[Halifax] Nova Scotia Power HQ | ? fl | ? m | Completed

[kwajo]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

Ya, what a shame...Halifax will definitely lose some of it's derelict industrial street cred

No big loss, as there only room for one Industrial Heartthrob of a city in the Maritimes, and Saint John has got the stains on its blue collar to prove it.



Seriously though, I agree with the above poster, some of those buildings in Halifax have real appeal. When I went to King's I used to love walking in and around brutal structures like the Killam library and Fenwick, they are such unique structures in our end of the country that I learned to love them far more than a lot of the more generic architecture built during the last few decades.

[ScovaNotian]

I suppose the grain elevators will stay around for some time ...

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by kwajo

No big loss, as there only room for one Industrial Heartthrob of a city in the Maritimes, and Saint John has got the stains on its blue collar to prove it.



Seriously though, I agree with the above poster, some of those buildings in Halifax have real appeal. When I went to King's I used to love walking in and around brutal structures like the Killam library and Fenwick, they are such unique structures in our end of the country that I learned to love them far more than a lot of the more generic architecture built during the last few decades.

Don't get me wrong... I love brutalism.. well as a counterpoint.. I don't think I'd want the entire city to look like the Klingon Homeworld.

I've always thought those southend grain elevator silos would make a great canvass for an amazing mural. It would be quite a sight for anyone sailing into the harbour. Something historical/maritime related.. maybe showing a transition in time too, like the mural on the retaining wall by the Micmac Parclo. Starting with early sail-rigging, moving through WWII convoys and ending with modern day shipping, eg.

[Takeo]

I love the Killam. I don't understand why it's so maligned.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by Takeo

I love the Killam. I don't understand why it's so maligned.

Same here. Great building

[worldlyhaligonian]

The Killam is amazing, no doubt.

Tear down the grain elevators though.

[Jonovision]

I would argue that the Killiam is even one of the best buildings in the city.

[Jonovision]

I was walking along the boardwalk the other night (when it wasn't bitterly cold) and they have the interior of the building completely lit. I would assume it is for security purposes. But if you pressed your nose into the fence you could get a good look inside. And you can see straight up to the top between all the massive steel support beams. It looks really cool. And I get the impression that lots of the interior demolition is close to complete.

[BravoZulu]

Got a couple of pics today of some of the areas where they have removed brickwork.

[alps]

Speaking of the Killam, which I love, is anyone familiar with the Life Sciences Centre at Dal? I've been in there a lot this year for my science courses, and I think it might be one of my favourite buildings in the city. Seriously, if you've never been inside, go check it out. Being lost in there for the first time and discovering all the odd nooks and interesting features is a great experience, and I do mean lost - it's a labyrinth . No two stairwells are alike, and there are tons of roof accesses with neat views. There's also a tunnel that links it to the Killam. The interior has this solemn, austere atmosphere to it in some areas, but the main axes are quite lively. I'll stop rambling...I love it!

I'm concerned though, there are apparently plans to renovate it in the future..





(photo credit: Dal library)

[someone123]

The LSC is interesting in some ways but it has problems. The classrooms mostly have no natural light and in fact poor lighting of any kind, the seating is mostly uncomfortable, the air quality is not great, the lecture rooms are missing a lot of modern features like whiteboards... in practice I'm guessing about 99% of students would tell you they prefer to have classes in modern buildings like the FASS, Management, CS, etc.

[alps]

Hopefully the renovations will fix some of those problems. Why am I still awake...why are YOU awake

...g'night

[Empire]

The Water St. power plant would have been an excellent location for a performing arts centre. Hopefully the building will interact with the waterfront. There appears to be room to build a strip of cafes, shops maybe a plaza on the water side. Perhaps an art peice competition is in order?

[hollistreet]

Originally Posted by Empire

The Water St. power plant would have been an excellent location for a performing arts centre. Hopefully the building will interact with the waterfront. There appears to be room to build a strip of cafes, shops maybe a plaza on the water side. Perhaps an art peice competition is in order?

