A general discussion of Fenwick

[phrenic]

continued from: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...37#post3596737

Originally Posted by Empire

Is there anyone else who likes Fenwick?

I have a certain appreciation for it. I just find it quite ugly looking, like most people. In fact, it hurts to look at it. The installation of a new or updated facade, or even a Queen's Square-type paint job, would do wonders for the appeal of the building to Haligonians.

[hfx_chris]

I don't know what it is, but many of the buildings people look down on for their brutalist architectural style, I really like. I like Fenwick, I like Scotia Square, I like the Killam Library at Dal, etc etc. And to tell the truth, I don't know why, because when I really sit down and analyze the stylings of those buildings I think to myself, they are actually kind of ugly. Maybe it's the ugliness that turns me on?

There are things Fenwick could do to enhance the look of their building, as you said just a simply repaint a la Queen Square would certainly make the building more attractive to the general public. Look at Ocean Towers, they look 200% better when they repainted them purple and white - or whatever colours those are.

[worldlyhaligonian]

They are white and a purple-blue.

I think Fenwick would actually look impressive with a similar paint-job. Its not that the building is ugly in form, it just looks really run down, derelict.

[hfx_chris]

Yes, that's exactly what's wrong with Fenwick! Neglect, architecturally it's a nice building in my opinion, but it's in desperate need of a refresh.

[Takeo]

Yah... put a coat of purple paint on it... that's make it swell. LOL. Just implode it.

BTW... I also really like "70's" architecture. I LOVE the massing and the warmth. Big thick brick walls, earth tones, etc. I love it. Reminds me of Louis Kahn. And I love the Killam.

That said... the Life Science center is depressing inside... and Scotia Square is NOT a good building. But I do really like some of it and I am disgusted to NO END when a building owner takes a piece of architecture... of whatever style... good building or not... and sticks makeup and christmas decorations on it to bring it "up to date".

Ocean Towers is concrete. Let it be concrete. I think that paint job was a horrible idea. Not that that building is an example of great architecture by any means!!! But it still seems so wrong! And just imagine how nice the paint is going to look 5 years from now. Ugh.

The other example of this is the crap that Aliant stuck onto the side of Scotia Square. What the hell?!?! It looks like Michael Graves puked all over the side of the building.

[phrenic]

Originally Posted by Takeo

The other example of this is the crap that Aliant stuck onto the side of Scotia Square. What the hell?!?! It looks like Michael Graves puked all over the side of the building.

Also, there is a very noticeable difference in colour between the original 14 stories of the building and the additional 7. It could be due to weather and time more than anything else, but any other property I've seen where floors have been added after the original construction has made a point of making sure they blend together well.

EDIT: They didn't even finish the Queen's Square paint job that I mentioned. What's up with that?

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

They are white and a purple-blue.

I think Fenwick would actually look impressive with a similar paint-job. Its not that the building is ugly in form, it just looks really run down, derelict.

I believe that would be "periwinkle" LOL!!

[Takeo]

Originally Posted by phrenic

Also, there is a very noticeable difference in colour between the original 14 stories of the building and the additional 7. It could be due to weather and time more than anything else, but any other property I've seen where floors have been added after the original construction has made a point of making sure they blend together well.

Well... I was referring to Scotia Square... all the multi-colored junk Aliant slapped onto it... on the Barrington St. side... where the busses all stop. But ya... the Aliant tower does look bad where they added the new floors.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by phrenic

Also, there is a very noticeable difference in colour between the original 14 stories of the building and the additional 7. It could be due to weather and time more than anything else, but any other property I've seen where floors have been added after the original construction has made a point of making sure they blend together well.

EDIT: They didn't even finish the Queen's Square paint job that I mentioned. What's up with that?

Regarding the Maritime Center color mismatch, I remember at the time when it was being added to that the issue was discussed in the press and I'm sure I remember it being mentioned that they had picked a shade of concrete that would weather to match. Obviously, someone miscalculated.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Takeo

That said... the Life Science center is depressing inside... and Scotia Square is NOT a good building. But I do really like some of it and I am disgusted to NO END when a building owner takes a piece of architecture... of whatever style... good building or not... and sticks makeup and christmas decorations on it to bring it "up to date".

On Scotia Square... I don't know what the architects were thinking regarding the Barrington St side. To just leave a sheer blank wall at street level always baffled me. I don't know what's behind that wall but I wonder if it would be possible to take it, open it up with glass and add some small retail along with some access to the next level up.

[phrenic]

Originally Posted by Takeo

Well... I was referring to Scotia Square... all the multi-colored junk Aliant slapped onto it... on the Barrington St. side... where the busses all stop. But ya... the Aliant tower does look bad where they added the new floors.

