CanadianNational said:
Architecture should be first - because it is the abstract, living, human thing that makes building worthwhile. It is evidence of how we view ourselves as a society. Aside from the use of it by people, it's the extra quality in a building that keeps it from just taking up space, and makes it lastingly generous. It needs to be included, because financial bottom lines will always try to get away with the least they can do, and by nature, squeeze out imagination. It doesn't mean a building has to be flighty, silly, ridiculous or unprofitable. Far from it. It means that a building worth putting up shows itself as such, and has some pride in it's show of that, however uniquely it does it.
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Nicely put, CN. That would make a great mission statement for an architecture firm. (But only a good one, though, like Teeple or Shim-Sutcliffe.)
 
Architecture is art but, buildings also provide leaseable, functional spaces for work, rest and play. They are a massive financial risk so while it is idyllic to say, "architecture should come first" ignoring the bottom line and client demands will quickly lead you to bankruptcy. Half of the financial core's buildings are monuments to long failed developers; some of which brought Canadian lending to the brink.

It's a simple boxy design but, hardly a subpar design and certainly better quality than those you see in 905. It's argueably "built to suit" a financial lead tenant which desires large, efficient floorplans (keep in mind, workstations are retangular) and will fight for every cent on the lease.

That doesn't mean I'm not disappointed by our commercial developers and our financial tenants. There should be room in the budgets to dress up the bland curtainwall. I dont expect a double skin however, some glass fins a la Pickard Chilton would go along way to add some more interest.
 
You know, you also have to consider our place in the business cycle. We've gone from having almost no office projects being planned to a pretty substantial collection of buildings in flight. Perhaps Telus and Waterpark are a little restrained, though I'm not certain that it's necessarily a bad thing. We need the density. Given a choice between perhaps waiting for a larger, more interesting building, I kind of like the idea that we are adding AAA space downtown in any form.

There is a work, life shift happening in Toronto. Give me Google, Ubisoft, Facebook setting up shop in town. Let's see Mars spawn additional nodes. What we need is the office space to not be an issue. There should be no reason for them even to consider not locating downtown. That means space and lots of it.

I'm not sure it's settling. I'm just happy to see the buildings going up. Perhaps like in the condo cycle we've seen a shift from simple (early City Place), to some interesting variations (Four Seasons, Milano) to now it seems that to differentiate themselves the newer projects have more readily accepted unique characteristics. Hopefully the same will happen with new office projects over time.

Either way, it's a great thing. Yes it would be awesome if like Copenhagen, design was in our cultural bones, all is not lost, I think it can be something that still might emerge.
 
Reading this thread makes me feel like a right-wing nutter... "City hall should pass a by-law limiting buildings below 40 storys..." "architecture should be first"

Cadillac Fairview's first responsibility is to their shareholders and to produce a building that is profitable for their corporation. Welcome to capitalism.

There is also a large component of architecture that is: is the space functionable for the workers? Is the building LEED certified in any capacity? These aspects may not make a building iconic, but they are part of the "architecture" of the building. So actually... Maestro, architecture isn't art - it is sometimes art from functionality. Architecture as art produces art like the ROM, which sometimes, isn't very functional.

In our history as a city we've seen iconic buildings built from the corporate sector when they have used office construction as a statement. The older bank buildings on Yonge Street are statement edifices. TD bank's decision to use Mies van der Rohe, was choosing art to make a statement about the bank's post 1960's success.

The Bow in Calgary, was Encana make a very public statement about Encana's growth. Not EVERY building is statement architecture. And nor should it be - there is something to be said for a 30 story office building providing jobs and functionable space for a client.
 
Application: New Building Status: Not Started

Location: 85 HARBOUR ST
TORONTO ON

Ward 28: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 11 284988 BLD 00 NB Accepted Date: Sep 30, 2011

Project: Multiple Use/Non Residential New Building

Description: Waterpark Phase III -Erect a new 30 storey non-residential building complete with 2 leves of retail at and above grade and office above. Proposed would connect to the Phase 1 and 2 lands being 10-20 Bays Street. Pedestrina connection to connect to ACC and over lakeshore boulevard to follow under separate permit
 
Are they leaving space for an eventual phase 4? In this photo Jazonzed posted in the Southcore thread it looks like there'd be plenty of space there to build this tower and still have room for another tower down the road.

Jasonzed said:
from today
2011001060.jpg
Click to expand...
 
whatever said:
Are they leaving space for an eventual phase 4? In this photo Jazonzed posted in the Southcore thread it looks like there'd be plenty of space there to build this tower and still have room for another tower down the road.
Click to expand...

Nope, this is the last phase.
 
Sorry dont have time to go through the thread, but I dont think this has been posted

RBC has signed a lease to the building with an announcement to be made today. Construction is set to begin in November.

Small exerpt

RBC is pleased to announce the lease of a new state-of-the-art office tower in downtown Toronto. This new 30-floor building, known as “RBC WaterPark Place”, will be located just west of the intersection of Bay and Queen’s Quay (85 Harbour Street), south west of the Air Canada Centre. Oxford Properties, the owner and developer, is announcing publicly today that RBC will be the lead tenant of the new property. Construction is scheduled to begin in November this year.
 
Now that RBC has confirmed their presence, it does indeed sound as if this will take employees currently located in the complex at 310/320/330 Front St W. How many of these, I don't know, but that's definitely where most of them will come from.

I'm sure for those working on Front St they will appreciate this, as one of their chief complaints is that there's no PATH access and poor dining choices.
 
btw, there's a building on wellignton I think - a dark one, that I thought RBC has a data center in as well ? anyone know what I'm talking about ?
 
DaninToronto said:
Sorry dont have time to go through the thread, but I dont think this has been posted

RBC has signed a lease to the building with an announcement to be made today. Construction is set to begin in November.

Small exerpt

RBC is pleased to announce the lease of a new state-of-the-art office tower in downtown Toronto. This new 30-floor building, known as “RBC WaterPark Placeâ€, will be located just west of the intersection of Bay and Queen’s Quay (85 Harbour Street), south west of the Air Canada Centre. Oxford Properties, the owner and developer, is announcing publicly today that RBC will be the lead tenant of the new property. Construction is scheduled to begin in November this year.
Click to expand...

Oxford Properties and CPP Investment Board Announce New Toronto AAA LEED Gold Office Tower Development
RBC WaterPark Place to Be New National Headquarters for RBC Canadian Banking

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Oct 14, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

Oxford Properties, the real estate arm of the OMERS Worldwide Group of Companies, and CPP Investment Board (CPPIB) today announced the development of RBC WaterPark Place: a 930,000 square foot, 30 storey, class AAA LEED Gold office tower in downtown Toronto. The development is a 50/50 joint venture between Oxford, who will oversee all aspects of the development and management of the property, and CPP Investment Board.

The building will be RBC's new national headquarters for its Canadian Banking business. RBC WaterPark Place will be located between Bay and York Streets on the north side of Queens Quay Boulevard. Designed by WZMH Architects, the development will be connected to the PATH system by a new elevated enclosed pedestrian bridge linked directly to the Air Canada Centre and Union Station.

RBC will occupy approximately 550,000 square feet of RBC WaterPark Place. RBC will incorporate new workplace designs, leading IT and productivity tools and will utilize the latest construction and design techniques and technologies to ensure a high quality, energy and cost efficient environment for employees. More than 4,000 employees will move to the new space beginning in Q3 2014.

More.......http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?storyid={e66b3e98-842d-4308-9320-baf2fbfed0aa}
 
very interesting indeed.......from the press release...

ox800.jpg
 
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