Always_Biking
Senior Member
That sums it up perfectly. Hideous except for the rooftop patio partThe good: More hotels in the core is never a bad thing.
The bad: The design of this is quite hideous.
That sums it up perfectly. Hideous except for the rooftop patio partThe good: More hotels in the core is never a bad thing.
The bad: The design of this is quite hideous.
I was wondering about that other project. That is awesome news!Rooftop bar and patio. Awesome.
The condo on 17th and 1st street is this one - http://skyrisecities.com/forum/threads/calgary-17-select-81-2m-26s-pba-land-development-gibbs-gage.24993/
Well it's fit right in on 5th Ave doesn't it then?The good: More hotels in the core is never a bad thing.
The bad: The design of this is quite hideous.
I can't say it looks particularly different in the render from the paper. The website still has the shot feature as from the front page of the thread. It does say construction is slated for 2015, so it definitely isn't up to date. Even if it does stay the same it's forgettable but not super offensive to me. I'll add my plaudits to the foyer though and another plug for the 27th floor bar-restaurant.I actually like this project a lot, especially the scale, usage, location, and grade level. it's no head turner, but a well-positioned integrated hotel will do good for the neighbourhood.
As for PBA, I wonder if the updated design is better than the last.
Looks fine, but adding an unnecessary taxi pull-in lane is another small step in our continual erosion of the pedestrian realm. Usually this isn't a big deal, but it's 5th Avenue. The road is already 5.5 lanes wide at this site, why add another pull in?The street level portion looks decent in that rendering.
I think you're being a touch melodramatic about the erosion of the pedestrian realm. Considering what's there right now, calling this anything but a major net gain for the pedestrian realm is laughable.Looks fine, but adding an unnecessary taxi pull-in lane is another small step in our continual erosion of the pedestrian realm. Usually this isn't a big deal, but it's 5th Avenue. The road is already 5.5 lanes wide at this site, why add another pull in?
Its the small details like this that don't seem important. But add up all the little small details over a few decades - which downtown Calgary has continued to do - and you create a bizarre, inconsistent and hostile pedestrian core.
Totally agreed. I mean the pull in isn't great, but this development is an improvement over all scales.I think you're being a touch melodramatic about the erosion of the pedestrian realm. Considering what's there right now, calling this anything but a major net gain for the pedestrian realm is laughable.
This is an improvement of what is there right now. It should be considered that this proposal (if built) will occupy the site a lot longer than the current parking lot. The street level isn't bad overall but, it's the bare minimum for downtown . There is a lot of room to improve upon. Right now, it's a hotel lobby and a drop off area cut into the sidewalk. It's comparable to an inward facing office project.I think you're being a touch melodramatic about the erosion of the pedestrian realm. Considering what's there right now, calling this anything but a major net gain for the pedestrian realm is laughable.
Agreed, and I am not saying don't have a drop off point, they are clearly important to hotel operations. I also agree that a hotel is a better use than a parking lot.A drop off point is a pretty big necessity with any larger hotel. Unless you have plans for permanent parking along the rest of the street lane, its probably better to have a dedicated space like this instead of having to constantly stop traffic.
I'm all for putting pedestrians first, but you still have to be realistic. Like most hotels in the core, this will most likely serve the business community first. People are not going to walk/bike here from the airport.