Strata | 16 & 22 fl | Proposed

[Momo26]

Seems like such an exciting project but the momentum seems to have tapered off

[taylortbb]

Story in The Record today, https://www.therecord.com/news-story/965...e-cleanup/ . Property is approved for the brownfield incentive program, and expect to see shovels in the ground within the next year.

[panamaniac]

Is the project sitll as first proposed?

[ac3r]

Is the project sitll as first proposed?

The heights have been changed to 11 and 23 floors, but aside from that it will be the same design. Here is a better version of the rendering on the first page:

[panamaniac]

I've never been able to decide whether I like this or whether it's a hot mess. Today, I'm leaning toward the latter. I find the contrast between the podium canopy and the towers to be jarring and I don't care for the skybridge at all.

[jamincan]

Keep in mind that this building will almost never be experienced from this angle. The experience at street level will be one thing, and it's form on the skyline will be another.

[tomh009]

More news on this project, it will include a very cool youth innovation centre! Plus updated podium design:

https://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news-st...ote-steam/



such an exciting project!

The street-level view is better.

That render posted by ac3r does highlight how little density there is in central Waterloo, though.

[ac3r]

That's why I'd love to see the 87 Regina project get started already. It's nowhere near as nice as Strata, but it might be okay judging by the renders. I have no idea who The Torgan Group are and they don't seem to have much history doing high density developments like this however. It was approved over a year ago with no news since, so who knows where 87 Regina is going. It will have 200+ residential units so I imagine if it was being built anytime soon, some sales info would have been shared.

[jwilliamson]

That render posted by ac3r does highlight how little density there is in central Waterloo, though.

I think the framing of the render over-emphasizes how low-rise Uptown is.

* Marsland Centre is out of frame
* Barrel Yards out of frame
* Seagram out of frame
* 42 Bridgeport down a hill and partially out of frame
* Waterpark Place hidden behind Strata
* 144 Park and Sunlife similar size but the perspective makes them tiny
*155 Park and Circa not built yet
* City hall and the apartments on William also shrunk by perspective

[tomh009]

That render posted by ac3r does highlight how little density there is in central Waterloo, though.

I think the framing of the render over-emphasizes how low-rise Uptown is.

* Marsland Centre is out of frame
* Barrel Yards out of frame
* Seagram out of frame
* 42 Bridgeport down a hill and partially out of frame
* Waterpark Place hidden behind Strata
* 144 Park and Sunlife similar size but the perspective makes them tiny
*155 Park and Circa not built yet
* City hall and the apartments on William also shrunk by perspective

But if you look within, say, 400m of King & Erb (Waterloo's answer to King & Queen), there is exactly one tall building there: Marsland Centre. Most of the buildings are single or two stories. The parking garage is the next-tallest at four stories, is it not.

Now, if I change to a 600m radius, I can pick up Barrel Yards, Seagram Lofts and Waterpark Place. But that definitely is still not dense, albeit slowly getting more so.

[Watdot]

There's more coming to that immediate (400m) area. An approved project is "26, 28 Dorset & 7 Princess". It will be 11 storeys. There's no doubt in my mind that we will see further developments around King North & Young and Regina & Young in the future too. Need to start somewhere with this sort of density for that immediate area.

[Spokes]

It's crazy how different the podium feels from above compared to street level

[Bjays93]

I've never been able to decide whether I like this or whether it's a hot mess.  Today, I'm leaning toward the latter.  I find the contrast between the podium canopy and the towers to be jarring and I don't care for the skybridge at all.

Imo it's a beautiful building that looks out of place in that location. It does look like a bit of a mess given how its just plopped in uptown with nothing else around it even remotely similar in building style. 

The other thing is this building has a massive base. Obviously I understand the concern with building large developments in KW still, but if this was 30 and 40 stories with a bridge on the 25th floor or something like that it would look way better and feel more balanced with the size of the podium

[tomh009]

There's more coming to that immediate (400m) area.  An approved project is "26, 28 Dorset & 7 Princess".  It will be 11 storeys.  There's no doubt in my mind that we will see further developments around King North & Young and Regina & Young in the future too.  Need to start somewhere with this sort of density for that immediate area.

Yes. It just really struck me that all the densification in Waterloo has been outside the central core to date.

NOTE: I was wrong, Marsland Centre isn't quite the only taller building. The Princess Apartments building is also seven storeys, if I recall correctly.

[Watdot]

Yes. It just really struck me that all the densification in Waterloo has been outside the central core to date.

Absolutely.  The change is happening though and there was always a plan to increase density in the central core (at least what I have heard from city staff in the past).  I think politicians/councillors have just been trending lightly, siding with NIMBYs until now.  That being said, there's still many buildings I hope they strive to maintain.  I also hope they maintain the overall street front feel of King, if not expand it towards Central Street.  Perhaps one day parts of King Street in Uptown Waterloo may start to look like this...