Jollysnork Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 No doubt, T-Zero wins the height competition. Feels and looks very much like Chicago, another lake city. However, la Metropole's ace in the hole is the mountain. It gives Montreal views unique definition so that its aesthetics need not rely solely on building height. The river and bridges also help frame MTL's skyline. Examine the T-Zero pics and it looks like a messy sprawl akin to the new skyline's in Asia/China. No wonder they have a tough time defining where downtown really is. In my opinion, cool skylines are constrained by geographic landmarks ex river-mountain-island = MTL, rivers-narrow island-bridges-Central Park-harbor = NYC, ocean-bay = Boston, ithmus-bay-ocean-hills-bridge = SF, island-space-mountains = HK vs sprawl = Tzero = Asia = Dallas = Houston = Atlanta = Sao Paolo = Buenos Aires etc The important goal for Montreal now is to fill in all those parking lots to build continuity across disparate neighborhoods. A good example is Place JP Riopelle bridging the Vieux with CBD. We're in a good place and I wouldn't trade it for the CN tower! Important new projects involve bridging the Vieux with the other side of the Bonaventure (McGill st + Griffintown + Rogers building) or CBD with eastend (circa Radio Canada and JCartier bridge). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarabundi Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Jollysnork : are you from Montréal ? Now working in fashion business in N.-Y. !! On your list of beautiful cityscape, you forgot Pittsburgh. I simply love the sinuous river getting through it. You've been with us since nine months but only three posts !! We'd like your involvment to be increase !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elix Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 On a beau louanger Montréal de par tous ces aspects, n'empêche que Toronto est une très belle ville et son skyline l'est aussi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinMtl Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 No doubt, T-Zero wins the height competition. Feels and looks very much like Chicago, another lake city. However, la Metropole's ace in the hole is the mountain. It gives Montreal views unique definition so that its aesthetics need not rely solely on building height. The river and bridges also help frame MTL's skyline. Examine the T-Zero pics and it looks like a messy sprawl akin to the new skyline's in Asia/China. No wonder they have a tough time defining where downtown really is. In my opinion, cool skylines are constrained by geographic landmarks ex river-mountain-island = MTL, rivers-narrow island-bridges-Central Park-harbor = NYC, ocean-bay = Boston, ithmus-bay-ocean-hills-bridge = SF, island-space-mountains = HK vs sprawl = Tzero = Asia = Dallas = Houston = Atlanta = Sao Paolo = Buenos Aires etc The important goal for Montreal now is to fill in all those parking lots to build continuity across disparate neighborhoods. A good example is Place JP Riopelle bridging the Vieux with CBD. We're in a good place and I wouldn't trade it for the CN tower! Important new projects involve bridging the Vieux with the other side of the Bonaventure (McGill st + Griffintown + Rogers building) or CBD with eastend (circa Radio Canada and JCartier bridge). Very, very true. I would add Old Montreal. Seeing the towers of Notre-Dame, the domes, the clock tower, city hall, the old skyscrapers (Aldred, Royal Bank)... it contribute a lot to that "framing" you mention. And Toronto can only dream of having that. Or most any other NA cities, for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jollysnork Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Yes Yarabundi, I was born in Montreal, but grew up shuttling between NYC (mother) and La Met (father). For the last 20 years though I have lived in Battery Park City at the tip of Manhattan. And yes, now I do work for a fashion company which brings me to Montreal at least 3X a month (how did you know?). I'm keenly interested in MTL because it is unique in the NA context. The fact that it was dead for 30 years and is resurecting itself is also fascinating. The way I see it, cities will ebb and flow, but eventually, they will hit a natural equilibrium. Political controversy and too few locals with ties to the US business community have hurt Montreal. Ironically, the city seemed to have clung to its British business roots. Why else was Toronto able to attract so many more branch plant business and financing from the US. It was the go-to place in Canada who spoke their language. Now I see the tides are starting to turn. I can't tell you how many Quebecois tour buses I see in the streets of NYC. Once French Canadians gain more confidence and reach out beyond their borders, Montreal will have a potent cocktail in generating increased commerce. Americans will likely not make the first move en masse. It will take drive and confidence from les Montrealais to truly get the ball rolling. Given the state of the PQ and the gulf between Montreal and les regions, I predict Montreal will once again rise as a leading NA city - top 5, not top 10! I could be wrong but many Montrealers now see the value of 2 or even 3 languages (unlike les regions) in exploiting the global economy. It's an attitude of tolerance and confidence and willingness to make new friends abroad. I never bough the nationalist mantra of "chez nous." I believe that the Tremblays, Gagnons, Vaillancourts and Simards (with help from the Steinbergs, Ashoks, Lees etc) have what it takes and will eventually outcompete the Smiths, Clarks and Hamiltons! Rather philosophical for this early on a Sunday morn, but I'm a beleiver and predict great things to come. I've only made 3 posts here on MTL Urb because it took me a while to figure out where everybody had gone when they defected from Skyscraperpage! Any insight as to why everybody moved here? And yes Martin MTL, the churches, spires and domes do help frame city scapes as well. I should have added that to my equation. Thanks for the assist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patboy Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Les Torontois considère que leur centre-ville est bien plus étendu que le nôtre. J'étais hier et aujourd'hui avec un Torontois qui habite plus ou moins Bloor/Spadina et il me disait qu'il habite downtown !! Bloor/Spadina, ça fait combien de kms du financial district ? Je peux dire la même affaire aussi même si j'habite a 6km du centre-ville. Je suis encore dans l'arrondissement Ville-Marie. Je crois que c'est les édifices en hauteur qui font que le centre-ville de Toronto parrait plus étendu, ici il n'y a pas beaucoup d'édifices de plus de 10 étages a l'extérieur du dit ''centre-ville'' donc on a moins l'impression d'être dans un centre-ville mais je le suis pareil ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarabundi Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Jollysnork : how dis I know you are in fashion business ? I read your profile. That Simple !! I like your analysis. This should be read carefully by some of our internauts -some of which are so profoundly pessimistics !! How come visitors see what is happening in Montréal and that these internauts here on this site are still complaining and sobing ? Patboy : tu ne vis définitivement pas au centre-ville. Le fait que tu vives sous l'administration qui est la même que pour le centre-ville ne fait de ton quartier le centre-ville. Le centre-ville n'est pas qu'un forêt de gratte-ciel. C'est srtout une concentration de gens qui y travaillent, y mangent, y s'amusent, y étudient,etc... dans un environnement bien déterminé. La densité de ton quartier, le fait qu'il soit essentiellement résidentiel l'exclue du centre-ville selon moi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francely57 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Sans oublier la banlieue de Toronto... Mississauga photo par Jasonzed de SkyscraperCity... la grue à droite est pour la fameuse tour Marylin (Absolute World Tower 1) ...Laval pourrait prendre des notes What the Towers will look like, a few years from now, in the context on the rest of Mississauga (being built up) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 This should be read carefully by some of our internauts -some of which are so profoundly pessimistics !! How come visitors see what is happening in Montréal and that these internauts here on this site are still complaining and sobing ? I don't deny the fact that things are improving in Montreal(Economically speaking) but we had fallen behind SOOOO MUCH that we've got alot of catching up to do! We need to keep improving and moving forward...yet there are many in this city that would like it if Montreal could remain in a paralel universe where time doesn't move forward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctezuma Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Sans oublier la banlieue de Toronto... Mississauga photo par Jasonzed de SkyscraperCity... la grue à droite est pour la fameuse tour Marylin (Absolute World Tower 1) ...Laval pourrait prendre des notes SHOPPING CENTER CITY !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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