Hamilton Lincoln Alexander Hall | 59.31m | 15s | Knightstone | Diamond Schmitt

Ground level on the west side of the site already. Nice to see they've installed sidewalk protection along the Main Street side of the site.
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rdaner said:
^^What is that hulking prison-like structure in the background? Amazing!
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That place is legendary. Designed by Eb Zeidler, who also designed Toronto's Eaton Centre and Toronto's Trump tower.

More info about it from the Ontario Architecture Association here: https://web.archive.org/web/2014062...591726-mcmaster-hospital-hailed-as-landmark-/

and in this article about its 50th birthday: https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilt...cle_5da9610d-e14f-56d7-a2a0-1ef2864fd944.html
 
I dunno if "amazing" would describe the exterior - more like brutalist 80s architecture lol, and for children no less.

Those staircases make it look like chimneys - like some giant factory lol.. baby factory.. I'll admit the interior and its ability to be flexible is innovative though.

Also I hate his attempted justification for brutalism:

"“When I teach brutalism in my course at McGill to first year architecture students, I tell them to think of it like rock and roll music. It was irreverent, it broke down hierarchies, it democratized. It’s outspoken, the architectural equivalent of free speech … It was really a new vision for the late 20th century. There are really good things about it. It screams accessibility.”"

I don't see it that way, it's just.. brutal looking lol. I like the hamiltonians response: "Many think the building will be eternally ugly." "One resident was quoted as saying, “You know, I don’t think the Russians will ever steal it.” Another said, “It looks like a big prison. But it’s nice inside.”"

Amen.
 
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Chronamut said:
I dunno if "amazing" would describe the exterior - more like brutalist 80s architecture lol, and for children no less.

Those staircases make it look like chimneys - like some giant factory lol.. baby factory.. I'll admit the interior and its ability to be flexible is innovative though.

Also I hate his attempted justification for brutalism:

"“When I teach brutalism in my course at McGill to first year architecture students, I tell them to think of it like rock and roll music. It was irreverent, it broke down hierarchies, it democratized. It’s outspoken, the architectural equivalent of free speech … It was really a new vision for the late 20th century. There are really good things about it. It screams accessibility.”"

I don't see it that way, it's just.. brutal looking lol. I like the hamiltonians response: "Many think the building will be eternally ugly." "One resident was quoted as saying, “You know, I don’t think the Russians will ever steal it.” Another said, “It looks like a big prison. But it’s nice inside.”"

Amen.
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As long as it has windows, I love brutalism. I honestly think Hamilton Place is one of best examples I've ever seen.

Montreal has got some really awesome brutalism as well. I can't imagine you studied architecture and don't have an appreciation for brutalist architecture when used sparingly.

Here's a great video on brutalism:
 
Chris R. said:
As long as it has windows, I love brutalism. I honestly think Hamilton Place is one of best examples I've ever seen.

Montreal has got some really awesome brutalism as well. I can't imagine you studied architecture and don't have an appreciation for brutalist architecture when used sparingly.

Here's a great video on brutalism:
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Lol I did study architecture, and no i dont like brutalism - you can't force your visual aesthetic on someone - I just don't like it - I am a craftsman like person - I like detail, embellishments - I like old churches, roman architecture, thing that show a persons personal flair and creativity - the modern world lacks all that in favour of bulk mass and geometric shapes.

I can only ever see brutalism as ugly - every building that is brutalist and rugged and exposed looks ugly to me, and no amt of studying brutalism or understanding its utopian attempt to be for the common man and represent democracy will frankly ever make me like any of it. If I am gonna toss it a bone I will say that at least brutalism sometimes adds things that aren't 90 degree angles, which our current architecture sorely lacks. That and it reminds of of Fallout Shelter and other dystopian futures which I am sure modern media has not helped in promoting lol.

Even the Hamilton center to me feels dated , but at least there's lots of wood in it to detract from just looking at harsh concrete.

