Calgary: Your favorite U/C Residential Highrise

Surrealplaces · #1 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 5:29 AM**

There is a flurry of new high rise residential projects these days. Which ones do people like best?

I didn't include Sasso, Brava, Princeton or Stella seeing as they are pretty much finished. I didn't include Montana, even though it is right around the corner. i didn't include the 22 floor SAIT res tower either.

JBinCalgary · #2 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 5:36 AM**

arriva for now

but soon nuera

Bad Grizzly · #3 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 5:56 AM**

Union Square for me. A taller version of Chocolate gets my vote any day.

Boris2k7 · #4 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 5:59 AM**

Someone voted Vantage Pointe? Seriously?

Newayz, Arriva 4 Me

nasdaq · #5 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 6:02 AM**

1. Union Square
2. Arriva
3. Gateway Midtown

Wooster · #6 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 6:11 AM**

1. Colours (If Chocolate is an indication, this one will be great)
2. Gateway Midtown (Great. A podium done exactly right)
3. Union Square (hard to tell, need to see the front)
4. Xenex (Perfect for its location)
5. Nova (A nice project overall)

Arriva - the tower is nice but the horrible podium ruins it somewhat.

Vantage and London. Both embarassing. A disgrace.

By my count, the projects that are in the Centre in this list represent approximately 2400 units. That's just counting current phases U/C. That's quite a bit! That translates into about 4500 new residents.

Surrealplaces · #7 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 6:39 AM**

1 - Union Square
2 - Arriva
3 - Gateway Midtown

skrish · #8 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 7:17 AM**

1. Union Square
2. Vetro
3. Colours

SHOFEAR · #9 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 7:28 AM**

I fell in love with Vantage Point when I first saw it walking south down 8th street. The closer I got, being able to see it's west facing facade, seeing it's wonderful street interaction gave me the inspiration to work hard in university and maybe one day I'll be able to afford to live in a vertical palace like that. Liquor store just an elevator ride away, does it get any better?

(I voted for arriva btw )

niwell · #10 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 7:53 AM**

Colours, hands down.

Arriva is awesome in aesthetics (as is the Westgate project), but questionable at ground level.

Honestly, I don't mind London either. It is ugly, but the ground treatment is better than some, especially considering the location.

bob1954 · #11 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 8:24 AM**

L/M if it was listed, however, Arriva, Neura, & Exchange!

Wooster · #12 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 8:25 AM**

^ This is an U/C list.

freefarezone · #13 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 8:31 AM**

Keynote - not for it's look, but because it is the most "multi-use" out of the ones listed.

I really like how their plans incorporate a market (or at least it appears they want a market as a tenant), which to me, seems as though they put a bit of foresight into how the building will fit in with the surrounding community (to my knowledge, there aren't many around Vic Park since co-op closed) - though I'm not sure if it was intentional.

Retail space in the other ones, I believe, don't add as much to the local areas, in terms of building community.

That said, Union Square and Midtown look the nicest though, and it's probably not viable if all towers were multi-use.

bob1954 · #14 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 8:34 AM**

Sorry, I got carried away!

Wooster · #15 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 8:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freefarezone

Keynote - not for it's look, but because it is the most "multi-use" out of the ones listed.

I really like how their plans incorporate a market (or at least it appears they want a market as a tenant), which to me, seems as though they put a bit of foresight into how the building will fit in with the surrounding community (to my knowledge, there aren't many around Vic Park since co-op closed) - though I'm not sure if it was intentional.

Retail space in the other ones, I believe, don't add as much to the local areas, in terms of building community.

That said, Union Square and Midtown look the nicest though, and it's probably not viable if all towers were multi-use.

I heard somewhere that the entire base of Vetro was going to be a Sobey's. Anyone else heard of this?

Interestingly, The exchange project also calls for a grocery store in it. Obviously extremely important amenities for residents. I also hope that some smaller specialty grocers open in the area as well as a butcher and a bloody good bakery!!!

Wooster · #16 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 8:47 AM**

I'd like to hear people defend their decision about Arriva. Are people not considering the whole project top to bottom here? If so, do people actually like that base? I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.

My god.

Boris2k7 · #17 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 9:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh white

I'd like to hear people defend their decision about Arriva. Are people not considering the whole project top to bottom here? If so, do people actually like that base? I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.

While the base is important, it is not so much (IMO) that it cancels out the other positives of the project. The only thing that really bugs me so far aesthetically is the chosen materials. The faux-historicism is another issue, but I will wait until the first tower is finished before I decide on it.

The tower itself is of course great. But for me what makes Arriva the best project is that I think it will have the most impact on the surrounding areas, in terms of investment and influx of activity. That is even more important than the look of the base.

freefarezone · #18 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 9:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh white

I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.

My point exactly... as nice as all these projects look, they are far from what I would consider a good model to follow for the beltine. But I'm hopeful future designs will change accordingly, as the number of residents in the area increases.

RWin · #19 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 3:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

Honestly, I don't mind London either. It is ugly, but the ground treatment is better than some, especially considering the location.

And its so much better than what it replaces.

And its close to Heritage Station.

The Chemist · #20 Posted: **Jan 5, 2007, 3:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh white

I'd like to hear people defend their decision about Arriva. Are people not considering the whole project top to bottom here? If so, do people actually like that base? I mean, it is the most important part of a building - how it meets the street and interacts with the pedestrian. The tower is fantastic, but we really should look at more than that.

My god.

Personally, I like Arriva's base as well as the tower. Sure, it's faux historic, but it fits in with the area it's in (brick and sandstone). What's wrong with that?

I picked Arriva, with Union Square and Colours close behind.