[paraone]

BTW, when I buy cotton docker type pants in Canada, I can wear them out in a matter of 6 - 8 weeks of regular wear. The pants I have made here are of superior quality when it comes to material. They last until they no longer fit

I suggest next time you buy pants in Canada, you check the tag, chances are they are made in China! Same shit dude.

 

[Edward Skira]

Stick to the topic.

 

[Geekaroo]

Walking home

 

[grey]

Thanks, Geekaroo.

Is it just the photo, or is the backlighting so crappy because they only installed lights down the centre of that huge box so that the edges remain dark (the new Yoplait one)?

 

[Venti de Milo]

Thanks, Geekaroo.

Is it just the photo, or is the backlighting so crappy because they only installed lights down the centre of that huge box so that the edges remain dark (the new Yoplait one)?

cause they don't want those Greenfreaks marching down there and protest?

 

[Logan]

The mechanical clutter on the roof is unfortunate. Too bad they didn't spend a couple more dollars and screen it.

I was really hoping that this project would save it inself in the details but seriously, it looks like they axed all the details. Will something be done to light up that large column (to the right of the Telus ad)?

Also, WTF is up with those patio railings? It looks like a sheet of metal. Glass would have been nice to be able to see out at the square while sipping a Niagara vintage.

Further, it was a sad realiazation that I had been stairing at a massive Yogurt ad for 2 minutes.

 

[cacruden]

I suggest next time you buy pants in Canada, you check the tag, chances are they are made in China! Same shit dude.

Last off topic comment.

The clothes I buy are made here (by that taylor), the material... you get your choice (with associated costs) - and it can come from many locations - and of differing quality - your choice - not the lowest common denominator that we get in Toronto (generally available). If it was, I would be wearing through the pants much quicker. Material types available are (no particular order - for different purposes): Cashmere, cotton, wool, silk. The taylor that I deal with was recommended by someone who worked here at the Canadian Embassy... and has been doing business in the same location for 35 years (now him and his sons). Because of the higher costs here they have lost some of their textile industry (for international companies) to China - which is of lower quality (but that is the mass produced stuff).

 

[cacruden]

I've bitched alot about this shitty project, and I guess I will continue bitching....

1, that big long billboard, how come no light? So dark.
2, the tri-vision board, again, too dark.
3, the whole facade is just very un-even. Some boards have light, some dark and that tv screen is too bright.
4, the Future Shop is a total tragic. Walking on the street, looking upstair, the whole floor looks horrible. If I don't know it's FS, I'd NOT even want to go up and find out what it is, nothing to desire about.

Now come the non-TLS bitching.

Eaton Centre, the whole billboard strip from Dundas to Queen....how come there's no light? It is in total darkness. Please don't tell me the light bulbs have burned out, cause I noticed it happened before Xmas. I know they may need many men to change a light bulb, but it shouldn't take that long. No?

I have not been a strong critic of TLS, and commercialized frontage used for advertising I like.

I still wish they completely took over the complete block (but that would have forced Salad King to move), take down the parking garage and build a massive project... I am guessing that the garage concrete would have been very expensive to demolish due to its solid construction.

I would like more of the advertising on the front to be active (not passive posters).... hopefully some of the advertising space will be upgraded with the maturity and attractiveness of that location (for advertising - not the building).

 

[adma]

Also, WTF is up with those patio railings? It looks like a sheet of metal. Glass would have been nice to be able to see out at the square while sipping a Niagara vintage.

Ah, "Niagara vintage". Methinks that may be inspiring yet another characterization of TLS's architectural style...

 

[caltrane74]

Ah, "Niagara vintage". Methinks that may be inspiring yet another characterization of TLS's architectural style...

Or just another way of saying "cheap"

I wish the patio railing had been glass too. - Oh well.

 

[Pfloyd]

My problem is that after returning from Bangkok, Toronto's shopping will be totally unimpressive.

