1444 Alberni | 138M | 48FL + 43FL | Passive House | Proposed

[connect2source]

Agreed, nice break from the sea-foam spandrel but I agree with others here that they have a very American and dated look to them.

So many examples of this in the 90's and not sure why this regressive "New York" look is being embraced here, couldn't be further from a West Coast aesthetic and miles from most of the proposed designs immediately surrounding this project like The Alberni, the Bing Thom proposal at Bidwell and Alberni, and the Cardero. A "New York" look is totally out of synch with Coal Harbour which I thought was meant to embrace and mirror the look and feel of the surrounding water, mountains and forests.

[phesto]

If you hate postmodernism you're just not going to like the design of this project, no matter how well executed.

I'm not a fan myself but I do appreciate that it's different. The towers themselves won't be that visible on the skyline anyway and the neighbouring towers will be stealing the spotlight.

[Changing City]

My understanding of postmodern architecture wouldn't describe these towers. There are a couple of good examples of postmodern office buildings on Granville Street, these seem more like 1930s designs built 90 years later.

They probably won't look like the illustrations for very long, if they keep the materials they're proposing. the Haddington Island stone cladding (which is an andesite from Vancouver Island), is the same stone that City Hall is clad with. There has been a constant, expensive, and still only partially successful effort to stop the building staining.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Local examples by Rafii are Eden and Mondrian
- although those have painted concrete exteriors.

Yes, not to mention Grace Residence at Richards and Drake. I like some of the concrete towers, provided they have classy, and sometimes ornate exteriors.

A lot of those concrete towers at Joyce/Collingwood area, plus a few downtown, especially those along Nelson street, are way underdesigned and, IMO, plain and even ugly.

[SpongeG]

it screams money at least, looks like the place you step out of your driven car greeted by a doorman...

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Changing City

My understanding of postmodern architecture wouldn't describe these towers.

More like art deco revival - i.e. being true to the principles and proportions of art deco with a bit of classical thrown in.
(i.e. punched windows instead of an emphasis on vertical lines formed by windows with ornate spandrels below each window)

Then again, there are ridges in the stone spandrels below each window.


Tower profile. Credit: MCM Partnership/Robert A.M. Stern Architects
http://urbanyvr.com/1444-alberni-str...-passive-house

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it screams money at least, looks like the place you step out of your driven car greeted by a doorman...

Heck, Vancouver could use a touch of that "Upper East Side" class .....

[Migrant_Coconut]

So long as it doesn't catch on too much. You think glass-and-spandrel is monotonous and ugly, just wait until the entire city looks like a cathedral:

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

So long as it doesn't catch on too much. You think glass-and-spandrel is monotonous and ugly, just wait until the entire city looks like a cathedral:

Heh heh; yes! However, Vancouver is a relatively small metro, and I doubt there's much risk of that happening here. Nevertheless, a touch of classy elegance would be good, IMO.

[scryer]

I think that these towers are an excellent break from everything else. I do agree that they look "dated" but I think that they look "dated" in a very elegant way. Plus with these towers being surrounded by glass towers all around, I really doubt that these two towers will detract Vancouver from maintaining its style; rather it will add some much needed diversity - architecturally speaking.

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by connect2source

A "New York" look is totally out of synch with Coal Harbour which I thought was meant to embrace and mirror the look and feel of the surrounding water, mountains and forests.

Perhaps that's what some architects and planners had hoped for, but the only thing the existing buildings reflect is the cold, soulless nature of that entire neighborhood.

[officedweller]

.. the residents will shop at Restoration Hardware instead of InForm...

[city guy]

then why not do something with punched windows thats simple and sublime like this...

https://www.designboom.com/architect...he-hemisphere/

Stern's work isn't post-modern...as pomo always had a touch of irony about it...the stuff is just a boring unimaginative pile of cliche

[officedweller]

It's just style preference.

That's why most of the houses on the West Side of Vancouver mimic an arts and crafts style rather than a modernist cube.

[privatejet]

I think this is interesting...remember the last time Robert Stern came to town; to design Olympic Village (for Millennium - he had already done Edgewater for Millennium) Vancouver ushered him out of town (the City and the local architectural community if I recall)

So he is back with for Vancouver are some unlikely buildings.....but the developers have smartly thrown a curve to the City...the world's tallest Passive House buildings, which fit all of Vancouver's greenest city plans etc. Much harder to throw it out...again interesting strategy.

But to keep it in perspective, why do people use Robert Stern to design their apartment buildings...because they sell...here is the classic Vanity Fair article on 15 Central Park West https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2...t200809Central

[city guy]

Originally Posted by privatejet

I think this is interesting...remember the last time Robert Stern came to town; to design Olympic Village (for Millennium - he had already done Edgewater for Millennium) Vancouver ushered him out of town (the City and the local architectural community if I recall)

So he is back with for Vancouver are some unlikely buildings.....but the developers have smartly thrown a curve to the City...the world's tallest Passive House buildings, which fit all of Vancouver's greenest city plans etc. Much harder to throw it out...again interesting strategy.

But to keep it in perspective, why do people use Robert Stern to design their apartment buildings...because they sell...here is the classic Vanity Fair article on 15 Central Park West https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2...t200809Central

true, but EVERYTHING sells in Vancouver. For me it is embarrassing that we will get significant international publicity for producing the world's largest passive tower complex whereas the design is tremendously unimaginative in its use of hackneyed pseudo-deco...c'mon Vancouver we can do better than this...its like making a Tesla look like Hudson and its a pity

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by city guy

true, but EVERYTHING sells in Vancouver. For me it is embarrassing that we will get significant international publicity for producing the world's largest passive tower complex whereas the design is tremendously unimaginative in its use of hackneyed pseudo-deco...c'mon Vancouver we can do better than this...its like making a Tesla look like Hudson and its a pity

Would you pigeonhole this design as "hackneyed pseudo-deco?" True, it's a variant of a style of postmodern; but is it "pseudo-deco?" To each his own.
I find it rather classy personally, but that's just one opinion. At least it's not more green glass and spandrel, or some post-bizarre pre-modernist hybrid, undefinable, clash-with-everything creation that will date badly. ...IMO

[Graham_Yvr]

Originally Posted by city guy

then why not do something with punched windows thats simple and sublime like this...

https://www.designboom.com/architect...he-hemisphere/

Everything about 432 Park bothers me. I find it very ugly and ridiculous in it's proportions. That's obviously a personal opinion and clearly not shared by everyone, but I far prefer what's being proposed here to that monstrosity.

[Klazu]

This will be view from the top floors of these towers.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by privatejet

I think this is interesting...remember the last time Robert Stern came to town; to design Olympic Village (for Millennium - he had already done Edgewater for Millennium) Vancouver ushered him out of town (the City and the local architectural community if I recall)

So he is back with for Vancouver are some unlikely buildings.....but the developers have smartly thrown a curve to the City...the world's tallest Passive House buildings, which fit all of Vancouver's greenest city plans etc. Much harder to throw it out...again interesting strategy.

But to keep it in perspective, why do people use Robert Stern to design their apartment buildings...because they sell...here is the classic Vanity Fair article on 15 Central Park West https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2...t200809Central

I think the difference with OV is that that was on City-owned property meant as a showcase for the City.

But then again, there was the other instance where the Urban Design Panel - higher buildings version - rejected the first design for The Melville, which was a classical style tower similar to Robert Stern designs.

I would hope that the City is now tolerant enough to accept different design styles rather than inadvertently (?) creating a skyline of "sameness".
It's the solid surface buildings that stand out in the skyline.