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umademethisway
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
Oh, what a let down. The previous design is much better than the new rendering. What a let down. At least the height is still there.
Oh, what a let down. The previous design is much better than the new rendering. What a let down. At least the height is still there.
W
wyliepoon
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
Here I go again... 1 Bloor East in Google Earth/Sketchup.
Link to Google Earth model
In case you're wondering, my model is 850' tall, with each residential floor ~10 ft in height. Please feel free to comment or make suggestions!
Here I go again... 1 Bloor East in Google Earth/Sketchup.
Link to Google Earth model
In case you're wondering, my model is 850' tall, with each residential floor ~10 ft in height. Please feel free to comment or make suggestions!
G
ganjavih
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
Cool pics, wylie. Starting to look kinda New Yawkish.
Cool pics, wylie. Starting to look kinda New Yawkish.
I
isaidsoTNR
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
Cringe. Cringe. Cringe.
Can we refrain from trying to be 'New Yawk' or anything other than Toronto and developing our own style. It's really embarassing. The message from statements like that is we're not good enough, we have to import some New York to Toronto.
People in confident Chicago would never do it. Can you imagine a tower called New York Towers in Chicago? It wouldn't sell. People would consider it an insult to every Chicagoan. That's because they don't feel subordinate. They would be irked and yell: Chicago isn't good enough for you, well why don't you leave and go to New York then.
New York Towers, Hollywood North, Baseball North, Milan, London on the Esplanade, Malibu? Confident global cities don't wish to be someone else, they get emulated themselves by insecure cities.
New Yorkers and Londoners don't build towers called Toronto Towers or talk about Toronto style condos. We'd laugh at them, as I know they do at us every time they hear a reference like that.
I'd die of embarassment if I lived in a tower called London on the Esplanade. I'm from London, so I asked the sales woman, does the London refer to a tiny creaking flat with weeds and no water pressure? I'd rather live in a Toronto loft, thank you very much.
Cringe. Cringe. Cringe.
Can we refrain from trying to be 'New Yawk' or anything other than Toronto and developing our own style. It's really embarassing. The message from statements like that is we're not good enough, we have to import some New York to Toronto.
People in confident Chicago would never do it. Can you imagine a tower called New York Towers in Chicago? It wouldn't sell. People would consider it an insult to every Chicagoan. That's because they don't feel subordinate. They would be irked and yell: Chicago isn't good enough for you, well why don't you leave and go to New York then.
New York Towers, Hollywood North, Baseball North, Milan, London on the Esplanade, Malibu? Confident global cities don't wish to be someone else, they get emulated themselves by insecure cities.
New Yorkers and Londoners don't build towers called Toronto Towers or talk about Toronto style condos. We'd laugh at them, as I know they do at us every time they hear a reference like that.
I'd die of embarassment if I lived in a tower called London on the Esplanade. I'm from London, so I asked the sales woman, does the London refer to a tiny creaking flat with weeds and no water pressure? I'd rather live in a Toronto loft, thank you very much.
P
prometheus the supremo
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
but trying to be new york is part of toronto identity!
just look at "new toronto" with its numbered streets, etc.
heck, before we were called toronto we were called york! and then when it became metro toronto we had north york, east york, york, yorkville, etc. mel even put i (heart) NY on the blue boxes!
of course "york" is just half of name "new york", much like half of the stuff in toronto is named after places & things from new york. :lol
it is tacky though. just like bayview & 401 :b
toronto does have its own identity but it seems like too many things get built by people with more money than taste/sense/or knowledge of the area they build in.
of course sometimes they use a tacky name to make their project look nice when an area isn't quite attractive.
if you built a tower near the keele valey landfill site, you wouldn't call it "the methane tower" or " seagulls and plastic bags appartments"
but then again, one not need to look at the present for an inspiration for a name, the past can usually add some class.
but trying to be new york is part of toronto identity!
just look at "new toronto" with its numbered streets, etc.
heck, before we were called toronto we were called york! and then when it became metro toronto we had north york, east york, york, yorkville, etc. mel even put i (heart) NY on the blue boxes!
of course "york" is just half of name "new york", much like half of the stuff in toronto is named after places & things from new york. :lol
it is tacky though. just like bayview & 401 :b
toronto does have its own identity but it seems like too many things get built by people with more money than taste/sense/or knowledge of the area they build in.
of course sometimes they use a tacky name to make their project look nice when an area isn't quite attractive.
if you built a tower near the keele valey landfill site, you wouldn't call it "the methane tower" or " seagulls and plastic bags appartments"
but then again, one not need to look at the present for an inspiration for a name, the past can usually add some class.
