You can view the page at http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2010/10/empires-beyond-sea-star-tower-making-mark-south-etobicoke
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- Thread starter interchange42
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Peepers
Banned
Amazing to think that it has been 32 years since Palace Pier was built. 32 years later nothing built on Humber Bay since then can match Palace Pier in grandeur including - it appears - this project.
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Red October
Senior Member
^ What are you talking about?? Palace Pier is an eyesore...
WiddleBittyKitty
Felis catus
Eyesore? That great brown cruciform sentinel has been the handsome entrance gate to Toronto for as long as I can remember - I just wish there were two of them. (Why oh why did they not do a better job of matching Palace Place to Palace Pier when it was built?)
I think the key to this project will be its podium (as the towers' peaked hats are a little silly) as the podium looks like it's proportioned just right... as long as there is some life at ground level. Are all of the lower units facing Lakeshore "Live-Work"? Or are there any just plain retail units in it? This stretch of Lakeshore needs walk-able commercial for the thousands that will be living in the area as the rest of the condos go in down there.
I think the key to this project will be its podium (as the towers' peaked hats are a little silly) as the podium looks like it's proportioned just right... as long as there is some life at ground level. Are all of the lower units facing Lakeshore "Live-Work"? Or are there any just plain retail units in it? This stretch of Lakeshore needs walk-able commercial for the thousands that will be living in the area as the rest of the condos go in down there.
Redroom Studios
Senior Member
while they may not win any awards I like the curved faces looking out to the lake and the roof elements convey a sailing motif that is appropriate for the location.
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neuhaus
Senior Member
the sail-like toppers of the towers is rather unfortunate and would look better without.
I still can't get over the 'Beyond the Sea' name for this project, and the kitchy starfish theme -- it triggers the 'Little Mermaid' theme song in my head. Lake Ontario is not exactly a sea.
The podium is the most interesting part of this development.
I still can't get over the 'Beyond the Sea' name for this project, and the kitchy starfish theme -- it triggers the 'Little Mermaid' theme song in my head. Lake Ontario is not exactly a sea.
The podium is the most interesting part of this development.
I think that for those who live inland from the ocean, but not on one of the Great Lakes, that Lake Ontario and the other four are far bigger lakes than most other people normally experience, and that it is not too much of a stretch to think of these particular lakes as inland seas. It would never have hit me that way until first time visitors to TO from the Midwest (they hadn't even been to Chicago to see Lake Michigan at that point) told me "I can't believe you call this a lake!"
So, granted, it's still a bit poetic and romantic to think of Lake Ontario as a sea, and the poetry and romanticism becomes gimmicky in the hands of marketers... but big frickin' deal. Why not celebrate the fact that your condo is on the water? Most getting built close to it do, and they are all scrambling over one another to differentiate themselves from the others, so the theming is going to go in ways slightly skewed from the others. Since we're so often so down on Lake Ontario ('ewww, I would never swim in that') marketers import positive associations with water from elsewhere. Here they're going with the sea, a few blocks away another development is going whole-hog with Ocean Club (hands up, baby).
When it comes down to it, you check out the incredible views of the city these units will have over the Humber Bay parks and the lake, and they could call this place Coromandel* Dreams and I would forgive them.
42
* New Zealand, off of Auckland, look it up...
So, granted, it's still a bit poetic and romantic to think of Lake Ontario as a sea, and the poetry and romanticism becomes gimmicky in the hands of marketers... but big frickin' deal. Why not celebrate the fact that your condo is on the water? Most getting built close to it do, and they are all scrambling over one another to differentiate themselves from the others, so the theming is going to go in ways slightly skewed from the others. Since we're so often so down on Lake Ontario ('ewww, I would never swim in that') marketers import positive associations with water from elsewhere. Here they're going with the sea, a few blocks away another development is going whole-hog with Ocean Club (hands up, baby).
When it comes down to it, you check out the incredible views of the city these units will have over the Humber Bay parks and the lake, and they could call this place Coromandel* Dreams and I would forgive them.
42
* New Zealand, off of Auckland, look it up...
Red October
Senior Member
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Palace_Pier
Is this not Palace Pier/are there not 2 of them?
Cause in my opinion they aren't the prettiest of buildings for someone entering Toronto..
Clarification: There will be commercial/retail units spanning the entire Lake Shore side; from Legion Road to the creek bridge, the first floor will be walk-up retail with the second floor being office space. The third and fourth floors are residential "Colonnade" units mentioned in the article. Empire has not sold any of the retail at this time, but will do shortly. The Live/work units will comprise the first two floors of the North Tower (phase 1) along Legion Road.
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Uncle Teddy
Senior Member
Nice update.
sodapop
Active Member
i live in palace pier, i agree its not to pretty one the outside but on the inside its pretty sweet 
palace place is the other one and i like that one's exterior better, it was built acouple years later and they scratched the concrete which is i think what makes the building alittle ugly...
palace place is the other one and i like that one's exterior better, it was built acouple years later and they scratched the concrete which is i think what makes the building alittle ugly...4pook
Active Member
The little pointy hats are totally silly. Without them this project would look a lot classier.
ponyboy
Active Member
I applaud this projects incorporation of kid-oriented amenities in the podium. Are the units similarly suited for families with children? To thrive in the long term, condo communities need the entire range of family forms, and I hope more effort is done with future downtown developments to encourage families with kids to live in them.