I've been looking at Shangri-La for a few years now- I thought the crane was supposed to retract at some point? It's been sticking up above the top of the glass panels since it was built. Anyone know the scoop?
Yea didnt Jlousa always say that it would eventually retract. Obviously it doesnt and isnt going to. but one would think details like this would be addressed during the application process?? I find it funny that there would be lots of consulting on signage or colour of the glass (for example) but seemingly nothing for a freaking highly visible crane.
My guess is when they added the extra floor the fins on top got shorter (because god forbid the building increases in height a few meters) thereby leaving the window washing crane exposed.... how short sighted
Can't make out the squares in detail but here are a couple pics I took earlier today:
Could you please put these on Shangri - La's wikipedia page?
The pictures that are on it now are atrocious.
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Mohkínstsis — 1.6 million people at the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 400 high-rises, a 300-metre SE to NW climb, over 1000 kilometres of pathways, with 20% of the urban area as parkland.
Wow I just checked and they really are horrible, Raggedy yours are worlds better.
Interesting to dig this thread up after a few years of completion, what is everyone's thoughts on this building now that they have had it for a few years?
I love the two slim facades, and I'm ok with the bulkier one. the squares were a bit of a letdown, but they don't detract from the building they just dont add to it like I thought they would.
Finally I am at a loss regarding the crane. I know I was one of the ones who said it can retract, and I saw the plans during construction and it really can, but I truly cannot say why it remains up.
Overall I'd give the building an 8 out of 10.
Big pros: slender massing, great glazing, elegant design
cons: lack of crown signage/lighting, short fins (I think the building would have looked better with the original taller fins)
I wonder if current City Council would allow them to put a sign up top?
Remember that the proposal was for a "piece of art" type sign, and not just a standard sign.
Too much time and money to remove the crane after each usage.
Just to clarify, it is a BMU(building maintenance unit) that is still on the roof. The derrick cranes that took the tower crane down are long gone, so they just didn't design the roof to conceal the bmu. It can have a telescopic mast to hide itself (like at the georgia or the fairmont) but the additional cost of the mast and the cladding to build an enclosure isn't always part of the budget...
Just to clarify, it is a BMU(building maintenance unit) that is still on the roof. The derrick cranes that took the tower crane down are long gone, so they just didn't design the roof to conceal the bmu. It can have a telescopic mast to hide itself (like at the georgia or the fairmont) but the additional cost of the mast and the cladding to build an enclosure isn't always part of the budget...
I hope the City has learned from Shangri-la that the treatment of the mechanical penthouse area and BMU need to be approved as part of the design approval process; especially for 'taller buildings'. If left to the developer at their discretion, of course they are going to cheap out and James Cheng is a specialist at cost-cutting design features.
We might brag all we want about units in this building trading for NYC or HK prices, but this type of cheapish/amateur design feature on the roof wouldn't fly in cities like that...
Page 7 of the Telus Garden residential tower Staff Report notes that building maintenance equipment will be "temporary davit arms" (maybe like the ones that seem to be "fixtures" at the top of The Capitol, rather than the one atop Shangri-La.
Seriously no one has added a decent pic to the Shangri La wikipedia page yet?
I'm pretty sure some of you (those who have posted since I suggested it) are the ones that took the good pics of the tower. So just put them up please! It's embarrassing having those hideous pics on the wikipedia database.
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Mohkínstsis — 1.6 million people at the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 400 high-rises, a 300-metre SE to NW climb, over 1000 kilometres of pathways, with 20% of the urban area as parkland.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE PUT A DECENT PIC OF THIS THING UP ON ITS WIKIPEDIA PAGE?
Thank you
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Mohkínstsis — 1.6 million people at the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 400 high-rises, a 300-metre SE to NW climb, over 1000 kilometres of pathways, with 20% of the urban area as parkland.
One of the takeaways from Shangri-la going through the whole taller building process is that many of the requirements/recommendations from the initial UDP workshops in 2004 all the way to the DP stage were simply not addressed or adhered to; whether for budget reasons, or because the developers wound up living in the penthouse units, or other reasons.
Overall we got a really good building that has some poorly executed features that clearly stretched the limits of JKMC's abilities.
I wonder if it set a bad precedent for developers undergoing the same taller building process? I guess we won't know until some of these buildings are fully completed (ie. Hotel Georgia, Ritz, Burrard Gateway could potentially find cheap shortcuts to avoid some of the design features promised). The 1400 Howe proposal is certainly encouraging and hopefully that raises the bar for future tall building applications.
No I don't! I don't have any pictures of the Shangri La
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Mohkínstsis — 1.6 million people at the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 400 high-rises, a 300-metre SE to NW climb, over 1000 kilometres of pathways, with 20% of the urban area as parkland.
Great new angles! I think Shangri-La looks the best in the second shot straight from south. These photos really show how it currently dominates it's surroundings, but not for long anymore.
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