A
Archivistower
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
isaido, the only thing that makes me cringe is your response to a harmless comment. I think just the opposite, New York is a touchstone for any city in the world, and references to New York and its buildings and architecture are rife whereever you are, and of course they are, because New York is well, New York. I remember driving through an extremely small town in Uruguay and seeing a huge store on their main square with a big American flag and a statue of liberty. I cringed, but of course, ought not have been surprised.
Condo and building names have no meaning. They cannot be taken as expressing anything outside of themselves.
Click below for a link to The New York, in Chicago.
The New York (in Chicago)
isaido, the only thing that makes me cringe is your response to a harmless comment. I think just the opposite, New York is a touchstone for any city in the world, and references to New York and its buildings and architecture are rife whereever you are, and of course they are, because New York is well, New York. I remember driving through an extremely small town in Uruguay and seeing a huge store on their main square with a big American flag and a statue of liberty. I cringed, but of course, ought not have been surprised.
Condo and building names have no meaning. They cannot be taken as expressing anything outside of themselves.
Click below for a link to The New York, in Chicago.
The New York (in Chicago)
Y
yyzer
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
Hume's on board.....
Why Kazakh tower makes sense for Bloor-Yonge
Apr 06, 2007 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
Urban Issues
It would be hard to imagine a more unlikely scenario: A developer from of all places, Kazakhstan, shows up in of all places, Toronto, and decides to build of all things, an 80-storey condo/hotel at, of all locations, the corner of Yonge and Bloor.
No, this is not a new Borat movie, it's just another day in the life of this city.
And before you start with the jokes, two things: The developer, Bazis International, already has permission to start work on the building, and second, it has committed $450 million to the project.
It will also contribute $2 million to rehabilitate Bloor St., straight from Kazakhstan to Toronto's most prestigious shopping district.
Some may be laughing, but Councillor Kyle Rae (Toronto-Centre-Rosedale) isn't one of them. He couldn't be more excited. Speaking at a press conference called yesterday by Bazis, Rae couldn't contain his enthusiasm.
"The southeast corner of Bloor and Yonge," he rightly noted, "is an eyesore and a failure."
But then, so are the other three corners. Given that this is one of the city's most important intersections, that's not good. In fact, one might wonder why it has taken so long for something to happen on the site. Situated at the crossroads of the two major subway lines, close to practically everything, Bloor and Yonge has been ripe for redevelopment for years. It's extraordinary that it has taken so long for something to happen.
And before the NIMBYites start screaming about the height, let's get one thing straight: there is no better location in all Toronto where an 80-storey residential tower makes more sense. Besides, city council approved the construction of an earlier tower, same height though fewer floors, four years ago.
And in case anyone has forgotten, the nearby ManuLife Centre comes in at 51 storeys.
Though Torontonians are loath to admit it, the small town they think they live in has become a big city. That means tall buildings and greater densities. Those ratty two- and three-storey boxes that line so many of our main streets will slowly but surely disappear – as they should.
"We're competing with other cities and countries for investment," Rae noted. "It's time now to start acting like a big city."
As Rae also made clear, "This is where the highest building in the neighbourhood belongs."
For Michael Gold, Bazis's director of acquisitions and finance, Toronto makes sense because property here is so cheap by international standards. The firm has built in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, as well as Moscow and St. Petersburg.
"Toronto is a most desired place to live," he declared yesterday. "Prices of real estate are still undervalued compared to the world cities. We believe real estate prices here have a long way to go."
It's an argument that's been heard before, but not so often by people actually willing to spend money. Donald Trump, for instance, said the same thing three or four years ago about Toronto, and his site at Bay and Adelaide sits empty.