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I'm allowed my tastes lol, and clearly many Hamiltonians agree with me on this building. I do love art deco - that's the most "bulky" I do - but I do love elegant designs - and not glass boxes - at least not with some sorta embellishment - the ones in Toronto with those giant diamond shaped protrusions I like quite a bit but that's because there is a design element to it that goes beyond just being a box.

I guess I am just a classicalist, and there's nothing wrong with that right? Takes all sorts to make a world. If it is constructed well I will try to find something good in it - at least brutalism tends to often be symmetrical so I can at least toss it another bone that way. But these compliments are like a woman asking what you like about her and you saying "you have hair". Lol.
 
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Chronamut said:
Lol I did study architecture, and no i dont like brutalism - you can't force your visual aesthetic on someone - I just don't like it - I am a craftsman like person - I like detail, embellishments - I like old churches, roman architecture, thing that show a persons personal flair and creativity - the modern world lacks all that in favour of bulk mass and geometric shapes.

I can only ever see brutalism as ugly - every building that is brutalist and rugged and exposed looks ugly to me, and no amt of studying brutalism or understanding its utopian attempt to be for the common man and represent democracy will frankly ever make me like any of it. If I am gonna toss it a bone I will say that at least brutalism sometimes adds things that aren't 90 degree angles, which our current architecture sorely lacks. That and it reminds of of Fallout Shelter and other dystopian futures which I am sure modern media has not helped in promoting lol.

Even the Hamilton center to me feels dated , but at least there's lots of wood in it to detract from just looking at harsh concrete.

--

I'm allowed my tastes lol, and clearly many Hamiltonians agree with me on this building. I do love art deco - that's the most "bulky" I do - but I do love elegant designs - and not glass boxes - at least not with some sorta embellishment - the ones in Toronto with those giant diamond shaped protrusions I like quite a bit but that's because there is a design element to it that goes beyond just being a box.

I guess I am just a classicalist, and there's nothing wrong with that right? Takes all sorts to make a world. If it is constructed well I will try to find something good in it - at least brutalism tends to often be symmetrical so I can at least toss it another bone that way. But these compliments are like a woman asking what you like about her and you saying "you have hair". Lol.
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I have mixed feelings on Brutalism... I know there are good examples, like the Montreal Metro, but all too often I think it's spoiled by the massively car-centric era in which it was popularized—add to that it's depiction in media post-Clockwork Orange, and it's really become the defacto style of Fascist Parking Garages! 🙃

Although I think the intention of being a style for the common person is nice in principle, I'd argue it was developed by mid-century modernist intellectuals that were very out of touch with anything to do with the common person, and in retrospect, is somewhat belittling. 😬

...Still, I'll take Brutalism any day over that as-of-yet unnamed plastic-cladded contemporary style I like to refer to as the "SketchUp Style"... That is, digitally designed architecture that clearly made heavy use of the "Push/Pull Tool" on L-shaped surfaces in SketchUp! 🤷‍♂️
 
Chronamut said:
I dunno if "amazing" would describe the exterior - more like brutalist 80s architecture lol, and for children no less.

Those staircases make it look like chimneys - like some giant factory lol.. baby factory.. I'll admit the interior and its ability to be flexible is innovative though.

Also I hate his attempted justification for brutalism:

"“When I teach brutalism in my course at McGill to first year architecture students, I tell them to think of it like rock and roll music. It was irreverent, it broke down hierarchies, it democratized. It’s outspoken, the architectural equivalent of free speech … It was really a new vision for the late 20th century. There are really good things about it. It screams accessibility.”"

I don't see it that way, it's just.. brutal looking lol. I like the hamiltonians response: "Many think the building will be eternally ugly." "One resident was quoted as saying, “You know, I don’t think the Russians will ever steal it.” Another said, “It looks like a big prison. But it’s nice inside.”"

Amen.
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From what I've been told, the resemblance to a factory was intentional for the time when there was more industry on the west side of Hamilton
 
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