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internationalx

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Tout ce qui a été posté par internationalx

  1. internationalx
    FXFowle has done some amazing stuff including 1 Bryant Park - Bank of America NY head office. This is appalling. No doubt Westcliff has them on a tight leash, but that lot deserves a skyscraper. Period. Reach for the stars, Westcliff.
  2. internationalx
    that's ridiculous... the neighborhood is already a construction site!! What's one more crane?
  3. internationalx
    This looks like a sexy project! Much more interesting that Roccabella and dare I say, L'Avenue. I like the volumes. Not sky-craping by any means, but substantial. GREAT addition for this part of the city.
  4. internationalx
    Hmmm... they are lovely little greystones, but are they worthy of landmark status? The two farther south are of much better quality, one of them much more interesting. Don't get me wrong, I deplore the demolition of heritage buildings but there is so little of the original Victorian street-scape left here on Bishop, what with the Safdie building and the Hall Building on the other end, that it could be convincingly argued that keeping a couple of houses doesn't add up to much here contextually, especially when it's being replaced by an expansion of the MMFA. So on topic is this debate going on in NYC right now about MOMA's expansion. It seems museums get a pass when it comes to historic preservation: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/realestate/momas-history-of-demolishing-potential-landmarks.html?ref=realestate&_r=1& Back to Montreal, I actually like the proposed pavilion's design on its own merit, what is making me cringe somewhat is that we are adding on the incoherent hodgepodge of buildings that make-up the museum. I would rather have gone to Moshe Safdie and had him design what is a natural expansion of the Desmarais Pavilion.
  5. internationalx
    I'm torn on this: in one respect, it preserves the charm and human scale of Ste Cath. On the other, they are not greystones such as those on Sherbrooke and McGill College, for example. This has to continue to be a retail arcade regardless and the tower could have a 3 story base that extends to the street. But given the the owners want astronomical payouts, there isn't much that can be done. I am not in favor of expropriation one bit! The city government should stay out of it. It's not fair to the building owners. This kind of scenario is not uncommon. Even Rock Center in NYC has two small 19th century tenements on either side of it.
  6. internationalx
    They should both go! LOL. Open up that interior lot (Phillips Sq) nicely.
  7. internationalx
    The Chateau Champlain is an iconic Montreal building! And an example of high-modernism. Not to mention by one of Quebec's best Modern architects of the era. What is hideous is the Place du Canada office building. That could conceivably by torn down and a much taller, much more elegant building rise in its place.
  8. internationalx
    Given a choice between "speak white" and OLF silliness, I'd opt for the latter. I highly doubt that is the choice. It's time some people realize it's not 1955. There is no WASP establishment ruling Montreal nor does one even exist anywhere anymore. Can we drop the "speak white" chip?
  9. internationalx
    The OQLF is in a tight spot: they feel pressured mostly by language zealots (like the one who complained about the menu), politicians, interest groups, and the media about the While most people agree with provisions such as French predominance on commercial/public signs etc, this is a menu; a person has to choose to enter the resto, pick-up a menu and actually open it before possibly being offended. It's hardly a threat to the French character of Quebec. LOL. If someone is unhappy about service in a store, resto, or any business, DON'T GO THERE. WALK OUT. DON'T GIVEN THEM BUSINESS. In other parts of the world, serving customers in their language is called "good business". Yes, many English-speakers did not extend that courtesy in the past, but it's not 1960 anymore either. If I had a lot of Russian customers, I would even try to hire a clerk who knew some Russian or learn some myself. Again, Good Business. This idea that government needs to regulate how people communicate amongst themselves is extreme. What do you expect when the government actually call for "language sentries." That's the bigger joke. It's a nation of anonymous tattle-talers.
  10. internationalx
    Holt Renfrew is, technically, a Quebec brand that, at first moved the HQ to Toronto and then was taken over by the Westons. Sherbrooke street was the Canadian flagship before CIT group moved it to Bloor Street in 1980. That aside, the Ogilvy's is an institution in Montreal. I have a hard time seeing it disappear. Like many are saying, the clientele of both stores is so very different. Frankly, I don't like Holt's at all. It's cold from a customer service perspective and the merchandise is not that interesting, and rather limited. It is trying to be like Barney's NY. But, Ogilvy's needs to be refreshed. It could be so much better and is in need of a revamp of the lines it carries. A fan of Selfridges in the UK, when I heard about the takeover, I thought it was a perfect fit: the branding of Ogilvys and Selfridges compatible with Selfridges being that updated model with modern brands, yet strong tradition being upheld. I do think we have been seeing the "upscalization" of the western end of Ste Catherine street: a move by Holt's down to Ste Cath would cement this reality. I hope this is just a rumour and we see Ogilvy's updated and Holt Renfrew remain. Oddly, Montreal, unlike any other Canadian city has maintained all of its original department store buildings: Simpsons, Morgans (the Bay), Eatons, Ogilvy's and Holt Renfrew. No other city had this many pre-war classic dept stores. Given another time, Holt's could have moved back to Ste Cath. into the former Simpsons or part of Eatons (a failure as Complex Les Ailes).
