MisterF
Senior Member
That Yoplait ad looks pretty decent. "Yoplait: fruit on the bottom, hope on top!"
The building still looks fugly though.
The building still looks fugly though.
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CanadianNational
Senior Member
The parts of the building that are not buried under advertising would benefit from an immediate recladding. Some limestone and nirosta steel would be nice. Failing that - how about something colourful?
With the exception of the Victoria Street side, the massing of the building is not bad at all. The street facades are undistinguished though, largely due to the grey monotony of the low-cost cladding.
Those decorative false fans are a bad joke on a building that shamelessly clad in the most charmless, crassly ordinary industrial materials available.
I would have rather seen a 30-something tower rise above this, with what we have now functioning as the base. As a life-support system for advertising, it does its job moderately well. As architecture? Ugh - um......it's certainly more 'building' than 'architecture'. As Truman Capote quipped when asked about Jacqueline Susanne's writing back in the day...
"That's not writing - it's typing!"
It's as if it wanted to be an exciting extension of the Eaton Centre - but ended up being something sort of like 'The Atrium On Bay - South'.
With the exception of the Victoria Street side, the massing of the building is not bad at all. The street facades are undistinguished though, largely due to the grey monotony of the low-cost cladding.
Those decorative false fans are a bad joke on a building that shamelessly clad in the most charmless, crassly ordinary industrial materials available.
I would have rather seen a 30-something tower rise above this, with what we have now functioning as the base. As a life-support system for advertising, it does its job moderately well. As architecture? Ugh - um......it's certainly more 'building' than 'architecture'. As Truman Capote quipped when asked about Jacqueline Susanne's writing back in the day...
"That's not writing - it's typing!"
It's as if it wanted to be an exciting extension of the Eaton Centre - but ended up being something sort of like 'The Atrium On Bay - South'.
TonyV
Senior Member
Welcome, Pfloyd.
Toronto has only recently been given the legal authority (by Ontario) to have a design review board.
Still, if a developer gets really upset about opposition of any sort, all they need to do is holler bwaaaaah, run to the OMB, win their case, and start building.
Presently the TEDCO gang is undergoing voluntary design review, and a very prominent architect is all the while claiming that the reviewers are in fact his competitors. My point is that change doesn't just happen, it takes time. And when political processes such as design review are put into place, it takes time to iron the kinks out.
Recently I am very struck by the dichotomy of my friends' attitudes. The downtowners care, in general, about planning, while the out-there ones think "city-building" means highway-and-WalMart.
TonyV
Senior Member
The building looks a bit bland, to me, not fugly. I was down there tonight and took a good look. Frankly it needs to age; it needs a "patina" you know.
But the Yoplait ad, huge as it is, seems a bit washed out, not at all like the pictures here. Maybe it's not lit well enough to complete with the blazing video sign.
caltrane74
Senior Member
another shot of the square
from flickr.com (hollywoodjohnpierce)
from flickr.com (hollywoodjohnpierce)
Pfloyd
New Member
Thank you, TonyV.
I know it is a complex issue. I lived in the US for several years, and I know the quality of the built environment, with a few exceptions, is also an issue there and an uphill battle, especially in suburbia where most people in the US live.
yyzer
Senior Member
posted by Metroland over at SSC...not sure if this was reported somewhere in the /3400/ posts in this thread.....
Patriot
Active Member
I wonder when the last billboard will be installed...hmmm...
And the Toronto Life Square sign!
And the Toronto Life Square sign!
drum118
Superstar
Seen not work being done for the last few weeks and must be a make work project.
The Bell/Sharp adds working yesterday. Those white signs hard to read with the sun on them. They need to put the art work of Ned Kahn up in place of these ad's http://nedkahn.com/
The Bell/Sharp adds working yesterday. Those white signs hard to read with the sun on them. They need to put the art work of Ned Kahn up in place of these ad's http://nedkahn.com/
spaced
Active Member
Does anyone know if there is any plans to enlarge the entire pedestrian area under this intersection? It annoying me that you have to go through a narrow, crowded subway passage to get from Eatons to the Atrium. A busy TLS will only make this worse.
drum118
Superstar
The answer is no.
Once the new connection between the Subway and Ryerson is built, it will help some, but not much.
TTC said when the Yonge line is upgrade by 2016, they can move 50,000 riders at peak which is fine if that, but the platforms and stairs cannot.
If you think Dundas is bad today, wait 10 years where you will be standing in line to get down to the platform at 5pm.
This what you get when TTC and the City think cheap as well poor planning.
HiRiser
Active Member
If only the FEDS and Province can cough up the allowance for our poor little big metropolis
Venti de Milo
Banned
I've bitched alot about this shitty project, and I guess I will continue bitching....
1, that big long billboard, how come no light? So dark.
2, the tri-vision board, again, too dark.
3, the whole facade is just very un-even. Some boards have light, some dark and that tv screen is too bright.
4, the Future Shop is a total tragic. Walking on the street, looking upstair, the whole floor looks horrible. If I don't know it's FS, I'd NOT even want to go up and find out what it is, nothing to desire about.
Now come the non-TLS bitching.
Eaton Centre, the whole billboard strip from Dundas to Queen....how come there's no light? It is in total darkness. Please don't tell me the light bulbs have burned out, cause I noticed it happened before Xmas. I know they may need many men to change a light bulb, but it shouldn't take that long. No?
1, that big long billboard, how come no light? So dark.
2, the tri-vision board, again, too dark.
3, the whole facade is just very un-even. Some boards have light, some dark and that tv screen is too bright.
4, the Future Shop is a total tragic. Walking on the street, looking upstair, the whole floor looks horrible. If I don't know it's FS, I'd NOT even want to go up and find out what it is, nothing to desire about.
Now come the non-TLS bitching.
Eaton Centre, the whole billboard strip from Dundas to Queen....how come there's no light? It is in total darkness. Please don't tell me the light bulbs have burned out, cause I noticed it happened before Xmas. I know they may need many men to change a light bulb, but it shouldn't take that long. No?
drum118
Superstar
Having lights will become the bitch that hydro is being wasted and it could be used for my TV, etc.
The FIXER did a piece on the Christmas tree and was told the BIA was footing the bill. It is schedule to come down at the end of the month.
It a sad state around this area.
As for the bulbs, maybe they are waiting for L E D ones.
Patriot
Active Member
Still surprises me how much people complain about Toronto Life Square. The project was approved a long time ago - what is done, is done. Be happy it's not the dingy, run-down and sketchy area it once was...it's ten times better now.
Sign colours come and go...what is white today, will probably be blue by summer. Get over it. Seriously.
And don't be surprised if TLS continues to upgrade. It's not the end. They will improve it over time...the area is improving two fold. Too many people forget this.
cheers to improvements & a better Toronto.
show some spirit -
Sign colours come and go...what is white today, will probably be blue by summer. Get over it. Seriously.
And don't be surprised if TLS continues to upgrade. It's not the end. They will improve it over time...the area is improving two fold. Too many people forget this.
cheers to improvements & a better Toronto.
show some spirit -