Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Holland Cross Green Roof









Holland Cross is a mixed use project located at the corner of Holland and Scott Streets. It dates back to the 1980s. There are two office towers nearest Scott, with a not-thriving commercial mall at ground level. There are two residential towers set further south. They share a common parking podium. Two more residential towers were designed but not built on the east side of the common; eventually the land was sold to Domicile which built townhouses instead. Unfortunately, they do not relate in any way to the green roof and do not complete the formal arrangement of structures.
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It is one of my favorite green roofs. It dates from the same era as the Rideau Centre, and may be the product of the same landscape architects, as there are numerous similarities. I love the thick plantings, undulating grass lawns, the allee of trees that celebrates the roof level access from the residential towers.
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It is marked as private property, but there are no apparent restrictions on access, so anyone can cycle or walk into the garden from the commercial podium area between the office and the residential towers. Unlike the Rideau Centre which has generous paved areas, the paths here are narrow and intimate, the emphasis is on the lush landscape. Well worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood.



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