You can view the page at http://urbantoronto.ca/content.php?1877-Should-Toronto-Protect-Its-Important-View-Corridors
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- Thread starter interchange42
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neubilder
Banned
The view corridor of the Royal York Hotel from the South (primarily from the Gardiner Exp) used to be the defining view of Toronto. In the last 3-4 years however it's been all but eclipsed by towers. Not suggesting that the towers were a mistake, but the Royal York Hotel, once the iconic centrepiece of Toronto`s (only)monumental precinct, is now dwarfed and hardly visible other than by craning your neck from Front St. If view corridors had been a consideration a strategy could have been developed that would not only have emphasized the Royal York, but set off the new towers and engaged them in the historic and cultural narrative of the city. Not the hodge podge we are stuck with today.
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TonyV
Senior Member
I'd get on this bandwagon, but I'm afraid that I may break a stiletto making the jump.
So many of the "view corridors" are gone now, that's my problem.
The rap sheet is impressive:
- starting with Bell Canada building north of Old City Hall; the Bell building is visible above Old City Hall from lower Bay, and this totally ruined Old City Hall's outline from the south
- insult added to injury with ROCP further north of Old City Hall
- a ventilation stack visible between the two towers of New City Hall
- and I've only started
I can't get worked up about protecting what is left, and maybe that is because I get this feeling that the ship can't be turned around. In other words, "it's too late baby, now it's too late" ....
Specific to Queen's Park, I think it's personal. Generally I detest what goes on inside of that joint.
So many of the "view corridors" are gone now, that's my problem.
The rap sheet is impressive:
- starting with Bell Canada building north of Old City Hall; the Bell building is visible above Old City Hall from lower Bay, and this totally ruined Old City Hall's outline from the south
- insult added to injury with ROCP further north of Old City Hall
- a ventilation stack visible between the two towers of New City Hall
- and I've only started
I can't get worked up about protecting what is left, and maybe that is because I get this feeling that the ship can't be turned around. In other words, "it's too late baby, now it's too late" ....
Specific to Queen's Park, I think it's personal. Generally I detest what goes on inside of that joint.
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ahmad.m.atiya
Banned
These view corridors are extremely anti-productive. I honestly cannot believe that people would listen to this. It is EXACTLY the same as the crazy people who complain about their balcony views because of a new condo going up. 
neubilder
Banned
These view corridors are extremely anti-productive. I honestly cannot believe that people would listen to this. It is EXACTLY the same as the crazy people who complain about their balcony views because of a new condo going up.
View corridors in London - in fact every significant European city -, are considered sacred. Hard to imagine Torontontonians, but these cities didn`t become the beautiful historic and striking modern places they are today by accident. They certainly didn`t get that way by letting development happen with almost no idea of the bigger picture. We are kids playing in the sand box, building the biggest city in the country.
JasonParis
Moderator
A case in point would be Big Ben from Trafalgar...
Indeed, Toronto's lost most of its view corridors, but I'm not sure that's a reason not to protect the few we have left.
Indeed, Toronto's lost most of its view corridors, but I'm not sure that's a reason not to protect the few we have left.
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MDV3
Active Member
guys!
MDV3
Active Member
GUYS! This is Toronto! NOT a beautiful European city. YES protect the corridors we have left but remember most of our historical building are torn down and filled with condo's so we dont exactly have the "london situation"
barksdale_stanfield
New Member
I agree with toronto3. Toronto isn't even close to how it looks in London. I don't think Torontonians look at Queen's Park in the same light as Big Ben for London.
To be honest, Queen's Park is barely lit at night. The least they can do is spotlight the building better.
neubilder
Banned
This perpective explains why in Toronto we continue to treat the scant few historic buildings that remain with little or no regard. Why the Toronto version of historic conservation is to turn historic buildings into frakenstein - by reducing Historic buildings to facades glommed onto tacky new condo towers.
Case in point is One Bedford, or the proposal for the LCBO site at King and Spadina. The recently restored building to the east on King will be reduced to a facade glued to the podium of a new tower if the development gets approved.
neubilder
Banned
And that perspective will ensure that what little soul remains in TO is beaten down and rubbed out completely. I get it, this is how Rob Ford got elected.
landscapeurbanismTO
New Member
Exactly! I share the same sentiments. We need to preserve both physical and visual history now before all traces of it can only be found in those books of Toronto-the-past that we all love to look at. London respects their rich historical vernacular, Toronto can and should too. It seems like some viewpoints here have already given in thinking that Toronto can only go as far as second best.
ahmad.m.atiya
Banned
You're honestly going to try to tell me that view corridors equate to productivity when Paris (just one example) has decided to build an entirely new area where there are no view corridors strictly because of how unproductive and how anti-progress the rest of the city has become (I'm referring to La Defense).
I truly hope, for your sake, that what you are saying is a joke.
neubilder
Banned
You're honestly going to try to tell me that view corridors equate to productivity when Paris (just one example) has decided to build an entirely new area where there are no view corridors strictly because of how unproductive and how anti-progress the rest of the city has become (I'm referring to La Defense).
I truly hope, for your sake, that what you are saying is a joke.
And are you suggesting that Paris should open the floodgates to redevelopment in the Historic quarters of the city?
Red October
Senior Member
We need to save what precious view corridors we have left. People are saying "Toronto isn't London", well you're right, but is that an excuse to CONTINUE ruining all the view corridors and historic buildings??
Would London be where it is today in terms of beauty if at one point they just said "screw it" and destroyed anything? We need to start preserving this sort of thing or we'll continue our horrible reputation of destruction and become a city with no character or sense of place..
Would London be where it is today in terms of beauty if at one point they just said "screw it" and destroyed anything? We need to start preserving this sort of thing or we'll continue our horrible reputation of destruction and become a city with no character or sense of place..