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Tout ce qui a été posté par internationalx

  1. internationalx
    Stellar. Should go a long way in rejuvenating Greene Ave,.
  2. internationalx
    One thing just read that the hotel was designed by the same company that designed Grand Central in NY, now thats amazing. Well, the movers and shakers of Montreal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw themselves competing directly with NY; Many notable buildings in Montreal were designed by big NY Firms. I will say that our own big name architectural firm of the time - Ross and MacDonald - left us with an amazing legacy of stuff - from Holts to Cours Mont Royal, the list is quite long.
  3. internationalx
    Though I am sure many of you have read this on the internets... our Ritz-Carlton is the original Ritz-Carlton - anywhere. The hyphenated name comes from the fact that the original Montreal partners wanted a luxury hotel named the Carlton after the Carlton Hotel in London. At one point during the planning, I believe it was Notman, who suggested they hire Cesar Ritz as a consultant. Ritz came to town and agreed to work on the project but if it was to be built to his specs, his name should be over the front door. The more recent history from the late 1970's onward gets a bit fuzzy: an American bought the rights to the name but not the Montreal hotel. While London and Paris are also totally independent hotels of course. Marriott took the brand all over the place in the last 15 years. Frankly, I think the creating of a chain has diluted the brand and cheapened it too much There are Ritz-Carlton's next the freeways for God's sake and some that look like office blocks in industrial parks. I am very glad our hotel is not part of the chain!!
  4. internationalx
    I'm now resigned to thinking like this: the more buildings we get in the 120m range in some of these highly disputed areas, the more likely that, in 10 years from now, when a developer wants to build a 190m or gasp, a 205m building, the "it doesn't fit the scale of the surroundings" argument will be outdated.
  5. internationalx
    Montreal lacks luxury hotel product for sure. Monit bringing in a brand such as W-A is a smart move. The location is second to none. Looking forward to this one.
  6. internationalx
    Reducing capacity of this complex is LUNACY. SHEER LUNACY. Mass transit projects won't reduce current traffic levels. As the city will continue to grow into the future, this is a no-brainer. If anything traffic levels will be maintained/stabilized with the addition of much needed mass transit solutions. The same discussion is going on here in LA as the westside subway enters the final planning stages: traffic won't decrease as a city continues to grow. Mass transit will only mitigate traffic and offer alternatives to car use. Look at New York: extensive subway and transit, yet hellish traffic. On another note: I am kinda impressed that the MTQ actually looked at how other cities have successfully adapted the use their overpass structures. I also think this idea of developing an entire neighborhood/ business corridor along, with the potential for a train station, is quite exciting. We have all seen this in highly dense European cities and the co-existence of highway, mass transit and development is successful.
  7. internationalx
    Overall, it looks promising. I will say one thing: reducing the heights of the overpasses is a MISTAKE. Keeping them high and far from the ground and out of the way of the human ground-level perspective is important. The higher the overpass, the less obtrusive it is from the ground level - where it really matters. I was in Shanghai this year and that is the one comment/observation my friend and I made. The overpasses and highways are incredibly high off the ground and you almost don't notice them - they aren't a visual block at all and they don't divide neighborhoods and scar the streetscape. From the new MTQ renderings, it seems we are going back in time by buildings serious neighborhood dividers.
  8. internationalx
    What I find so disingenuous is that Heritage Montreal and Dinu have turned the other way and allowed plenty of fine old Victorian row houses and other gorgeous buildings disappear without a peep. And in recent years no less. It's one thing to go to bat to save worthy buildings. It's another thing to nit pick that every angle and view has to be preserved. In this case, I agree that they are advocating the protection of crappy, out-dated buildings, particularly along Vic Square. Olympic Tower in NYC is 50 storeys tall. Hovers right over St Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. I would much rather HM find a solution to the ugly parking lot that surrounds our St Patrick's.
  9. internationalx
    Question: wasn't the city looking to commission a major art piece for l'Addresse Symphonique? It is begging for something more than just a parterre. I wouldn't argue against moving Calder's sculpture here from Parc J-Drapeau.
  10. internationalx
    I'm sorry but the tower portion of the Altoria doesn't even come close to overshadowing St Patrick's. This is getting ridiculous. I wonder what St Pierre is gonna do? Obviously the city didn't see an problem with it and frankly, the Qc Government ought to stay out of it. They f**k up enough Montreal-related dossiers.
  11. internationalx
    Wow! Love, love, love this project. So elegant and modern. And, I also like the way the marble ties it in with the rest of the buildings in the complex.
  12. internationalx
    And that is what competition does.... it makes others step up their game. No doubt the addition of the Sir George Simpson and the proposal of the W-A made the board at the Port-Royal move to spruce up the place. I know a lot of people loathe this building bit is is a prestigious one and from the inside feels very much in the league of Westmount Square.
