Happy Birthday City Hall

IanO · 29-05-2012, 06:38 PM

Staples: Happy birthday to a beloved downtown building

BY DAVID STAPLES, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM MAY 29, 2012 6:02 PM

City Hall Architect, Gene Dub holds drawings of City Hall given to him by schoolchildren.
Photograph by: Greg Southam , edmontonjournal.com
EDMONTON — It’s not often we build something that attracts people downtown, but Edmonton City Hall accomplishes that. It’s architect Gene Dub’s gift to Edmonton and it’s no small success.

Consider that when Edmonton’s previous city hall — a modernist, nine-storey layer cake of a building erected in 1957 — was just 20 years old, it was already seen as a failure that had to be torn down.

That’s not happening with the current city hall, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Instead, after a rocky start where the building got much criticism over its $50-million price tag and its design, it has won over Edmontonians. It’s become such a hit that Dub was named as one of Edmonton’s top 100 citizens of the 20th century.

Cal76 · 29-05-2012, 07:58 PM

One of my favourite examples of modern architecture in E-town (not that there are many of these)!Happy B-day indeed......

Dialog · 29-05-2012, 08:18 PM

Now give it the pressure washing it deserves and is sorely overdue.

The_Cat · 29-05-2012, 08:30 PM

Well done!

Gemini · 29-05-2012, 10:32 PM

MIGHT be nice to look at but a very impractical design. For such a big foot print it takes downtown it houses very few workers. It's more 'pretty' than practical. Definitely NOT a green building more a show piece for the high ranking civic workers. Other civic employees have to work in more utilitarian structures.

Montrosian · 29-05-2012, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini

MIGHT be nice to look at but a very impractical design. For such a big foot print it takes downtown it houses very few workers. It's more 'pretty' than practical. Definitely NOT a green building more a show piece for the high ranking civic workers. Other civic employees have to work in more utilitarian structures.

IMO city halls ought to be a showpiece, and I think a city hall can get away with sacrificing some functionality in order to be iconic.

Edmcowboy11 · 30-05-2012, 08:19 AM

It is definitely a focal point and very very destinctive.

IanO · 30-05-2012, 08:56 AM

^concur. I am ok with it not being super efficient in terms of space use.

ajs · 30-05-2012, 09:04 AM

City hall (room) is, hands down, the best public space in the city. This is the highest acheivement for any civic structure.

steve semchuk · 30-05-2012, 02:55 PM

Nicest City hall imo out of all the other Large Canadian cities I have visited.

ChrisD · 03-06-2012, 10:13 AM

I believe this building will stand the test of time and be just as beautiful 30 years from now.

Dialog · 03-06-2012, 10:46 AM

I am finding the design to be aging very well. IMO, the most dated aspect of city hall is the oversize glass clock face on the carillon; it screams 1990-2. The rest of the building does not. A lot of other buildings made at that time with then-trendy postmodern elements look much longer in the tooth today.

Just wash the thing already, ok? It's not stucco, it can take it

29-05-2012, 06:38 PM	#1
IanO Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edmonton	Happy Birthday City Hall Staples: Happy birthday to a beloved downtown building BY DAVID STAPLES, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM MAY 29, 2012 6:02 PM City Hall Architect, Gene Dub holds drawings of City Hall given to him by schoolchildren. Photograph by: Greg Southam , edmontonjournal.com EDMONTON — It’s not often we build something that attracts people downtown, but Edmonton City Hall accomplishes that. It’s architect Gene Dub’s gift to Edmonton and it’s no small success. Consider that when Edmonton’s previous city hall — a modernist, nine-storey layer cake of a building erected in 1957 — was just 20 years old, it was already seen as a failure that had to be torn down. That’s not happening with the current city hall, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Instead, after a rocky start where the building got much criticism over its $50-million price tag and its design, it has won over Edmontonians. It’s become such a hit that Dub was named as one of Edmonton’s top 100 citizens of the 20th century. __________________ inspiration or mediocrity www.decl.org Ottawa-Edmonton-Vancouver-Edmonton

29-05-2012, 08:18 PM	#3
Dialog Addicted to C2E Join Date: Apr 2010	Now give it the pressure washing it deserves and is sorely overdue. __________________ ‘I am nervous about ideologies, whether it’s the ideology of business or the ideology of Bolshevism. I get nervous in the presence of absolute certainty’ —Milton Glaser

29-05-2012, 08:30 PM	#4
The_Cat Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sherwood Park, AB	Well done! __________________ "Talk minus action equals zero." - Joe Keithley, D. O. A.

29-05-2012, 10:32 PM	#5
Gemini Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Edmonton	MIGHT be nice to look at but a very impractical design. For such a big foot print it takes downtown it houses very few workers. It's more 'pretty' than practical. Definitely NOT a green building more a show piece for the high ranking civic workers. Other civic employees have to work in more utilitarian structures. __________________ If a man is standing in the middle of a forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?

30-05-2012, 08:19 AM	#7
Edmcowboy11 Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	It is definitely a focal point and very very destinctive. __________________ LRT is our future, time to push forward.

29-05-2012, 07:58 PM	#2
Cal76 Addicted to C2E Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Edmonton	One of my favourite examples of modern architecture in E-town (not that there are many of these)!Happy B-day indeed......

30-05-2012, 08:56 AM	#8
IanO Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edmonton	^concur. I am ok with it not being super efficient in terms of space use. __________________ inspiration or mediocrity www.decl.org Ottawa-Edmonton-Vancouver-Edmonton

30-05-2012, 09:04 AM	#9
ajs Addicted to C2E Join Date: Nov 2009	City hall (room) is, hands down, the best public space in the city. This is the highest acheivement for any civic structure.

30-05-2012, 02:55 PM	#10
steve semchuk First One is Always Free Join Date: Dec 2009	Nicest City hall imo out of all the other Large Canadian cities I have visited.

03-06-2012, 10:13 AM	#11
ChrisD Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edmonton, AB	I believe this building will stand the test of time and be just as beautiful 30 years from now.

03-06-2012, 10:46 AM	#12
Dialog Addicted to C2E Join Date: Apr 2010	I am finding the design to be aging very well. IMO, the most dated aspect of city hall is the oversize glass clock face on the carillon; it screams 1990-2. The rest of the building does not. A lot of other buildings made at that time with then-trendy postmodern elements look much longer in the tooth today. Just wash the thing already, ok? It's not stucco, it can take it __________________ ‘I am nervous about ideologies, whether it’s the ideology of business or the ideology of Bolshevism. I get nervous in the presence of absolute certainty’ —Milton Glaser