Since the Infinity tower first went up, citizens have been clamouring for higher quality design and architecture in the City Centre. Now, it appears as if their demands have been heard by City Hall.
In a planning report from May 3rd, staff wrote:
It should be noted that it has become apparent that the exterior cladding of a number of high-rise towers completed or currently under construction in City Centre do not meet levels of quality and sophistication currently envisioned for City Centre buildings.
One of the high-rise buildings in the area, for example, employs window wall construction that is comprised of grey vision glass and powder-coated (painted) window frames and mullions and which also has exposed concrete exterior and extruded balcony slabs which are painted a light- grey colour very similar to the colour of concrete.
Hopefully, this means that all future towers in the area will be more striking and interesting than the mundane Infinity design.
The towers look fine on a sunny day but they definitely need something to make them look less bleak on dull days . The other new towers at Gateway and on 104th (D'cor?) are much more attractive.
That much gray should never be an option.
Hi Paul –
This is great news. Since I live in the area (rather, just outside of the city centre) I have found the new towers going up rather un-inspiring. I had spoken to Mayor Watts about “low-quality” developments being a short-sighted move, and that the city could be pickier about what it wants. Developments such as Infinity have a high rental population + offshore unit owners which tends to lead to rapid deterioration. It won't be long before such developments look like the low-rise ghetto in Guildford.
D'corize at 104th and university is an example of poor planning on the part of the city. It originally started as a low-rise 4 storey condo development, and once all of the units were sold and occupied, the developer built a tower directly in front, not more than 15 feet from the balcony's of the low-rise units.
At least somebody at the City is listening to residents.
the tower on 104 was always planed with the lower rises this the gap isnt that strange. Think of it more as a balcony over looking a path for the complex rather then the building being attached. As for Park place and Infinity for the tallest residential towers in Surrey they do look rather boring and dull when it comes to there colours. Also I want to agree with the one person on the city point towers they are amazing looking the random of sets of the lower parts of the tower really add a much nicer look to them. All this has me worried about Ultra since it is a rather plan looking tower. The city should have pushed for them to keep with the original concept idea.