When the weather sets in.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
"One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath."
- Forrest Gump
Lykke Li - Little Bit
The last few days, Vancouver has been wet. The last few days, the wind has strained the streets. The last few days, it has felt as if the ocean flooded the city; leaving behind cherry blossom petals scattered on the street, low mist in the air and heavy gray skies.
Posted byPiper at 12:43 AM 0 comments
When Night Falls
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Along the beautiful coasts, as the sun sets, the city becomes a glowing skyline. The most phenomenal part of all the views is that no matter what part of the city you're looking at, or the time of night, the water reflects the lit up windows and creates a secondary city; softly sitting, reflecting and shimmering on the waters surface. With my parents, I was fortunate to go on a early evening drive on Friday to see several of the coastal lines, viewing both the real and reflected city on the oceans face. It was beautiful.
Posted byPiper at 10:29 PM 0 comments
Over the Water
Sunday, March 7, 2010
On the nicest day we've had so far, Carol and I took a leisurely walk along the ocean front and over the Burrard street bridge.
It felt like the entire city was outside.
With the sun illuminating the city, there was no reason to think of anything else, other than to just be here. We both agreed we wished we didn't have to leave in 2 months.
The Wallflowers - Looking Through You
Posted byPiper at 11:44 PM 0 comments
Cherry Blossoms
Thursday, March 4, 2010
There is something always so refreshing about spring. Cool breezes off the ocean seem revitalizing, and the simple things we pass by each day; the bus stop, the downtown streets and the corner coffee shop, all seem to have a new and interesting life to them.
Vancouver is more beautiful than I've ever seen it before. Along with Van's coastal qualities of beaches and the ocean (which are temptations that are hard to deny), now, in early March, there are flowers blooming on the street, and most importantly, the cherry blossoms are out...decorating the street with a softness that changes the entire city landscape.
There are three colours of cherry blossoms; white, pink and magenta. Not only do the cherry blossom trees become completely filled with these small, soft petals, but the branches of these particular trees reach low down to the ground, to about 6 feet...just above your head... creating natural canopies to walk under. Bus stops become archways of flowers, and the sidewalks I walk on day-in day-out are flourishing. I feel enveloped in blossoms; it's lovely.
Visually, yes, they're tough to beat... but the smell is one of the most phenomenal aspects of these beautiful trees. They smell so light and fresh, and mixed with the distinct organic smell of the ocean, Vancouver, undeniably, smells like spring...like life.
The city is in bloom.
The blossoms make everything so spectacular. Everyone walks among them and slows down their pace in order to enjoy a few more moments beneath the branches of the trees. One of the most ironic things I've seen is the kind of social gathering that occurs along the promenade outside my work, close to the Burrard sky-train station. There are benches there, looking out onto the public garden, and you'd like to imagine that this is where young and old couples come to sit and spend their lunch and evenings together, but how incorrect you'd be. In this corridor of flowers, is the smokers pit for all the Bentall Buildings. When I was taking pictures, dozens of people came and sat to have a smoke, on a bench alone, or walking along the railings of the garden. It seemed to be more a place of solitude. They were all juxtaposed against the organic qualities of the trees, an irony that was odd to take in.
But the best part of the trees, is that you ignore the other people around you. You're always looking up, at the swaying leaves and petals... a sky of pink. No need to worry about the traffic or the cars, the business people or the smokers....only the flower cloud coverage above.
Posted byPiper at 10:37 PM 0 comments
Our Downtown Niche
Monday, February 22, 2010
At the end of Burrard Street, downtown Vancouver, you come to the Warerfront where you can currently find the Olympic Flame. My firm always refers to this section of the Warerfront as their 'niche', since they have designed more than 5 buildings in a one block radius of one another, and are currently planning more. Two Fairmont Hotels, the Pan Pacific, Canada Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre are all a part of MCM/Folio's portfolio of work.
I walked down to the Hotels one evening after work. The entire waterfront has been blocked off for weeks for the Olympic Committee, with no access to the awe-inspiring green-roof of the Convention Centre, or the amazing awnings of Canada Place. Feeling quite sneaky, I went inside the Pan Pacific Hotel, up the long escalators, and saw the view I'd been looking for. There is access to an enormous Balcony overlooking the two Vancouver spectacles through the Hotel's restaurant. Walking along the awnings and looking out to the ocean it was quiet; the noise from the nearby busy downtown streets had been blocked by the large buildings backing onto the shore. You could see from downtown all the way to East Hastings, with the Olympic Rings in-between.
THE FAIRMONT PACIFIC RIM
THE PAN PACIFIC HOTEL AND CANADA PLACE
It was wonderful being in spaces my firm had designed, ranging from modern work to buildings from decades earlier. Being in the Pan Pacific and looking at Canada Place was a phenomenal experience, since I listen to how passionate my boss is about those places. The Pan Pacific in particular left an impression on me; you could feel how it had been such a chic Hotel when it was first opened, and how now it is an artifact for the city; beautiful and caught in a time frame.
In the last Panorama, you get a view of the edge of the Pan Pacific, the Vancouver Convention Centre and Canada Place, all facing out to the Water and North Vancouver.
Posted byPiper at 12:29 PM 0 comments
English Bay Art with Callan
Saturday, February 20, 2010
English Bay sits comfortably between downtown's shoreline and Kistilano Beach. On one coast you experience the vibrant pace of the city, and on the other, you have an opportunity to be in a calmer atmosphere, walking to the sound of the ocean.
Callan and I met up on a grey Vancouver day to simply walk until our hearts were content. Starting from Granville Island, we took the small ferry across the water and walked along downtown's shore. A sculptural art display had been set up along the beach, and at each gigantic piece of art, we stopped, pondered, discussed and moved on. We had just come from one of Granville's small art stores, so creativity seemed to be following us around Vancouver. This was all before the Olympics, so there weren't any crowds, just locals enjoying the coast.
One of the most charming aspects of our walk through the sculptural pieces, was that we were able to experience them together, but simultaneously experience them in our own individual way. I took pictures, Callan would climb on the different parts of the sculptures, and we'd both walk up, touch and interact with each piece differently...standing above, below, inside, beside or far away; leaving with a very unique appreciation for the art.
The second piece of art we visited looked like an industrial piece of steel that had been tumbled in the ocean. You could walk over the ribs of the copper-toned art piece, and attempt to climb up it's steep curves. Callan would run back and forth on each side, slowing inching up the walls. He was a good sport for me, and kept going until I was satisfied with taking pictures.
The last set of sculptures were phenomenal. It was a group of metal men, all larger than life size, laughing and making strange gestures. They were huge, almost disturbing, but absolutely entertaining. Callan and I walked amongst them, and even more so watched how people walked through them. Callan told me that the funniest thing was that when anyone walks up to these sculptures, the first thing they do is mimic them. We laughed, and agreed that the artist would be very happy to know that.
Posted byPiper at 11:18 PM 0 comments
Cloud Coverage
Thursday, January 28, 2010
My boss sent us this at work today. With the Olympics coming up, Vancouver is getting amazing media coverage and publicity. This video was sent to all the staff because it has several of the office buildings my firm designed in it; but I'm posting it because it's a very different and powerful view of Vancouver's city landscape. When you look at the clouds, you can only imagine the rain we get.
Posted byPiper at 12:31 AM 0 comments