Canadian City Proposals II

[WhipperSnapper]

I find the design of the public realm in the renderings (guessing POPS) to be uninviting with anti "loitering" standards from the raised planters along the sidewalks to the overall crampness. It looks nice from the public realm though.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Ugly addition. The world is better place with one less place of worship.

Is that objectively true or are you just ranting on a page dedicated to skyscrapers?

[niwell]

Those corner POPS often look good in summertime renderings but rarely live up to expectations. Details aside they tend to mix the worst aspects of a proper park and restaurant/cafe patio without the best of either.

[WhipperSnapper]

Dedicated to skyscrapers? The proposal in question that led me to state my opinion on the aspects of its incorrectly presumed usage is like 8 storeys tall. The broader Canadian section discussions are anything but dedicated to skyscrapers.

15 million people starving to death every year can't be traced to groups more interested in growing their flock over sound family planning is ranting.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I was unimpressed when the first cladding went up. However, these will end up alright.

The praise these are getting is in contrast to Claridge's boxy blandness prominence than being well executed quality designs. A 6 out of ten getting the pomp of a 10 out of 10 for being better than a 4 out of 10.

For sure, in the context of Ottawa, and probably much of Canada, this project is fantastic with a great execution. For Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, maybe Calgary, it's a little above average.

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Hopefully the public realm out front ends up similar to the rendering -- too many cities/developments neglect this aspect.

I believe the developer is funding it and then the City takes over. If that's the case, I'm pretty confident it will be well done.

Originally Posted by niwell

Those corner POPS often look good in summertime renderings but rarely live up to expectations. Details aside they tend to mix the worst aspects of a proper park and restaurant/cafe patio without the best of either.

Agreed. In Ottawa, we're seeing way too much of this. I prefer a park fund developers contribute towards for larger projects. That said, the CBD consisting of mostly lot-line to lot-line squat towers is in desperate need of any sort of plaza/outdoor public space, so this will be a welcome addition.

[WhipperSnapper]

What both Toronto and Ottawa could use to offset the harsh concrete densities are the lush landscaped lawns/gardens/ courts anchored by designer fountains in abundance in Vancouver. This as rendered is at least 80% concrete pavers with raised planters restricting the flow of people from the public boulevard to limited access points. If it takes sacrificing retail frontage to create a lush space with a singular access route or none at all than so be it.

Plazas are like parks. There's a minimum size to be a functional gathering space and feel truly public.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

15 million people starving to death every year can't be traced to groups more interested in growing their flock over sound family planning is ranting.

Really great argument there...closing down places of worship (of any sort) will solve world hunger. The last time I looked, it's those who worship that are most involved in feeding the poor.

[WhipperSnapper]

There's a cold war that started at the fall of the Roman Empire. The arms race isn't weapons. It's arms attached to people. It starts with inherited organized faith. Babies are born in a religion. Sex and sexuality that doesn't produce children is deviant and thus illegal. Subserviant women also produce more children. Feeding starving population while promoting these ideals over preventative hunger measures like contraceptives or family planning is not meant to reduce global starvation. It's cheap, reliable customer acquisition.

Less people in starving nations means less hunger like less people coming to Canada means less of a housing crisis and fewer tax revenue subsidies adding to deficit spending.

[Maldive]

36 Ellesmere | 45.7m | 12s | Starbank | BDP Quadrangle l Approved


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888 Dupont | ?m | 17s | TAS | SA l pre-construction

This rental and retail building has been resubmitted at 17 storeys (now 246 rental units). Dupont Street is booming with 16 under construction projects (mostly mid-rises) on or in neighbouring streets, and
another 16 in the development pipeline... between Spadina and Dundas West.

No new renderings - original 14 storey version below:


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St Lawrence Centre Redevelopment | CreateTO | Hariri Pontarini l pre-construction

The winning design turning the concrete bunker into a transparent, welcoming new theatre and concert hall.

Neat fly-through on INSTA:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6KJ7...e-30d242570f85
rdaner


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Concert Hall.


Link

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[Maldive]

191 College | 95.18m | 31s | Unix Housing Group | Icon l recommended for Approval

A tall mass timber project with an affordable rental and market-rate rental mix is now recommended for Approval.


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[J.OT13]

I like that 191 College proposal. Is it actual heritage preservation, building behind the rows, or are they demolishing and building a replica with old bricks?

[WhipperSnapper]

They're semis. I would guess facades. The main floors have been lowered in the renderings.

I don't care for either the cladding design or the tower's massing. It may be the most displeasing aesthetic out of the hundreds of proposals in Toronto. For whatever reason, I think it's for Edmonton everytime the rendering is posted

[Nouvellecosse]

Reminds me of Minecraft camo pattern. I like the colours black, white and grey but the pattern is very busy and random.

[MonkeyRonin]

Mass timber is cool and all, but's that one fugly tower; on a strip of College that's already been marred by a bunch of other new uglies. Looks like a data centre or something hulking above a row of Victorian semis.

[niwell]

Not a fan of the cladding on 191 College at all. The heritage preservation is on the better end. But yeah, there are some brutal towers on that stretch. The worst offenders are privately built student rentals which may not be surprising.

While not a showstopper by any means the best of the bunch is probably Theory Condos which is directly to the West of the above proposal. https://urbantoronto.ca/database/pro...y-condos.21035

Has issues- particularly at ground level - but avoids the trap of "design through cladding" and keeps things simple. Looking at it out my office window now and it kinda just blends in. Would be nice if a lot of these new proposals could follow the same formula, particularly when they aren't high end.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

What both Toronto and Ottawa could use to offset the harsh concrete densities are the lush landscaped lawns/gardens/ courts anchored by designer fountains in abundance in Vancouver. This as rendered is at least 80% concrete pavers with raised planters restricting the flow of people from the public boulevard to limited access points. If it takes sacrificing retail frontage to create a lush space with a singular access route or none at all than so be it.

Plazas are like parks. There's a minimum size to be a functional gathering space and feel truly public.

For the most part, the city no longer puts in raised concrete planters for trees anymore. Leslieville is a mess of old and broken planters with dead or dieing trees in them. Ironic for an area named after a guy who helped plant most of Toronto's parks with trees from his nursury.