My biggest grip is the amount of spandrel. Ironically, I'm starting to warm up to it more now that there is glazing going up. It kind of like the striped look seen in UW's photo.
The Hat | 88.08m | 28s | Cidex Group | NORR
- Thread starter Surrealplaces
- Start date
Mountain Man
Senior Member
It's just a cheap, shitty, boring building in what should be our premiere neighbourhood. This building looks pretty typical for most condos built here in the last 10 or so years, I see absolutely nothing unique about it.
Golfing guy
Active Member
What does it benefit the developer to spend tonnes of extra money on the outside design of a building when really only what’s inside matters. Don’t think they will get extra sales or rentals if the outside is fabulous and the inside is shit.
Developers are in the business of making money, not making architectural marvels
Developers are in the business of making money, not making architectural marvels
Mountain Man
Senior Member
Well they can have a sense of pride in what they do, not just spend the least amount of money possible to make as much profit as possible. If we as Calgarians want to let developers do whatever they want and not try to hold them to any architectural standards, then we are going to live in one damn ugly city. Nobody is expecting them to make a Telus Sky type development, but they can do better than this for sure!
Calgcouver
Active Member
Cidex sure takes value-engineering very seriously. This looks like 2007 False Creek garbage. I basically just look at spandrel as vinyl siding for high-rises at this point.
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Urban4Lyfe
New Member
Given that Calgary is at least 20 years behind Vancouver I'll take 2007 false creek.
AJX
Active Member
I would say maybe like 5-10 years behind Vancouver if that. Stuff built in Vancouver 20 years ago is now garbage, and there is a lot of generic crap still being built there even today.
That said, I would take 2007 False Creek over this one.
maestro
Senior Member
The generic crap being built in Vancouver today is more on par with The Hat than the generic crap from 10 years ago. Vancouver developers are also using more spandrel glass than ever.
Cowtown
Senior Member
There is some nice stuff going up in Vancouver, but also some garbage, it almost seems like it's regressing. Especially in the places like NewWest, Burnaby and Surrey. Very heavy on the seam foam colored spandrel. The hat would fit right into those places.
Calgcouver
Active Member
None of you are wrong, every city has tons of spandrel glass buildings going up. I am just tired of it and get excited when buildings use different, more permanent looking materials. I think the new 15-storey Bucci proposal looks interesting, as do buildings like South Bank in Inglewood. This type of spandrel condo/apt will be a sign of the times, whether it is Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, etc. and will be be looked at as tacky and forgettable IMO
IanBray
Active Member
I agree, I was in Dublin in April. They have a lot of mid rise apartment buildings under construction in an area called "The Docklands", which would be similar to East Village. I was blown away by the quality of the materials used including granite panels and nice brick etc. Not a single use of spandrel. Dublin, like most European cities, has a very strict planning board which demands quality building exteriors. I believe that this is something which often truly overlooked in Calgary. This quality should be demanded here in what is often labelled the 3rd best city to live in the world.
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Calgcouver
Active Member
Good post, this is what I'm talking about. Great looking buildings too, those beige brick buildings are really cool. I wasn't aware of The Docklands, I'll have to look into it
UrbanWarrior
Senior Member
Rollerstud98
Active Member
Why is that young lady on the paddle board too cool to wear her life jacket? Tan lines are better than drowning