Niagara Falls Hilton Phase II (53s, 172m, Stanford Downey Architects)

[Redroom Studios]

ignore the tower itself... the various domes and cupolas at the base are clearly Tuscan inspired and there is an Italian restaurant in the one right at the corner. In any case it is unfortunately Las Vegas style in the execution. Why did you have to bump this thread? I say retire it to Buildings and Architecture and let it sleep peacefully...

 

[interchange42]

No more retirees to the Buildings, Architecture and Urban Design forum: buildings will get to live out their days in this forum now. We're trying some reorganization of UrbanToronto to make it more intuitive. (The word "Buildings" will be gone from the other forum soon.)

I bumped this thread when I discovered - finally - who the architect for this building was, and I wanted to get the renderings in here for record-keeping purposes. Funny thing was that the process stirred up all these old feelings of disgust again. It happens!

42

 

[Redroom Studios]

thanks for the reply and explanation... I knew it was Stanford Downey about 2 years ago when I posted that hideous hdr image of the nearly completed tower. Not sure if I mentioned it somewhere in this thread or not. I actually like their other notable highrise designs, 1 King West and the RBC Research Ctr on Front St. I guess their hands were tied here style-wise by Hilton. But for the sake of completeness I guess we are good now.

 

[adma]

I think it's perfect.

Interchange, who goes to the Falls to see understated taste? The place has a long proud history of schlock and tackiness. Bring it on, I say! Not to say that an urban revitalization of downtown Niagara Falls wouldn't be a welcomed addition to it all.

Though I'd qualify that, given that the supposed propensity t/w highrise "schlock and tackiness" produced everything from NFNY's Art Deco gem United Building, to the surprisingly underrated Space Age Brutalism of the Skylon...

 

[canarob]

Niagara Falls has a number of overlooked gems:

Post Office and Customs House - 1885

Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre - 1894

Electrical Development Company hydro-generating station - 1906

Table Rock Centre - 1926

Crowne Plaza - 1929

Rainbow Tower (Customs Canada building at the Rainbow bridge) - 1947

 

[Tewder]

I like how the sublime and the ridiculous all sort of mix in together. With the right perspective you can appreciate it all.

 

[DC83]

Niagara Falls has a number of overlooked gems:

Post Office and Customs House - 1885

I saw 'someone' in that window on top of the main entrance late one night after the Casino.. like 1am. It was abandoned at the time. Creeeeepy!

 

[Automation Gallery]

I saw 'someone' in that window on top of the main entrance late one night after the Casino.. like 1am. It was abandoned at the time. Creeeeepy!

Hahaha..Creeeeepy!

The Stone Jug

The former Post Office, Police Station and Customs House stands tall in the desolate downtown area of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The massive three-story stone structure was abandoned after a fire destroyed the interior of the main building and some of the exterior portions of the additions. Holes in the roof have causes extensive water damage and the building is unsafe to investigate or visit.


There have been reports as far back as the 1950s of a shadowy man who has been seen in the upper floors, pacing the hallways and peering out of windows. In the 1970s a group of teenagers believed they saw this same entity walk through the front doors and proceed across the street where the figure vanished.


Others have seen a woman crying on the front steps that appears for a few moments and then disappears into a mist-like form. Strange, unnatural noises from the back portion of the building have been reported by witnesses and many thrill-seekers have ventured into the back portion to investigate. To date, only a handful have been inside to investigate.


I have investigated The Stone Jug on two occasions, once in 2001 and again in 2004 for the book

http://ghosthuntingchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/02/haunted-niagara-falls-customs-house.html

 

[Tewder]

What a great old building! Such a shame it's in such a sad state of repair.