Via Rail StationBrantford
It's amazing how the aspects of collecting individual pieces over the past months have created their own narrative structure. One of my first pieces was the Yates Castle and within that post I commented on how it was built from the wealth gathered by being a railway mogul. Taken cues from the newspaper's report on the sale of Yates Castle, it really only is logical to focus on the piece of industry that made the Yates' Mansion.
This station is the heart of what formed Brantford - the railway and industry. As a sign of what Brantford could be (or at least, what is once was) the Via Rail station is a clear stature of connected heritage among the residents (and within this collection). Classic industrial design and a great introduction to the City of Brantford by anyone coming in by the train. Great pride is still taken within this station. The lines of the building are sharp and bold, the bricks have aged accordingly - blackened by the soot and exhaust of first coal trains and now disel. It's a beautiful mess that doesn't require cleaning; making this station shine would be a horse of a different colour.
As a sign of architecture, and to reinforce my comments within my Expositor article, the Via Rail station is something that can never be replaced and is, esstentially, snap-shot of an era. The work gone into building this piece, all the little details, are some that now cost too much and ones that many people just don't seem to care about anymore.
The Harmony Square (a set of buildings constructed downtown to increase pedistrian traffic flow and interactions) was designed to immitate the styles of the trainstations. Sharp lines, blend into a few curved places and the trim (though not wood trim like the station here) is a lighter brick. The Square is something I may post later, but it's absolutly the opposite of this thesis - faux brownfield (new urbanist).
When I was a kid, someone told my Mom that I had an old soul. I think that my connection to buildings like these really shows that even though I'm younger then those on city council I seem to appreciate, or understand, the importance of heritage to the city. They always seem to confuse new with good. Luckily the railway line is ingrained into the image of Brantford, it's not a piece I'll have to fight for.
This station is the heart of what formed Brantford - the railway and industry. As a sign of what Brantford could be (or at least, what is once was) the Via Rail station is a clear stature of connected heritage among the residents (and within this collection). Classic industrial design and a great introduction to the City of Brantford by anyone coming in by the train. Great pride is still taken within this station. The lines of the building are sharp and bold, the bricks have aged accordingly - blackened by the soot and exhaust of first coal trains and now disel. It's a beautiful mess that doesn't require cleaning; making this station shine would be a horse of a different colour.As a sign of architecture, and to reinforce my comments within my Expositor article, the Via Rail station is something that can never be replaced and is, esstentially, snap-shot of an era. The work gone into building this piece, all the little details, are some that now cost too much and ones that many people just don't seem to care about anymore.
The Harmony Square (a set of buildings constructed downtown to increase pedistrian traffic flow and interactions) was designed to immitate the styles of the trainstations. Sharp lines, blend into a few curved places and the trim (though not wood trim like the station here) is a lighter brick. The Square is something I may post later, but it's absolutly the opposite of this thesis - faux brownfield (new urbanist).
When I was a kid, someone told my Mom that I had an old soul. I think that my connection to buildings like these really shows that even though I'm younger then those on city council I seem to appreciate, or understand, the importance of heritage to the city. They always seem to confuse new with good. Luckily the railway line is ingrained into the image of Brantford, it's not a piece I'll have to fight for.
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