Where I am now, the Shopping around the Siam section of the sky walk includes:

Siam Discovery (forget the exact name): modern multi-level shopping complex - which connects to

Siam Paragon, which is larger and more modern than Eaton Centre - around 7 floors, bottom is Ocean World, top is IMAX theatre (and other theatres). In between there is an L shaped shopping floor (longer than Eaton Centre) that wraps around Paragon Department store. The bottom floor starts with a food court, gourmet grocery store, desert stands, then runs down the length of the floor with higher end restaurants around a lagoon. On the second floor they have a Lamborgini store, a BMW store, Ferrari store, there are Lotus cars on display (which are on sale now). The shopping there is fairly high end (and again significantly larger than the eaton centre).

Central World - which was recently renovated is next to Siam Paragon, and has 7 floors each floor larger than the Eaton Centre (by 2 to 3 times the size), with stores in there.

Across the road there is the Gaysorn (or Gaythorn) shopping centre which is much smaller which has most of the major luxury brands.

Which is connected by the skywalk to another major department store (7 floors), which is also fairly high-end department store with a gourmet grocer on the ground floor.

Around the corner back from the Discovery is the MBK which is a multi-level shopping (probably around 7 floors) with lower end shopping - smaller stalls - but still great to visit.

There are several other large shopping centers around the sky train route as well.

Amazing.

Thank you very much for the information about Siam Paragon. I went to their website and it looks pretty cool. The other developments nearby look amazing, as well. That shows that we don't need to go the "capitals of the world" (London, Paris, NYC, Tokio) to see cool development. This is in Thailand, which last time I checked is in a third world country. I guess they didn't follow the defeatist philosophy we hear so much here:

"We are not worthy of such grandeur and sophistication and investment in the built environment, we are not big enough of a country, city, etc, etc."

 

[Pfloyd]

Still surprises me how much people complain about Toronto Life Square. The project was approved a long time ago - what is done, is done. Be happy it's not the dingy, run-down and sketchy area it once was...it's ten times better now.

Sign colours come and go...what is white today, will probably be blue by summer. Get over it. Seriously.

And don't be surprised if TLS continues to upgrade. It's not the end. They will improve it over time...the area is improving two fold. Too many people forget this.

cheers to improvements & a better Toronto.

show some spirit -

Thank you for your rational and pragmatic optimism, it's refreshing. Just don't go to Bangkok to see Siam Paragon

 

[DTGeek]

I guess they didn't follow the defeatist philosophy we hear so much here:

"We are not worthy of such grandeur and sophistication and investment in the built environment, we are not big enough of a country, city, etc, etc."

Or, more rationally, they just have access to lots of cheap labour and materials making it feasible to build to excess. Not unlike Dubai.

Have you ever tried to build something in Toronto?

 

[Pfloyd]

Or, more rationally, they just have access to lots of cheap labour and materials making it feasible to build to excess. Not unlike Dubai.

Have you ever tried to build something in Toronto?

I work in the architecture profession so I am familiar with the construction industry. I think one of the issues besides developers (Penequity is a good example) that want to maximize profits at the expense of great architecture, is contractors that do the same. So when a design is proposed that breaks ground with new materials and non-orthogonal shapes (not a box), things most contractors are unfamiliar with, they price it much, much higher. Then the developer gets scared and the project gets "value engineered", read: cheapened.
Your reference to cheap labour (like in developing nations) is not necessarily valid, because there is a lot (just pick any of the European Architecture Journals at Indigo/Chapters) of great quality innovative modern architecture being built in western Europe, and their labour costs and taxes are much higher than North America. But then again, there is a long tradition of great craftmanship in Europe. That's why they have thousand-year-old buildings still standing.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Thank you very much for the information about Siam Paragon. I went to their website and it looks pretty cool. The other developments nearby look amazing, as well. That shows that we don't need to go the "capitals of the world" (London, Paris, NYC, Tokio) to see cool development. This is in Thailand, which last time I checked is in a third world country. I guess they didn't follow the defeatist philosophy we hear so much here:

"We are not worthy of such grandeur and sophistication and investment in the built environment, we are not big enough of a country, city, etc, etc."

Thailand is in a third world country? I'm sure gonna have to GoogleMap that one...