Riverfronte Project: What's the consensus?

[Stephen Ave]

Some new renderings of the Riverfront project have been released. Here they are. What's the Consensus?

[Doug]

The closeups look better than the renderings showing the whole project. Overall, it is alright but podium is too imposing and the color scheme too uniform. I'd like to see the towers setback from the podium and greater contrast in colors. Maybe the towers should be all glass. The green roofs are great.

[Wooster]

I really like this project for a number of reasons. It is perfect for its context, it has places retail in the right locations, good interface with the street all around, green roofs, It has a courtyard which is pretty new for Calgary, the base is visually coherent with the tower (not this lame brick, then curtain glass combo we see) it adds about 1700 people to the downtown, It will create a really nice sreetwall etc, etc. I also really like the materials. The stone they use looks really good. Simliar to the Centuria project in this regard.

my only complaint I suppose is that it isn't tremendously exciting looking. It is really, really nice. Very solid design, but when you drive over the centre street bridge, it will not make you say "wow". But how many residential buildings actually make you have that reaction? It will still be quite impressive. It is quite a large scale project and will be a beautiful foreground to the rest of the downtown core.

[murman]

Podiums like this are usually designed to give context to surrounding buildings. In this case, it seems like someone nicked a design originally based on something in Vancouver's Yaletown warehouse district. Beyond that, a conditional thumbs-up.

[Bigtime]

I like the project, dare I say I think it is great at this time. These extra renderings have helped me get a better sense of the scale, particularly at street level where I was a little concerned about the podium being a big scary wall.

The proof will be in the pudding though, materials and quality, especially with regards to the 'greening' on the rooftops.

Also, where is the now mandatory make fun of Feepa poll option?

[Distill3d]

not bad...but not great.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by murman

Podiums like this are usually designed to give context to surrounding buildings. In this case, it seems like someone nicked a design originally based on something in Vancouver's Yaletown warehouse district. Beyond that, a conditional thumbs-up.

Well the lead Architect (Raffi) is from Vancouver as far as i know.

Great project, good to see more residential in Eau-Claire.

[AUM]

Programmatically it has all the elements + amenities to provide for a good development. Architecturally it is weak in my opinion....typical developer stuff. There is nothing unique or insipiring about it visually or formally. I anticipate the day some developer comes in and opens up the industry eyes to what is possible.

[Wooster]

^ There is nothing wrong with it at all. It just doesn't push any boundaries. I don't think that makes it 'weak' it just makes it relatively standard. I think we do need some projects that are different, but it is quite simply impossible to re-invent the wheel with residential projects. This role I think falls with institutional, public or, large-scale commercial projects, where pockets are deep. For example in neighbourhoods in New York or Paris both great cities - how many are really visually 'inspiring' or all that different from the rest?

[AUM]

Here is one example of a modern approach to residential living. But even the MDB poprosed M-Tech residential is definitely a more contemporary approach to the typical model.

Winka Dubbeldam

Practice Associate Professor of Architecture
winka@design.upenn.edu
http://www.archi-tectonics.com
M.Arch., Institute of Higher Professional Architectural Education, Rotterdam[1990]; M.Arch.AAD at Columbia University, NYC [1992] .


Associate Professor of Practice at University of Pennsylvania, teaches advanced architectural design studios and is Director of the Post-Professional Program. Previously taught at Columbia University & Harvard University. Principal of Archi-Tectonics, New York since 1994. Juror and lecturer at several national and international Architecture Schools, including Cornell University, the Architectural Association in London and AIA-NY.
Recipient of numerous grants and awards. Monograph: Winka Dubbeldam Architect, (1996). Archi-tectonics has realized several significant residential and commercial projects in Manhattan. Recent projects include: a private residence & guesthouse in Upstate New York; a new 11-story mixed-use building in Soho, NYC; a residence in Vera Cruz, Mexico; three residential towers in Rotterdam.

Projects include:



http://www.design.upenn.edu/new/imag...ect%20copy.jpg

[Wooster]

Although I am big fan of modern architecture, this is a perfect example of how architects never seem to translate the design into a very realistic rendering. Everything is very abstract and transparent. It rarely ever looks anything like it does when executed in reality. The concepts often look fantastic and different but much, much worse when actually built.

I'd really like to see some examples of projects already built with this kind of programming (large scale mixed use residental, retail) that you would like to see.

[AUM]

Here is there weblink.


http://www.archi-tectonics.com/


If you look at the Q-Tower project in Philly it is currently underconstruction. As well there are some that have been completed. The one I had illustrated above is currently in construction documents. The one located at 31 Vestry is also U/C.

[Kevin_foster]

A little on the LARGE side - but other than that 1.8 thumbs up...

[Hardhatdan]

Its alright, but I can't its really attention grabbing or anything special.
It won't ever look dated or out of place, so thats a good thing.

[Claeren]

I think it will look better in person than in renderings, and design-wise will hold up well over time.

Much like Stella (/Nova/Luna) of the same architect.


One word to describe it? 'Subtle' maybe? The slightly over-done terraced gardens are the only thing keeping 'subtle' from being the perfect word for it...



Claeren.

[vid]

Take offe thate e, ite doesn'te belonge there.

[trueviking]

i agree, that extra e is so annoying.

nice project...great density...huge eh? damn.....how many units?

[Boris2k7]

Originally Posted by trueviking

i agree, that extra e is so annoying.

nice project...great density...huge eh? damn.....how many units?

The 'e' is annoying indeed... it is no longer in the project's name however...

[Wooster]

Originally Posted by trueviking

nice project...great density...huge eh? damn.....how many units?

The first phase (3 towers) is just under 600. The total project I believe was slated to be about 990. Not sure if that has changed.

[Zilla]

I would have preferred they incorporate the facade of the old moderne Greyhound bus barns, but so much for that...