Use for 200 days is a bad thing? Because that leaves days when it is not used? Right now it sits empty 365 days a year. So we are getting a vast improvement. And the hotel will be active 365 days. Further, something like this can be a springboard for further development and other uses...

Those grates on the upper half look terrible (and the whole unit looks cheap as heck). Details count and we know the architects appreciate this fact. Cheapening by the developer?

Yes, you too can have architecture meant for a Disney theme park, right in your own city! This is architecture meant as a theatre set: 100% phony. But meant to amuse and give off an "impression" of something that it is not. There is no way I can respect this except to the degree to which it...

The more this building grows, the more it is growing on me. Nice materials and details so far. Nothing exceptional but not bad (and I will take "not bad" at this point, sadly).

Is it my imagination or does every building on this street have a terrible street presence? The whole street is a deadzone because of it. (and ugly on top of it). Instead of a nice tree lined residential street with eyes on the street, or a quaint retail strip with small cafes etc, you get...

The design appears to be a bit too busy, with too many design elements that do not look they belong together. A little more refinement would be great. The base and how it meets the street seems decent enough.

I really do not understand how they will deal with traffic flow. With the mall alone, the area is a traffic nightmare, with even the off ramp on the 401 backed up during peak hours. I can't imagine how the area will handle thousands of condo dwellers and office workers on top of the present...

That podium doesn't work, does it. Instead of the vertical elements pulling into a base with nice materials and features, adding interesting details to a well designed and proportioned front door, lobby, etc, we have the vertical elements just hanging on their own, out of place and in the way...

Wow, Kirkor, if you can pull this off and have it appear as in the render, you will have my respect.....for this project at least.

The podium is fine and it looks like it treats the street with respect, the proper scale and detailing. The tower though?: I am not sure how they could have made it more of a mess.

I would love to see a more detailed photo/plan/render for the base. The very plain back of the building does not concern me but the street ground level does and here's hoping it is as interesting as the new "hats" on top of the buildings. I do not mind this new tower treatment and I understand...

And this area, surrounded by mediocre office buildings/condos and an elevated freeway, could use some kitsch.

I am not convinced by this argument, as good use of materials does not always mean simply just "good materials"/ Would brick been any more expensive than the cheap looking panels they used? Probably not. In fact, it probably would have been cheaper.

This is a very decent proposal, with what looks like quality materials (a decent glass) and a decent form. And Freed almost always comes through with his designs and intentions. So there is that. I am not sure what the city is getting at the ground level in terms of retail space, as we are...

Where are the moderators?

I thought this thread was about the Gehry project and not necessarily about height fetishes (with respect).

I may be a bit cynical, but of course the developer is going to say the Mirvish/Gehry project is moving ahead, because he needs that building's height to justify the height of this new development (what we don't know is why Mirvish/Gehry is still being delayed and thus the lack of transparency...

This forum has turned into Reddit. ;)

Can anyone access that rooftop basketball court? Is it open to the public?

"Cheap and ugly" vs "expensive and aesthetically pleasing" is a false choice. Good design and aesthetically pleasing material sets can be done on the cheap. It is simply a matter of laziness, lack of creativity and simple incompetency that the "cheap" buildings in this area (this condo, in...