and retail underground.

[Laniatus]

Several of the pictures describing their "suspended art" ideas had covers over the parts of the plaza. One of the pictures even had several hundred umbrellas and another had some kind of canvas material suspended over the outdoor areas. You can see a picture of it on the poster titled "public art" in my album I linked.

They could do something very cool but I'm afraid to get my hopes up...

[GeeCee]

Another rendering..

[Canadian Mind]

Looks like someone's "Brentwood 50 year plan" from 1964...

[WBC]

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

Looks like someone's "Brentwood 50 year plan" from 1964...

It needs some flying cars...

I have my doubts that the final design will look anything like that. Especially those stacked glass cubes...

[Millennium2002]

It's funny how most things in Vancouver are not designed to be weather-proof despite the conditions that already exist...

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

It's funny how most things in Vancouver are not designed to be weather-proof despite the conditions that already exist...

Weather-proof stuff seems mostly popular in cities with REAL winters, like Montreal and Toronto. (... but I wonder how we compare to Seattle on that point.... )

[SpongeG]

seattle is about the same as us as far as weather proofing goes

the seattle outlet mall is open air and miserable on rainy days

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

seattle is about the same as us as far as weather proofing goes

the seattle outlet mall is open air and miserable on rainy days

They love to build open air outlet malls across the US... in places like Boston where it's sweltering in the summer and freezing in the winter.

DERP.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

its just not part of the lifestyle here

And lifestyles don't change? Architecture can't influence lifestyle?

I bet you if they were able to build a covered plaza that could be used 300+ days of the year, it would be heavily used. Especially when you have 6-10 residential and office towers and a huge mall connected to it giving it life 18 hours a day.

Who wouldn't like a nice plaza where you can have a coffee or a beer in a large open space year round with heaters in the winter, a roof for the rain, and shade in the summer?

[WBC]

Originally Posted by Jebby

And lifestyles don't change? Architecture can't influence lifestyle?

I bet you if they were able to build a covered plaza that could be used 300+ days of the year, it would be heavily used. Especially when you have 6-10 residential and office towers and a huge mall connected to it giving it life 18 hours a day.

Who wouldn't like a nice plaza where you can have a coffee or a beer in a large open space year round with heaters in the winter, a roof for the rain, and shade in the summer?

Completely agree. Our architecture and building design looks more suited to California than North West. And it is not just the lack of rain protection (which is sometimes comical - why design a brand new building that has gaps in awnings for no identifiable reason). It is also incredibly bad building insulation (for example, obsession with all glass towers - is it because it is cheaper to build?), poor road/highway and street drainage, poor signage and road markings that are nearly impossible to see in the rain and fog and the list goes on.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Jebby

And lifestyles don't change? Architecture can't influence lifestyle?

I bet you if they were able to build a covered plaza that could be used 300+ days of the year, it would be heavily used. Especially when you have 6-10 residential and office towers and a huge mall connected to it giving it life 18 hours a day.

Who wouldn't like a nice plaza where you can have a coffee or a beer in a large open space year round with heaters in the winter, a roof for the rain, and shade in the summer?

i know myself and my family and friends would prefer to head to the walking trails or beaches than hang out at a mall

judging by the hundreds of people who would rather hang out in the evening at english bay beach than any number of outdoor spaces downtown i think helps prove people in this city just don't feel the attraction of plazas

winter is different obviously, i think we get so few great days when we do outdoors is more popular

the convention centre is alright but i would guess its 90% tourists hanging out down there

i don't know

brentwood and any number of places is okay if you have to be there but no one really would choose to be there from what i have heard/observed

i think with this town its like lets go do the grind not lets go do the plaza, i am not a grind person however

[trofirhen]

I largely agree with, but I think lifestyles can learn to change.
On a purely physical level, design tweaks to consolidate and extend the canopies here and there would draw in more people to cafés, to shop, even to hang out (esp in winter) ...


An an example, Seattle seems to be a city with a large public presentation of music. (or am I wrong) If they could bring something like that to the malls, it might work as an attraction.

And don't say it can't be done here.
I remember years back at the main HSBC building in BC where a chamber quartet played, as people drank their coffee and tea ..... something seemed "right" about that

[vanman]

So this has been approved by the city. First phase will include two 60 story towers!

http://www.burnabynow.com/news/brent...roval-1.639284

[Klazu]

Amazing news.

"...first phase of development will include a public plaza and two 60-storey towers..."

"...including 10 residential buildings, two office towers ranging from 30 to 40 storeys..."

Sweet

[spm2013]

^^ Amazing.