Oh on second look so you were. I missed Scotia Square and thought maritime centre for some reason. Anyway, I don't really mind the stuff on the side of Scotia Square. It's not fantastic by any means, but it livens up the otherwise blank wall along the call centre and cafeteria inside.

[Takeo]

Originally Posted by phrenic

Oh on second look so you were. I missed Scotia Square and thought maritime centre for some reason. Anyway, I don't really mind the stuff on the side of Scotia Square. It's not fantastic by any means, but it livens up the otherwise blank wall along the call centre and cafeteria inside.

I'm all for the banishment of blank walls of course... and enlivenment... but as with everything in life... it's all in the execution... and to me... what they did there looks horrendous and tacky. To each their own I guess

[Dmajackson]

I don't mind Fenwick because its unique and adds people to the neighbourhood but there are a few things i dont like about it:

1) It needs a paint job bad. Im not suggesting purple or orange, but just some basic color that'll cover up the fadingness of the building.

and 2) it looks horrible at street level. Its long side goes across the block so when you're on Fenwick or South it looks like a gray windowless needle. And its below street level. Its sunk into the ground requiring concrete walls around the lot instead of at street level. St. James Place helps this on the South St side at least.

Other then that its a decent building its not beautiful in my opinion but its no Grain Elevators either.

[someone123]

Fenwick is really not that bad. It needs to be cleaned up a bit. The street level on the Fenwick Street side is pretty poor but that can be said of a very large number of buildings in the city, and because the tower has a small footprint it only really affects as small part of that side of the block. The South Street side was never a part of the Fenwick tower lot.

To some degree I like Fenwick's scale. It makes the city feel a bit larger and more urbane.

[Keith P.]

I read recently that Dal has selected a broker to offer Fenwick for sale. What that would mean for the residence operation there was unclear. I was talking to a Dal property worker there a while back and was told that the building is in very bad shape. Apparently the basements are full of water due to structural problems. Scary.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by Takeo

The other example of this is the crap that Aliant stuck onto the side of Scotia Square. What the hell?!?! It looks like Michael Graves puked all over the side of the building.

Hah. Well, it may look kind of tacky, but I think it's a hell of a lot better looking than the sheer concrete wall, which never should have been allowed at street level. I believe their receiving area is behind there, is it not? Or at least possibly storage or warehouse space for the tenants.. If they could open that up as suggested and put in some smaller retail spaces at street level (accessible from outside) it would probably do wonders, but I doubt they want to move their receiving and warehouse space
Now that I think of it, aren't there air vents along the sidewalk there? That could be a mechanical room behind there, in which case that'll never happen.

Originally Posted by phrenic

EDIT: They didn't even finish the Queen's Square paint job that I mentioned. What's up with that?

Well, I know they had to put the repaint on Queen Square on hold for winter, and I believe they're going to be resuming soon. They've got platforms on the outside of the tower, and I think they've been working on the windows on the painted side of the building, so they'll probably move around to the unpainted side when they're finished whatever it is they're doing... they've also had a cherry picker type thing on the shorter 3-story section of the building at the corner of Alderney and Queen for the last few days, that section also hasn't been painted yet.

[Takeo]

My point about the windows added to the side of Scotia Square is that what they did there is more decoration than architecture. It could have been done so much better.

[spaustin]

This will no doubt not be a popular sentiment on here, but I think Fenwick is way too tall for its location. The building's around its base to the east are like 3 storeys. The fact that its a concerte monstrosity makes that even worse. I'm not saying there aren't places in the city where we couldn't go up high like that, but that location should never have been one of them.

[alps]

I love Fenwick - I don't know why people see concrete as a bad thing, honestly, I like concrete a hell of a lot more than brick (although maybe I've just grown completely sick of brick, living in Halifax). Fenwick's great, a big, fantastic, slender, monolith that tops off that hill beautifully. I hope they never modernize it in any way, the garish 70s decor inside has a certain charm (orange carpet, lime green walls, etc), and the weathered plazas outside give off a feeling that you don't really see often in Halifax...old rotting idealism, or something. Hell, I even see a cyberpunk element to it, it's like that decrepit apartment the protagonist goes back to every night, sits on the balcony and gazes out towards the huge, modern steel cranes at the docks (see link in signature ). Fenwick has a place in the city!

odd romantic discourse courtesy of a long tiring day at work

[someone123]

What? Architecture has value beyond its ability to immediately evoke pleasant feelings?

That post sounded a little sophisticated. You'd better move to Toronto.