Which Vancouver buildings do you hate the most?

red-paladin · #1 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 5:53 PM**

The buildings I hate the most are:

The Renaissance Hotel (and the two black buildings that flank it)

(Photo from jrichmond27's flickr page)

and the white building and Cordova and Cambie

(Photo of that building and Woodwards under construction from Cypress Digital Ltd's Panoramio page)

Yume-sama · #2 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 5:57 PM**

Grace

It catches your eye the wrong way every time you drive in to the city over the Granville Bridge.

I'm shocked it slipped by the UDP. Must have been on a Monday after a night of heavy drinking...

wrenegade · #3 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 6:59 PM**

^Seriously? I think it is one of the most spectacular buildings this city has.

Ones I don't like, in no particular order: Scotiabank at Pender & Burrard, United Kingdom building on Hastings (@ Granville I think), Sears building (obviously), the Carlyle at Alberni & Thurlow, and the Aon building at Howe at Smithe.

Kodii · #4 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 7:58 PM**

The toilet bowl = Sears

Spork · #5 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 8:09 PM**

Don't hate on office buildings! We will take them in any shape or form!

Canadian Mind · #6 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 9:06 PM**

No we wont.

Sears building, Guiness tower, Grosvenor Building, 1500 Alberni, Georgia Place, AXA centre.

I could go on. Mostly short buildings being where short buildings shouldn't be, or the building is downright ugly, or both.

LotusLand · #7 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 9:32 PM**

The sears toilet bowl!

raggedy13 · #8 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 9:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

No we wont.

Sears building, Guiness tower, Grosvenor Building, 1500 Alberni, Georgia Place, AXA centre.

I could go on. Mostly short buildings being where short buildings shouldn't be, or the building is downright ugly, or both.

I love Guinness Tower. I think it's a beautiful example of '60s international style architecture. But to each their own.

by Uncle Buddha

I also dislike the Sears Building, though more from a functional (lack of interaction at street level etc.) rather than aesthetic standpoint. That part-office, part-parkade building next to The Melville (on Melville St.) is pretty ugly and a waste of space. I'm glad there are plans for these two buildings.

More will probably come to me later.

Canadian Mind · #9 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 10:46 PM**

I never really liked architecture from the era. This example seems rather plastic & serile to me.

Delirium · #10 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 11:19 PM**

empire Landmark hotel. i hate everything about this building.

photo; http://www.excelloz.com/imagedata/Ho...-overview1.jpg

PROSTSHOCKER · #11 Posted **Jun 15, 2009, 11:34 PM**

1500 Alberni

Hands down. Married with the Sears building they could be the ugliest couple in Vancouver.

Source: http://www.pbase.com/alon/image/17731823 Photographer: Alain Lucier

LeftCoaster · #12 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 12:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canadian Mind

I never really liked architecture from the era. This example seems rather plastic & serile to me.

Well to each their own... seems like an odd building to pick out amongst teh massive sea of crap that constitutes Vancouver's downtown architecture.

Aside from the numerous westend and false creek concrete or glass snoozefests, my pics for Vancouver's worst would have to go to Grace's Tower, and this trainwreck also in Yaletown:

http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=173392

Also honourable mention goes to the shorter black office tower next to the Renaissance Hotel

and the aforementioned UK Buildings.

Oh and the Fairmont Medical Building on Broadway.

Damn this is tough, I feel like I'm missing dozens too. This must be what it feels like to win an Oscar...

hollywoodnorth · #13 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 12:37 AM**

1500 West Georgia.......a complete failure in interacting with the street or neighbourhood ..........as are most of Ericksons buildings

LeftCoaster · #14 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 12:41 AM**

Oh also I found this flickr set while searching for a picture of Pinnacle... It has some pretty good shots of local buildings:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uncle_b...111300/?page=2

sacrifice333 · #15 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 1:01 AM**

Most Pinnacle buildings done up through the early 2000's.

fever · #16 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 1:05 AM**

Anything on Broadway.

The Pinnacle is a good choice. Scotia at Pender/Burrard sucks.

If it counts, I'll add the Terry Fox Memorial.

osirisboy · #17 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 1:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

the waterfall building. a complete failure in interacting with the street or neighbourhood ..........as are most of Ericksons buildings

that cant seriously be you most hated building in vancouver?? There are so many worse buildings than that. how about the cbc building along cambie and the lack of interaction to the street there.

for me its those ugly ass parkades downtown ie: the one across from waterfront station, the one across from the sun building and the ones on richards across from l'hermitage.

jlousa · #18 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 1:41 AM**

Landmark for me, not because the building is so ugly but because it's so out of place w/o neighbors, if it was in a different location or half the height it wouldn't be so bad.
Runner up would be 200 Granville, the building itself is acutally pretty good, the setting and interaction with the street is almost criminal, it's almost a tower in the park but w/o the park. I don't mind the Sears building, it's not a beauty but it's extremely flexible and a simple glass fascade would make a huge improvement. At least it can be fixed unlike most others.

CBeats · #19 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 1:55 AM**

granville square, law courts including robson square, and sears.

^^i know not all of these are towers, but their failure to create a relationship with the public and overuse of concrete really makes me hate them. plus they are all horribly ugly. however, i hate them most of all because each is in a very important area of downtown that has so much potential. sears and the law courts/robson square are in the centre of downtown and could be cultural focal points for the city. granville square will hopefully be destroyed when they redo waterfront station, finally opening up that area to the public in a better way.

ps - that's the only sears building pic i could find!

hollywoodnorth · #20 Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 2:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by osirisboy

that cant seriously be you most hated building in vancouver?? There are so many worse buildings than that. how about the cbc building along cambie and the lack of interaction to the street there.

for me its those ugly ass parkades downtown ie: the one across from waterfront station, the one across from the sun building and the ones on richards across from l'hermitage.

BRAIN FART! I ment 1500 West Georgia

http://www.1500westgeorgia.com/