smably said:
For what it's worth, I think this proposal is good, but not great. Lest you think I'm being picky, have a look at some of the buildings being planned and built in Vancouver right now.

1133_1.jpg

Trump Vancouver, Arthur Erickson

Beach-+-Howe1.png

Vancouver House, BIG

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1550 Alberni, Kengo Kuma

1500-west-georgia-ole-scheeren-27.jpg

1500 West Georgia, Ole Scheeren

Granted, the economics are a bit different there, but I don't think it's out of line to demand world-class architecture for this site. Is the current design really in the same class as the designs above?
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Those are great iconic architecture examples, but in all fairness the pricepoints of these building will far exceed anything we have in Toronto. For example @ Vancouver House, a low priced unit has 'tiny' price tag of just over $3 million CAD
 
Solaris said:
Those are great iconic architecture examples, but in all fairness the pricepoints of these building will far exceed anything we have in Toronto. For example @ Vancouver House, a low priced unit has 'tiny' price tag of just over $3 million CAD
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Yes, I do acknowledge that price points in Vancouver are higher, but that seems way out of whack. According to this price list I just Googled, studios started in the mid 300,000s and 1-bedrooms in the high 400,000s. $3 million would have gotten you a 2,000 square foot, 3+-bedroom unit. That is in no way a "low-priced unit".

http://www.century21.ca/sanjin.cvetkovic/Blog/Vancouver_House_fact_sheet_and_pricing_-_June16_2014
 
That's what I was provided with on remaining inventory when I was at Vancouver House presentation centre a few months ago .... $3 million would get me a 2 bedroom unit just under 1,000 ft2 ... and studio units from day 1 when the project first launched started in low $400s according to the builder's representative on site
 
I believe they were just used as convenient examples, since one of the papers had an article on it this week. Cant find it right now tho.
 
The comparison with Vancouver was in response to the idea that we are aiming too high or asking for too much by critically evaluating the architecture of this proposal -- that we should be thankful for the "embarrassment of riches" that the current development boom has provided. And my response was just to point out that even a much smaller and less globally important city like Vancouver is getting some great architecture right now, and we shouldn't be complacent or smug about the buildings we've seen proposed here in Toronto. Of course Chicago, New York, and London are building amazing buildings! Nobody would expect otherwise. But that's not the point I was trying to make.
 
All of these buildings seem to treat architecture like giant sculpture, as if buildings are just huge chunks of art to be observed from a distance in an otherwise-empty room.

There should be less space left between the towers and they should occupy their context in a way that references their role as housing humans, rather than looking like a zany spaceship that crash landed there or something.
 
Vancouver real estate is insane, so obviously developers have a bit more leeway when it comes to designs and materials. Those buildings you posted there, they are going for prices 3x times anything currently proposed in Toronto, with the exception of Yorkville.
 
arvelomcquaig said:
All of these buildings seem to treat architecture like giant sculpture, as if buildings are just huge chunks of art to be observed from a distance in an otherwise-empty room.

There should be less space left between the towers and they should occupy their context in a way that references their role as housing humans, rather than looking like a zany spaceship that crash landed there or something.
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And as sculpture goes, they're ugly and disjointed. But there's no accounting for that kind of opinion. As long as there are people who will invest their $ in garbage like this, developers will continue to build oversized spandrel boners on windswept empty plazas.
 
smably said:
The comparison with Vancouver was in response to the idea that we are aiming too high or asking for too much by critically evaluating the architecture of this proposal -- that we should be thankful for the "embarrassment of riches" that the current development boom has provided. And my response was just to point out that even a much smaller and less globally important city like Vancouver is getting some great architecture right now, and we shouldn't be complacent or smug about the buildings we've seen proposed here in Toronto. Of course Chicago, New York, and London are building amazing buildings! Nobody would expect otherwise. But that's not the point I was trying to make.
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Vancouver has had a very good month with new proposals but, overall, their style of architecture hinges on crass banality. Don't even get me even started on Chicago. A few signature buildings in a sea of mediocrity. Sad given the city's storied history.
 
They're also asking for 96 stories for the tallest building. Thats significantly taller than any of those vancouver proposals so they'll have way more units to sell. A higher standard of architecture is definitely needed.
 
You have to also remember that Vancouver buildings are MUCH more slender than Toronto's so they don't house near as many people {and hence near as many sales} as one would expect in a tall tower.
 
also... as gorgeous as vancouver is... almost every building looks the same. More so than here even. They deserve something different.

So do we. I just don't get the complaints... this is different from everything else we have been seeing. What would have made people happy?
 
stjames2queenwest said:
also... as gorgeous as vancouver is... almost every building looks the same. More so than here even. They deserve something different.

So do we. I just don't get the complaints... this is different from everything else we have been seeing. What would have made people happy?
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Nothing.

And lest we need reminding, people have a right to like or dislike any given proposal. Besides, this is Urban Toronto. You're always going to be engaged in a dialogue about what works and what doesn't.
 
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