I don't dissagree that it would have made a good performing arts centre but 500 people working there during regular business hours will do wonders for the new market and the rest of that development. between that, Salter block and if the Alexander gets built the south end of the waterfront may just have enough to keep it a destination all year long.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by alps

Why am I still awake...why are YOU awake

...g'night

I am on Pacific time.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by someone123

I am on Pacific time.

Well one in the morning is still pretty bad.

Than again I was up til 3am last night.

Back on topic. I'm wondering what is going to happen to the Studio 21 and the south-side of the building?

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by alps

(photo credit: Dal library)

I once took an English coarse in this building, and heard on more than one occasion, that the architect, who after receiving disastrous reviews of his newly completed LSC building, committed suicide.... and the rumor goes that it was because of the general apathy and hatred to wards his work...

does anyone know if there is any truth behind this?...or is it just another immature urban legend, like the swimming pool on top of fenwick...(which my sister still stubbornly believes in...despite the fact that a structural engineer has concluded that there never was such a pool...my sister claims it "was probably filled in" and the engineer didn't notice ...despite his training and expertice...lol....)....or the most common one (apparently at most university's)..that when the library was designed, the architect did not take into consideration the weight of the books, so the whole thing was rebuild after it was discovered that the building would collapse under the weight of the books...

[alps]

The LSC was designed by Raymond Affleck, who died in 1989 (nearly 20 years after the LSC), so probably not...his firm also designed Place Bonaventure in Montreal and submitted a neat proposal for the National Gallery of Canada in the 80s.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

I once took an English coarse in this building, and heard on more than one occasion, that the architect, who after receiving disastrous reviews of his newly completed LSC building, committed suicide.... and the rumor goes that it was because of the general apathy and hatred to wards his work...

does anyone know if there is any truth behind this?...or is it just another immature urban legend, like the swimming pool on top of fenwick...(which my sister still stubbornly believes in...despite the fact that a structural engineer has concluded that there never was such a pool...my sister claims it "was probably filled in" and the engineer didn't notice ...despite his training and expertice...lol....)....or the most common one (apparently at most university's)..that when the library was designed, the architect did not take into consideration the weight of the books, so the whole thing was rebuild after it was discovered that the building would collapse under the weight of the books...

According to the Dalhousie website at (http://www.library.dal.ca/duasc/buil...ioEarthSci.htm) it was designed by Ray Affleck of Affleck, Desbarats (full name - Affleck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulos, Lebensold, Sise).
There is a biography on Ray Afflect at (http://www.artnet.com/library/00/0006/T000605.asp). He died in 1989 after having been involved in Place Bonaventure, Place Ville Marie (both of Montreal), and the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) to name a few. This website doesn't mention his work on the Life Science Centre, however it is mentioned in the following website (http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/i...=A1ARTA0009041).
I don't think that the Life Science Centre would have lead to his dead. According to information on the internet "the Centre won an award of excellence from the Canadian Architectural Yearbook in 1968". So this sounds like an urban legend.
I liked the Life Science Centre when I attended Dalhousie back in the late 70's and the Dalhousie campus in general (there are a lot of positive reviews for the Dalhousie campus on the internet). Although I moved to the Toronto area 30 years ago, I am mostly interested in the Halifax forum. It is interesting to see updates on current construction projects.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

I once took an English coarse in this building

Well, OK... if you say so...

or is it just another immature urban legend, like the swimming pool on top of fenwick...(which my sister still stubbornly believes in...despite the fact that a structural engineer has concluded that there never was such a pool...my sister claims it "was probably filled in" and the engineer didn't notice ...despite his training and expertice...lol....)

The new buyers of fenwick somehow did manage to locate the pool, because they are planning to rehab and use it, once they succeed in turning it into a luxury apartment block.

Good luck to them with that concept.