The only problem with the Bazis scheme, which would include three double-height floors of retail at grade, a hotel on top and, above that, condos – is the design. Toronto architect Roy Varacalli has come up with a scheme that would look more at home in Dubai, Shanghai or some other instant-city than in Toronto. Let's be honest, glitz isn't us.
This multi-part tower consists of two "masses" – as Varacalli calls them – one, curved, faces west, the second, straight-edged and square, looks east. The idea is to reflect the differences in the two halves of the city. The west side, according to Varacalli, is playful and loose. The east is more staid.
For better or worse, the building will be an icon simply by virtue of its height and location. Indeed, it will change the neighbourhood dramatically. But this is a tower that speaks the language of empty slickness. It is more rhinestone than diamond.
But as Varacalli pointed out, the building remains a work in progress. Let's hope there's time for improvement. His design for Bazis's other Toronto project, Crystal Blue, is much more convincing.
But the pressure's on; demolition of the site will begin later this year and One Bloor East is scheduled to be completed by 2011.
Hume's on board.....
Why Kazakh tower makes sense for Bloor-Yonge
Apr 06, 2007 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
Urban Issues
It would be hard to imagine a more unlikely scenario: A developer from of all places, Kazakhstan, shows up in of all places, Toronto, and decides to build of all things, an 80-storey condo/hotel at, of all locations, the corner of Yonge and Bloor.
No, this is not a new Borat movie, it's just another day in the life of this city.
And before you start with the jokes, two things: The developer, Bazis International, already has permission to start work on the building, and second, it has committed $450 million to the project.
It will also contribute $2 million to rehabilitate Bloor St., straight from Kazakhstan to Toronto's most prestigious shopping district.
Some may be laughing, but Councillor Kyle Rae (Toronto-Centre-Rosedale) isn't one of them. He couldn't be more excited. Speaking at a press conference called yesterday by Bazis, Rae couldn't contain his enthusiasm.
"The southeast corner of Bloor and Yonge," he rightly noted, "is an eyesore and a failure."
But then, so are the other three corners. Given that this is one of the city's most important intersections, that's not good. In fact, one might wonder why it has taken so long for something to happen on the site. Situated at the crossroads of the two major subway lines, close to practically everything, Bloor and Yonge has been ripe for redevelopment for years. It's extraordinary that it has taken so long for something to happen.
And before the NIMBYites start screaming about the height, let's get one thing straight: there is no better location in all Toronto where an 80-storey residential tower makes more sense. Besides, city council approved the construction of an earlier tower, same height though fewer floors, four years ago.
And in case anyone has forgotten, the nearby ManuLife Centre comes in at 51 storeys.
Though Torontonians are loath to admit it, the small town they think they live in has become a big city. That means tall buildings and greater densities. Those ratty two- and three-storey boxes that line so many of our main streets will slowly but surely disappear – as they should.
"We're competing with other cities and countries for investment," Rae noted. "It's time now to start acting like a big city."
As Rae also made clear, "This is where the highest building in the neighbourhood belongs."
For Michael Gold, Bazis's director of acquisitions and finance, Toronto makes sense because property here is so cheap by international standards. The firm has built in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, as well as Moscow and St. Petersburg.
"Toronto is a most desired place to live," he declared yesterday. "Prices of real estate are still undervalued compared to the world cities. We believe real estate prices here have a long way to go."
It's an argument that's been heard before, but not so often by people actually willing to spend money. Donald Trump, for instance, said the same thing three or four years ago about Toronto, and his site at Bay and Adelaide sits empty.
The only problem with the Bazis scheme, which would include three double-height floors of retail at grade, a hotel on top and, above that, condos – is the design. Toronto architect Roy Varacalli has come up with a scheme that would look more at home in Dubai, Shanghai or some other instant-city than in Toronto. Let's be honest, glitz isn't us.
This multi-part tower consists of two "masses" – as Varacalli calls them – one, curved, faces west, the second, straight-edged and square, looks east. The idea is to reflect the differences in the two halves of the city. The west side, according to Varacalli, is playful and loose. The east is more staid.
