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  #201  
Old Posted Jun 15, 2012, 9:30 PM
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Originally Posted by RyeJay View Post
I'm not understanding people's various subjective comments in opposition to these circular windows. These windows are my favourite part of this project. The building itself seems fairly typical, and the windows add something different than what we see in most buildings around the downtown. I don't find the break in pattern from 'square' to 'circle' that offensive...

To what horrible things are people associating these windows?
They seem to me like gingerbread on a Victorian building - only there to serve no useful purpose, just used to catch the eye. I associate them with those horrible octagon vinyl windows you often see on tract beige vinyl-sided chipboard McMansions in the suburbs. They do not fit within the context of the building - it is not designed in a ship-like theme that you sometimes see in architecture, where they might arguably fit. It is as if the designer, whoever they may be, looked at a bunch of pictures of current buildings and snipped various features, then pasted them together. The entire design seems incoherent.
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  #202  
Old Posted Jun 15, 2012, 11:46 PM
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Yeah, I think they look tacky because they do not relate to the other design elements. Because of the round windows and a couple of other things the overall design looks quite busy to me.
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  #203  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 1:31 AM
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I like the design too, atleast on ground level. The balconies look sort of out of place with the glass, but on the bright side perhaps coloured balconies are becoming Halifax's signature style after all.
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  #204  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 5:31 AM
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The round windows don't fit. They're out of context with the rest of the building... All right angles and straight lines... and then random round windows. They look tacked on. Out of context.
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  #205  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 6:24 AM
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I don't mind the windows, but I find the structure overall to be too bland. I think a big part is the colouring. The wood section should be a intense strong colour; maybe red or blue. I'd really like that.

But still, I'm disappointed that these sites are forced to have small structures. These are the perfect spots for highrise residential. Not only because they're so close to downtown SGR and major bus routes, but because there are already so many highrises in the immediate area that they wouldn't be destroying the character. Some of the rules just don't make sense.
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  #206  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 1:07 PM
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'Wood section'? I'm only seeing stone, precast and glass.
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  #207  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 6:09 PM
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And which of those do we presume is the brown part?
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  #208  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 6:25 PM
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The brown looks like precast to me. Not the greatest detail in the image, but the texture used doesn't look like wood, nor would it make sense given the design of the building.
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  #209  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 6:30 PM
worldlyhaligonian worldlyhaligonian is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RyeJay View Post
I'm not understanding people's various subjective comments in opposition to these circular windows. These windows are my favourite part of this project. The building itself seems fairly typical, and the windows add something different than what we see in most buildings around the downtown. I don't find the break in pattern from 'square' to 'circle' that offensive...

To what horrible things are people associating these windows?
RyeJay, I agree with you!

I think they tie in a maritime house element without being tacky... seems modern to me.

I like that these buildings are modern, yet somewhat plain... we need more buildings that blend in as opposed to ones that fail at being edgy.
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  #210  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 6:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phalanx View Post
The brown looks like precast to me. Not the greatest detail in the image, but the texture used doesn't look like wood, nor would it make sense given the design of the building.
The plan may be for precast but I wouldn't read too much into the textures used for the rendering. It could be brick and there are some wood-style siding materials too.

I posted the rendering of the Citadel Hotel in the Canada section and somebody said it was going to be ugly because clearly it was going to be 100% stucco based on the uniform texture in the rendering. In a more detailed rendering they actually drew on a brick texture and I believe the stucco assumption was incorrect.
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  #211  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 9:12 PM
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Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian View Post
RyeJay, I agree with you!

I think they tie in a maritime house element without being tacky... seems modern to me.

I like that these buildings are modern, yet somewhat plain... we need more buildings that blend in as opposed to ones that fail at being edgy.
I don't want the bright accent colours in the hopes of making it edgy, I want them in the hopes of making it colourful and vibrant.
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  #212  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 9:49 PM
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Friends of Haligonian Square Windows

I suggest this group title to anyone who wants to make a big fuss over the circular windows.
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  #213  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 12:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RyeJay View Post
Friends of Haligonian Square Windows

I suggest this group title to anyone who wants to make a big fuss over the circular windows.

You sound like you're a member of the Friends of Undesirable Cliched KooKoo Overused Fenestration Features.
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  #214  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 3:44 AM
pblaauw pblaauw is offline
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Originally Posted by Keith P. View Post
You sound like you're a member of the Friends of Undesirable Cliched KooKoo Overused Fenestration Features.
This made my day. It might be the remnants of the Bailey's talking.
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  #215  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 7:19 AM
RyeJay RyeJay is offline
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Originally Posted by Keith P. View Post
You sound like you're a member of the Friends of Undesirable Cliched KooKoo Overused Fenestration Features.
Did your nurse forget to change you again?
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  #216  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by RyeJay View Post
Did your nurse forget to change you again?
Poor baby.
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  #217  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 12:45 PM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
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Originally Posted by someone123 View Post
Here's a new rendering:


Source


According to ANS the buildings are being considered under HbD and the developers are still aiming for a summer construction start. Hopefully we will soon see more details up on the HRM website.

By the way, this one also appears to have coloured balconies.
Overall I like this proposal, except for the round windows. However, if that is people's biggest objection then it can't be too bad.
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  #218  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 1:34 PM
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Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
Overall I like this proposal, except for the round windows.
Oh dear. Here we go again...
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  #219  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 1:39 PM
RyeJay RyeJay is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
Overall I like this proposal, except for the round windows. However, if that is people's biggest objection then it can't be too bad.
It seems to be the biggest objection. So I agree, it can't be too bad.
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  #220  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2012, 2:02 PM
Nifta Nifta is offline
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This, is going to be next to the new library, right? The glass top and the wood siding (if it is!) should blend quite nicely.

Mostly I'm hoping that the shop units are of decent size and have their entrances AT STREET LEVEL (i.e no need to go up steps to get to the door, or down a ramp) to build on the shopping opportunities downtown.

The other day I was walking down Spring Garden and I had some tourists (cruise ship visitors I guess) ask me where the main shopping district in downtown Halifax was. It was embarrassing to tell them that they were in it! Also, a new girl just started at work after moving to Halifax. She took an apartment downtown and asked me where she could buy some pillows and bedding. I couldn't think of anywhere downtown and told her she'd have to take a bus all the way out to the hell hole of Bayer's lake. It's crazy! I moved here from Britain from a town of around 40,000 people that had FAR better shopping downtown than Halifax has.

Sorry, rant over. I love Halifax, I just wish it had a lively downtown.

Last edited by Nifta; Jun 17, 2012 at 3:46 PM.
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