Central
VANCOUVER DOWNTOWN

A profound lesson has been lost in recent downtown developments: given the charismatic influence of so many moderns, it is understandable. Nevertheless modern has played havoc with Vancouver: an excuse for banal.

Some call it Vancouverism . . . ahem!

The two are, (1) ground level foot print, or Roger Trancik's preferred term, the figure ground, and
(2) the heritage model tower design: both were ignored or have been lost.

Yes the plat of Vancouver was first laid out by Gassy Jack's contemporaries and later the CPR engineer William Hamilton: hence the interesting off-set of the blocks at Victory Square.

Some say it is building economics but there is so much capriciousness, I doubt that.

But the now over built glass and concrete towers are coming under the scrutiny of more honest players who are beginning to realise the sustainable LEED designers are on the wrong track.

The more truthfully sustainable towers are the two above: and incidentally the most appealing. Small windows are back, masonry cladding has replaced raw concrete and the curtain wall is vulnerable to moisture penetration.

Walking downtown should be a pleasure: free from exacerbating noise and dissonance.
Yunno, there is nothing new in all this: planning school texts are full of it.
So what's the prob?
It's not money.
If the town were layed out with colours, tectures and pedestrian spaces wealth would roll in!

Yaletown. Street level: still the miss-named podium.	Well, looks like someone appreciates the Marine Building and Sun Tower after all. I don't know how the numbers crunch but does architecture effect the price? If so these suites are premium. But the lower suites look into Mrs Smith's bathroom as do the neighbours.	Yaletown. An odd breach in the sky line.
In fact Vancouver lost the opportunity to be a world class paradise because it relied too much on the view I wax enthusiatic about its urban villages because they are so beautiful: but they are not unique. And downtown may as well be Hongkong or Shanghai.

ART GALLERY . . . COAL HARBOUR . . . FALSE CREEK

THU ROAD TO HELL