For better or worse, the building will be an icon simply by virtue of its height and location. Indeed, it will change the neighbourhood dramatically. But this is a tower that speaks the language of empty slickness. It is more rhinestone than diamond.
But as Varacalli pointed out, the building remains a work in progress. Let's hope there's time for improvement. His design for Bazis's other Toronto project, Crystal Blue, is much more convincing.
But the pressure's on; demolition of the site will begin later this year and One Bloor East is scheduled to be completed by 2011.
A
AlexisTO
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
Christopher Hume has a positive article about 1BE in today's Star. There is a elevation comparison of 1BE, FCP and Scotia Bank. According to the article 1BE is 223M tall.
Christopher Hume has a positive article about 1BE in today's Star. There is a elevation comparison of 1BE, FCP and Scotia Bank. According to the article 1BE is 223M tall.
Y
yyzer
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
and from the Globe...interesting, no mention of height...
Mega project will soar over Yonge-Bloor intersection
$500-million tower provides major boost for 'underachieving' southeast corner
DANNY GALLAGHER
Special to The Globe and Mail
It's about time. That seemed to be the prevailing sentiment yesterday with the official news that one of the city's paramount downtown addresses is getting a makeover that will include one of the country's tallest residential towers.
Bazis International, a little-known real-estate developer that has its origins in Kazakhstan, is undertaking a $500-million, 80-storey project at 1 Bloor St. E., the neglected southeast corner of Yonge and Bloor.
"People coming through that area on a Friday or Saturday night would call Toronto a hick town, but this project will transform that intersection," Councillor Kyle Rae said at a news conference yesterday.
"For years, there has always been something missing in that intersection and it was in the southeast corner," said Mr. Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale). "It's been an underachieving, rundown retail development. It's a failed corner."
Bazis purchased the land from Kolter Property a few months ago and plans to start demolishing the buildings on the half-hectare site by the end of this year. Completion is set for 2011. The plans include extensive retail space, a 120-room hotel and 500 condos, but not a movie theatre, which had been part of the original plan approved by city council four years ago. The development will run one full block south to Hayden Street and east along Bloor.
"As a kid born and raised in Toronto, I always thought that intersection was the crossroads of the city and the country," Roy Varacalli, Bazis director of design and construction, said. "Then when I went to school, I always dreamt about designing a project for that corner. Not only will I be the architect but I'm completing the loop by building it."
The retail podium will offer 9,290 square metres of shopping on three levels with six-metre ceilings on each retail floor. Retailers targeted for the leased space will include flagship stores for national, international and regional brands.
Mr. Varacalli would not reveal the purchase price, but did indicate that the assessed value of that property, $33.66-million for 2007, would probably at least double based on the sale price.
The price of condos in the complex won't be determined until later in the year, but the square footage will range from 550 to 1,800 for suites and up to 10,000 for a penthouse.
Mr. Varacalli said that in drawings for the building he wanted to create a dialogue between the different character of west and east Bloor Street.
"The west side is playful, polished and vibrant in retail," Mr. Varacalli said. "The east side is safe, secure but dormant."
Although downtown Toronto has seen a surge in high-end condo projects, Michael Gold, Bazis's director of acquisitions and finance, said, the market is neither oversaturated nor overpriced.
"If you look at other major cities like New York, Tokyo, Moscow and others, you can buy property here for one-third of the price," Mr. Gold said. "People from around the world and people living in Toronto will want to buy condos in this project. It's an icon tower. It will be the No. 1 address in Canada."
Bazis International is affiliated with the Bazis-A group of Kazakhstan, which has operations in development, construction and manufacturing of construction materials. Most of Bazis's projects are in Central Europe, but it entered the Canadian market several years ago as an equity investor and recently made a splash investment with its construction of Crystal Blu, a 35-storey condo tower just a few blocks west of its newest project.
and from the Globe...interesting, no mention of height...
Mega project will soar over Yonge-Bloor intersection
$500-million tower provides major boost for 'underachieving' southeast corner
DANNY GALLAGHER
Special to The Globe and Mail
It's about time. That seemed to be the prevailing sentiment yesterday with the official news that one of the city's paramount downtown addresses is getting a makeover that will include one of the country's tallest residential towers.
