Look up, way way up...

No, this is not a story from The Friendly Giant.

Charlesfort is an Ottawa builder of deluxe condos. His exteriors have character, drawn from past architectural styles. He built The Gardens at Bronson/Albert and one at Bronson near Carling in the MacIntosh style (not Apple, nor Steve Jobs, but in the style of a Scottish architect).

Their latest projects are in the art deco style. Shown above is the roof line of the Hudson in downtown Ottawa on Kent Street. The style attracts the eye upwards, only to be distracted by a large silver chiller unit mounted on the roof. Tacky. (the picture was taken from Somerset St, the red brick building in the foreground is another project).

I was surprised to see the chiller looks different now than from a few weeks ago. It is no longer bright silver, it seems to have been painted with a muted sky and cloud motif, that makes it blend in much better with the skyline. Kudos to the condo board or Charlesfort for doing so.

 The same firm has similar art deco style buildings underway on Richmond Road near Woodroofe and opposite City Hall on Lisgar. But next time, just put the chiller inside a mechanical penthouse. It's better to design it right than to cover it up.