  11. internationalx
    True, the QDS seems like an obvious place for a theatre, but the Maison Alcan is interesting. Imagine the entrance through the old Salvation Army building on Drummond. Want to see the Berkeley Hotel re-born too.
  12. internationalx
    The site of the planetarium as well as the building itself was a gift from Dow to the city of Montreal. It must be used either as a park or public space, I believe, regardless of whether the planetarium exists on the site. I don't recall the exact details.
  13. internationalx
    The site of the planetarium as well as the building itself was a gift from Dow to the city of Montreal. It must be used either as a park or public space, I believe, regardless of whether the planetarium exists on the site. I don't recall the exact details.
  14. internationalx
    Just imagine the density in the area once this gets built and a major 50-storey building gets built at 1300 R-L Boul. Of course, that will likely be 25 years from now, but still....
  15. internationalx
    This is stunning. Is it just me though, or is it a fancy Courtyard? I mean, nice enough to be a JW Marriott. When are we gonna get their high-end brand??
  16. internationalx
    ... adding the office building here with an entrance on St Antoine will go a long way to opening up the CBD to expansion. Much needed. Will help to correct the huge errors in planning of the Bell Centre.
  17. internationalx
    Talk about INFILL development. I never would have imagined filling in these lots with towers - especially where Centennial Plaza is. But it is brilliant. Adds density. Big time. Too bad the office building portion cannot be taller given the current zoning. I mean, considering 1250 towers over Windsor Station. Also, isn't the height limit above the Bell Centre 200m? If Bumbaru makes it a crusade to save the old CP accounting annex, he needs to have his head examined. Where were his efforts to save the Eglise St. Sauveur? The old CP annex is a dusty-looking, obsolete structure that is neither architecturally nor historically significant. There is much better land-use to be had there.
  18. internationalx
    While the condo market in Montreal is starting to get saturated, the luxury hotel market is anemic. This is, first and foremost a luxury hotel product. The W=A is much needed in Montreal. But, as for luxe condos, this one will have views unlike the Ritz and the Simpson - unparalleled views of Mount Royal and downtown and south toward the US border. I
  19. internationalx
    "Malgré le fait que j'aime ce projet, il y a quelque chose qui m'inquiète un peu. C'est une deuxième salle de spectacle qui disparaît au Centre-Ville (après le Spectrum). Il n'en restera plus beaucoup pour des spectacles!?!?" My thoughts exactly. Why hasn't anyone figured out to re-use some of the old theatres on Ste Catherine street? I'm thinking the Palace and the Loews. These beautiful venues can be adapted as concert venues. From LA, The Music Box in Hollywood is one example, as is the Wiltern Theatre - both coverted for modern rock shows and some of the best venues in town.
  20. internationalx
    They should buy the unused air rights of the BNC building and transfer them over. LOL.... that is what happens in a lot of other cities. That concept hasn't made its way to Montreal yet.
  21. internationalx
    I'm all for historical correctness and I deplore revisionism. However the area already has a name: Village Shaughnessy. Quartier des Jardins sounds so ridiculous and arbitrary. Where did this come from?? Hopefully this won't stick. Anyways, isn't this part of town in its current form settled/developed by the English? I think Shaughnessy fits quite well.
  22. internationalx
    Kevric's Altoria: the amount of SF is exactly what RTA is looking for. That may be too perfect as it limits growth prospects for the future. Westcliff PCI II: are they going to change the design? The late 80's Post-Modern aesthetic is not that appealing in 2011. Doesn't really fit a multi-national like RTA; buildings still do reflect company image. Cadillac-Fairview: the wild-card. No doubt CF would be pushing to score RTA. A design that is tailored to the company and a plan that would be totally fresh and new. It would also be an important move in terms of urban development. Our CBD needs to be re-connected with this southern extremity as it links to Griffintown. I bet the city would push for this option especially as the Griff is gaining steam in its redevelopment. PLUS the whole airport shuttle/Windsor Station/mass transit plan proposed by the AMT that is such a hot issue right now... a lot of elements that favor this, for sure. Magil Laurentienne: another good opportunity to expand the business district and re-invent a desolate part of downtown. I actually bet that this one is high on the list.
  23. internationalx
    Good God... the SAQ is one thing that should be privatized. Like NOW. Better choice, better pricing. It was pretty dumb for the SAQ to have an outlet at both the Forum and WS. I gotta say, WS seems like a keeper. That is a hell of a lot of high income earners living in those buildings. It's a built-in market.
  24. internationalx
    This is a worthy infill re-development project. Very smart move. Really, really good looking proposal. Very contemporary in design and aesthetic. I believe that office building was the HQ for Canadian Reader's Digest until about 5-10 years ago if I'm not mistaken.
  25. internationalx
    I can't believe there were no NIMBY protests calling for this tower to be shorter - even though no derogation from the master plan was required. I mean, given the original row-houses, and the current low-rise/parking lot urban fabric, no one complained about shadows, lack of sunlight, or the need to maintain the current scale. I guess that just proves that if the city revised and updated the zoning to better reflect rationality and reality, immobilisme wouldn't be so rampant.
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