November 14, 2016

Neo-classical Low-rise

There’s something near-unique about Vancouver’s Court House/Art Gallery: no tall buildings directly behind this 19th-century pile even though it’s in the heart of the 21st-century city.
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In most cities with heritage from a hundred-plus years ago, the 20-century intrudes.  Whether around the Bund of Shanghai or Bryant Park in New York, the contrast between low stone and high glass is the norm – with a few exceptions, like the Metropolitan Museum on Fifth Avenue in NYC set in Central Park.
Okay, the Wall Centre pops up in the distance a few metres on from this viewpoint.  But still, bypassers can see the original impact of architect Rattenbury’s design without another era intruding.

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  1. “There’s something near-unique about Vancouver’s Court House/Art Gallery: no tall buildings directly behind this 19th-century pile even though it’s in the heart of the 21st-century city.”
    Go to the modern cities of Europe and this is normal… actually this is more like cute. Unique? Near-unique? Not even close. Why do we always try so hard to make ourselves so awesome? We fail as a society to move toward greatness because we’re so determined to avoid looking at what great places can teach us as we pat pat pat ourselves on the back.
    Best place on Earth. Uh-huh.

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