Bazis International, a little-known real-estate developer that has its origins in Kazakhstan, is undertaking a $500-million, 80-storey project at 1 Bloor St. E., the neglected southeast corner of Yonge and Bloor.
"People coming through that area on a Friday or Saturday night would call Toronto a hick town, but this project will transform that intersection," Councillor Kyle Rae said at a news conference yesterday.
"For years, there has always been something missing in that intersection and it was in the southeast corner," said Mr. Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale). "It's been an underachieving, rundown retail development. It's a failed corner."
Bazis purchased the land from Kolter Property a few months ago and plans to start demolishing the buildings on the half-hectare site by the end of this year. Completion is set for 2011. The plans include extensive retail space, a 120-room hotel and 500 condos, but not a movie theatre, which had been part of the original plan approved by city council four years ago. The development will run one full block south to Hayden Street and east along Bloor.
"As a kid born and raised in Toronto, I always thought that intersection was the crossroads of the city and the country," Roy Varacalli, Bazis director of design and construction, said. "Then when I went to school, I always dreamt about designing a project for that corner. Not only will I be the architect but I'm completing the loop by building it."
The retail podium will offer 9,290 square metres of shopping on three levels with six-metre ceilings on each retail floor. Retailers targeted for the leased space will include flagship stores for national, international and regional brands.
Mr. Varacalli would not reveal the purchase price, but did indicate that the assessed value of that property, $33.66-million for 2007, would probably at least double based on the sale price.
The price of condos in the complex won't be determined until later in the year, but the square footage will range from 550 to 1,800 for suites and up to 10,000 for a penthouse.
Mr. Varacalli said that in drawings for the building he wanted to create a dialogue between the different character of west and east Bloor Street.
"The west side is playful, polished and vibrant in retail," Mr. Varacalli said. "The east side is safe, secure but dormant."
Although downtown Toronto has seen a surge in high-end condo projects, Michael Gold, Bazis's director of acquisitions and finance, said, the market is neither oversaturated nor overpriced.
"If you look at other major cities like New York, Tokyo, Moscow and others, you can buy property here for one-third of the price," Mr. Gold said. "People from around the world and people living in Toronto will want to buy condos in this project. It's an icon tower. It will be the No. 1 address in Canada."
Bazis International is affiliated with the Bazis-A group of Kazakhstan, which has operations in development, construction and manufacturing of construction materials. Most of Bazis's projects are in Central Europe, but it entered the Canadian market several years ago as an equity investor and recently made a splash investment with its construction of Crystal Blu, a 35-storey condo tower just a few blocks west of its newest project.
B
Brighter Hell
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
including London, where they do have condos named after New York references.
M
mpolo2
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
I dont like the building as presented. I think the point tower here looks incongruent against the base (and surrounding buildings). It seems like we are building way too many buildings in this mode. I have this feeling that 25 years from now we will be wondering what we were thinking. Also, though it is not really fair given it is only one rendering but it looks like it will be kind of cheap.
I dont like the building as presented. I think the point tower here looks incongruent against the base (and surrounding buildings). It seems like we are building way too many buildings in this mode. I have this feeling that 25 years from now we will be wondering what we were thinking. Also, though it is not really fair given it is only one rendering but it looks like it will be kind of cheap.
3
3Dementia
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
Wylie... here's the elevation AlexisTO rferred to.
You can see the slope of the roof element better and the lean of the east and west facades (one south and one north).
Wylie... here's the elevation AlexisTO rferred to.
You can see the slope of the roof element better and the lean of the east and west facades (one south and one north).
M
mark simpson
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
too straight - the floorplate at least on the west side bends outward (becomes larger) as the tower rises (use the large rendering)
too straight - the floorplate at least on the west side bends outward (becomes larger) as the tower rises (use the large rendering)
G
ganjavih
Guest
Re: RE: Yonge and bloor - 80 stories
So what happened to that cool curvy design on the first page of this thread? It's become just another typical Toronto highrise. Oh well, it'll still be a welcome addition to the area.
So what happened to that cool curvy design on the first page of this thread? It's become just another typical Toronto highrise. Oh well, it'll still be a welcome addition to the area.
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