  13. internationalx
    I remember reading about how Rogers wanted a major presence on the Montreal skyline. Any news or rumours on that front as it relates to this project?
  14. internationalx
    Let's do it! The economic spin-off's in various sectors is well worth it. BUT the design has to be really carefully weighed: while covering up this section of the VM is a big plus, the last thing we need is to build and extend a Berlin-type wall between City Hall, the Palais de Justice and the rest of the city. It is going to have to be very thoughtful, very creative, and very delicate to almost be transparent. In other words, glassy and airy. Oh, and not a square box either. Hopefully they launch an international competition for this.
  15. internationalx
    I'm sorry, but this whole idea of celebrating the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 is a bit sad. And especially to mark it with monorails and a sculpture fair is, well, odd. To mark the 375th Birthday of Montreal, 150th of Canada, and Expo 67, shouldn't we be devising a new civic project instead of trying to relive one from the past? Really, that's what all this talk is about - reliving the past. The kind of projects worthy of these upcoming dates: a new Modern Art Museum, A new McCord Museum (maybe at the Overdale site where the Lafontaine House can be restored and incorporated, an Opera House, lighting up the Jacques Cartier Bridge, etc.. you get the gist. Commission art, of course, but how about we do so for downtown not just the islands. We need to inject spectacular architecture and civic buildings into this city. Now that is a project worthy of Montreal's 375th Birthday. While Terre des Hommes was a watershed moment in Montreal's history, an amazing moment, there seems to be an obsession with always looking back at it. When are we going to look forward?
  16. internationalx
    I totally agree with Habsfan. This is brilliant plan and shows that the developer is conscious of surroundings and history. I have seen this kind of plan in other cities: a taller structure built along the edge of a block, fronting a major street and smaller townhouses built to line the inside of the block itself. It is quite successful. Sure, the townhomes here may not be the most spectacular, but they represent the history of the area well... what's left of it, anyway. This swath of land between R-L and Viger and Bleury and Guy Favreau has been a no-mans' land for too long. Looking forward to seeing this rise.
  17. internationalx
    Finally! This sector of R-L is BEGGING for height, glass, and just some overall newness!! I have long imagined a tower on this lot. God knows, there are some real atrocities in the area to say nothing of the non-man's land between Old Montreal/QIM and the new QDS. Makes sense to build hotels here: can't get any more centrally located in terms of tourist visitor amenities and attractions. As for a glut in hotels in the Montreal market... we didn't get hotel development for basically an entire generation, about 25 years. We have catching up to do. I do think we need more of the luxury segment (ie: Four Seasons) but no complaints here.
  18. internationalx
    I agree - the site of le Saint-Martin would have been fabulous for a 5 star luxury brand. (With some height, I might add). I am surprised that when the master plan for McGill College Ave was devised, a high-rise luxury hotel - or any hotel - wasn't included.
  19. internationalx
    Take a lesson AMT, STM, Cadillac-Fairview, Homburg, Ville de Montreal, Government du Quebec, ADM and whoever else is involved... This is how one builds a transit hub in the 21st century: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/construction-begins-for-transbay-transit-center-100475249.html
  20. internationalx
    It's not really Waldorf's risk. It's Monit's. They are the private developers and owners of the asset that will built... to the specifications of Waldorf=Astoria; Waldorf will then have the management contract.
  21. internationalx
    There is no question that with Ogilvy's at one end and Holt's at the other, de la Montagne is positioned to be a high-end, premier shopping stretch. Any new development on the street, including the parking lot next to the Loews Hotel Vogue, is going to be a HOT commodity for retailers - here's hoping we get some luxury brands' interest.
  22. internationalx
    What I like about the base of the east facade is that it really looks like a garment factory building... a modern interpretation. It's definitely interesting to look at.
  23. internationalx
    This is why we need a totally independent body deciding metro extensions and other related planning. Not the Government of the day. I am not familiar with the exact densities of Laval, but surely on a cost-basis, closing the Laval Loop with the addition of all those stations is not cost-effective. This all fits nicely though with the financial picture and corruptive culture of Quebec.
  24. internationalx
    Though both levels of government should be there to provide tools and lubricate.... not to control. The biggest flaw in the development of Canada is the lack of autonomy afforded to cities - that they are merely tributaries of provincial governments.
  25. internationalx
    « La métropole devrait être portée par le gouvernement du Québec, dans les intérêts du Québec », affirme M. Landry. « Le gouvernement québécois devrait avoir 100 % du contrôle des pouvoirs. » And there you have it: the problem expressed so very clearly. Is anyone else bothered by this? In fact, I find it an incredibly disturbing statement. Montreal should be controlled by a government that isn't even seated in the city. Yeah, that's a recipe for success. We all know that the problem is Montreal's lack of autonomy.
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