taller Calgary tower

[flamingchina]

Saw the front of the herald (on their site)
had the Calgary tower obviously photochopped o be taller.
What gives?

[Kidder]

inferiority complex towards Edmonton?


Is the tower undergoing a makeover of some sorts? I'm sure they can't make it taller though.

[browna]

From the pic, it looks like just the Palliser Square complex looks to be overgoing the makeover.

But I swear a few years ago I heard that the Tower was built with the ability for the shaft to be lengthened by 50-100 ft or so (at the top)...but haven't seen that anywhere in my searches.

Or maybe they're gutting the tower inside..not sure why..it serves its purpose, and the resturant is nice enough.

Wait until the morning paper I guess.

[Resolute 14]

Originally posted by Kidder@Apr 7 2005, 01:03 AM
inferiority complex towards Edmonton?


Is the tower undergoing a makeover of some sorts? I'm sure they can't make it taller though.

heh.

Given Edmonton's building heights are restricted due to the City Centre Airport, I think our phallic symbols will remain longer than Edmonton's for quite some time. :P

(edit: curing my dyslexia)

[nfotiu]

Originally posted by browna@Apr 7 2005, 08:24 AM
From the pic, it looks like just the Palliser Square complex looks to be overgoing the makeover.

But I swear a few years ago I heard that the Tower was built with the ability for the shaft to be lengthened by 50-100 ft or so (at the top)...but haven't seen that anywhere in my searches.

Or maybe they're gutting the tower inside..not sure why..it serves its purpose, and the resturant is nice enough.

Wait until the morning paper I guess.

When the tower was for sale a few years back, someone told me they were promoting the fact that it could be raised by building up the base and again making it the tallest building in Calgary. My sources are pretty iffy though, seeing as how I can't even remember who told me that.

[Table 5]

The tower is not getting raised.
What the article was about was that a developer was planning two twin office buildings to flank the Tower itself.

[@theCBE]

Originally posted by nfotiu+Apr 7 2005, 01:44 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (nfotiu @ Apr 7 2005, 01:44 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-browna@Apr 7 2005, 08:24 AM
From the pic, it looks like just the Palliser Square complex looks to be overgoing the makeover.

But I swear a few years ago I heard that the Tower was built with the ability for the shaft to be lengthened by 50-100 ft or so (at the top)...but haven't seen that anywhere in my searches.

Or maybe they're gutting the tower inside..not sure why..it serves its purpose, and the resturant is nice enough.

Wait until the morning paper I guess.

When the tower was for sale a few years back, someone told me they were promoting the fact that it could be raised by building up the base and again making it the tallest building in Calgary. My sources are pretty iffy though, seeing as how I can't even remember who told me that. [/b][/quote]
I remember that as well... I even remember reading about it in the herald... Can't remember though if they were gonna raise the base or add a some sort of crazy extension to the top

but like yours my sources are only my foggy memory, so take it with a grain of salt

[browna]

For what its worth, and as far as I am concerned, they can rip down that entire Palliser square and start over.

Quite the maze to walk through there from the parking garage, or if you want to walk through the Plus 15.

I can only imagine the Euro and Asian tourists impressions when they have to twist through coorridors trying to navigate to/from the Tower and the Plus 15/Palliser Hotel.

Needless to say, its ironic that that Impark officies are located there...just as infuriating themselves.

Plus, there's only so much you can renovate an old VIA train station.

[Reaper]

I'd love it if they made the Calgary Tower the tallest building in town again.

By definition, it is supposed to tower over the other buildings.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by Table 5@Apr 7 2005, 07:57 AM

What the article was about was that a developer was planning two twin office buildings to flank the Tower itself.

So Calgary's big grey and red penis is going to get a couple of testicles?

Thats always good news.

[Table 5]

as much as i think you'd love to stare at a big shiny pair of concrete nuts, the buildings wont really stand out too much since their height will just match the rest of the buildings on the street.

here's a look see for those who havent seen it.

http://www3.telus.net/doubrown/Water/Palliser2.jpg

[Muta]

As a lifelong Calgarian, I see the tower as having a distinct recgonition for the city itself as a physical attraction.

That said, I also see it as an incredible eyesore, and hate looking at it because of it's ugliness.

I know they repainted it and all a while back, but the tower is so 1960-ish it's disgusting. There is nothing about it anymore that appeals to the direction that Calgary as a city is heading for in the future. It was good for a population of 400 -500,000, but it's outlived it's original purpose, IMO.

The tower is in need of some serious renovations with a more upscale, modern look, and if the base can be extended by 100 feet, then by all means do it.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by Table 5@Apr 7 2005, 11:56 AM
as much as i think you'd love to stare at a big shiny pair of concrete nuts, the buildings wont really stand out too much since their height will just match the rest of the buildings on the street.

Hell, I think it would be freakin hilarious!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it you who was upset at the whole Calgary double tower thing that this City always goes for? Gotta be upset with this.

[Table 5]

Originally posted by MrMastodonFarm+Apr 7 2005, 01:03 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (MrMastodonFarm @ Apr 7 2005, 01:03 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Table 5@Apr 7 2005, 11:56 AM
as much as i think you'd love to stare at a big shiny pair of concrete nuts, the buildings wont really stand out too much since their height will just match the rest of the buildings on the street.

Hell, I think it would be freakin hilarious!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it you who was upset at the whole Calgary double tower thing that this City always goes for? Gotta be upset with this. [/b][/quote]
yeah, its rather lame how the city has so many twins. I would much rather see developers build singular and more taller towers instead of wimping out with the twos. However, in this case, I dont think its that big of a problem since they kind of help to frame and showcase the KFC bucket on a stick itself.

[Calgary Flames]

Originally posted by MrMastodonFarm+Apr 7 2005, 09:37 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (MrMastodonFarm @ Apr 7 2005, 09:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Table 5@Apr 7 2005, 07:57 AM

What the article was about was that a developer was planning two twin office buildings to flank the Tower itself.

So Calgary's big grey and red penis is going to get a couple of testicles?

Thats always good news. [/b][/quote]


Bravo on that one!

[Claeren]

Note how many towers are 25-30 stories and how many are 45-50. There are huge cost thresholds at ~30 and ~50 stories so on one site it is always cheaper to build 2 x 30 (60 total) storey towers then one 50 storey or 2 x 50 (100 total) storey towers then even one 70 or 80 storey one.

Sucks i agree but money talks, especially in a concervative market like Calgary. If only the provincial government would subsidize the cost thresholds... think of all the big buildings!!! :P

(Kidding... kind of....)

Claeren.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Hopefully they find a way to connect that part of downtown with the west portions of the Plus 15 system. There's a gigantic no-fly zone there with Stephen Avenue, and it's not realistic to make a trip from Eatons Center to the Convention Center indoors.

[JohnnyTitan]

If I recall correctly, their are (or used to be) plans to extend the Tower in one of the U of C engineering buildings.

Right in one of the stairwells, they have a glass cabinet with drawings and numbers and stuff like that that engineers love.

Anyone still at U of C? Is that display still set up.

Anyhow, their action-plan was for sure to extend it from the base. They were going to have to add more counter-weight under the ground and then jack the actual tower up and add "rings" to it. Something like that anyhow.

I seem to remember the article saying that the center of gravity for the tower was only like 40 feet above the ground. There is a ton of concrete / weight burried under that thing to keep it standing "Erect"!!

[Hack&Lube]

There's also a rectangular windowed structure that juts out of the top floor of the tower and also the rectangular window/grills that are on the sides of the tower are missing.