[ProjectEnd]

Agreed. And yet another reason why Hong Kong does things better. In the early-mid 20th century, shop-houses were allowed to overhang the sidewalks up to the street, providing protection from the elements and enclosing pedestrians in what feels like an outdoor room. An additional benefit is that one largely shielded from any 'overbearing' perception of height above the street front.

Bologna figured this out a few hundred years before:

It's too bad that we got this sort of thing so wrong on Bay Street (and others) in the 90s. Unfortunately, I can think of two significant projects in Toronto that are currently having these sorts of elements designed out at Planning's behest...

 

[interchange42]

We have a few dreary arcades, but if they were required to be a couple of floors high, then they'd still be bright and airy enough to work fine. (As long as developers also built with high quality materials, like in Bologna above!)

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[sunnyraytoronto]

It's too bad that we got this sort of thing so wrong on Bay Street (and others) in the 90s. Unfortunately, I can think of two significant projects in Toronto that are currently having these sorts of elements designed out at Planning's behest...

Got it very wrong at north side of NorthYorkCityCentre along ParkHomes Ave where pedestrian sidewalk is basically hidden and thus surprises often occurs when cars are going in and out of building driveways,... do you see the lady on the sidewalk crossing the driveway in this photo? If you were in a car coming out of this building, you wouldn't see her until the last second due to the building wall blocking your view.

Notice there's a Novotel here at NorthYorkCityCentre,...... there's also another Novotel at the downtown Toronto Esplanade location,.... both of which has these deadly "dreary arcades"

 

[TrickyRicky]

I disagree regarding your archade comment ProjectEnd. That built form is not congruent with our climate. In Hong Kong the weather is oppressively hot for much of the year making cool, dark, archades a good built type. They may also work in places like England where it rains most of the time and where half the year the cities are shrouded in darkness anyway.

In Toronto I feel taking consideration of climate you would want an open streetscape with maximum set-back to maximize sun in our cold but bright and windy climate. For instance, I know people love their skyscraper canyons here but I feel these streets are not good in Toronto. The evidence would seem to back me up if you look how hard it is to keep trees alive on our canyon streets and that the vast majority of people don't like to walk down these streets, preferring underground alternatives instead. Basically life (including us humans) don't like these streets.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

It's sober and soused aA, all in one building.

42

This is one aA project that didn't do it for me - the uneven balconies just look messy, lacking in elegance - and the outcome looked like what lesser firms would come up with when trying too hard with what is ultimately the mundane.

AoD

 

[junctionist]

I disagree regarding your archade comment ProjectEnd. That built form is not congruent with our climate. In Hong Kong the weather is oppressively hot for much of the year making cool, dark, archades a good built type. They may also work in places like England where it rains most of the time and where half the year the cities are shrouded in darkness anyway.

In Toronto I feel taking consideration of climate you would want an open streetscape with maximum set-back to maximize sun in our cold but bright and windy climate. For instance, I know people love their skyscraper canyons here but I feel these streets are not good in Toronto. The evidence would seem to back me up if you look how hard it is to keep trees alive on our canyon streets and that the vast majority of people don't like to walk down these streets, preferring underground alternatives instead. Basically life (including us humans) don't like these streets.

Arcades are useful in our climate as well. In our hot summers, they give us shade. In the winter, they shelter the sidewalk from precipitation. They may also shelter the sidewalk from skyscraper wind tunnel effects.

 

[steveve]

Tuesday:

 

[Edward Skira]

 

[Miscreant]

It just doesn't really work. Or wherever it does, that's cancelled by where it doesn't.

 

[ADRM]

The Bay-facing retail unit south of the Second Cup-to-be has a "dental office coming soon" sign up in the window, and the Second Cup-to-be has one telling you that they want you to be the proud new owner of a Second Cup franchise. Which I think still leaves one retail unit (the most southerly) up for grabs.

 

[AlbertC]

I miss Teppan Kenta when they were nearby in this area. What wouldn't I give to have them back in one of these retail units for example.

 

[DtTO]

aA is a one trick pony, and their trick of wraparound balconies is getting old really fast. They have quickly gone from modern minimalist designs to predictable second rate budget architecture; wraparound balconies with a ton of spandrel, mullions, mismatched balcony doors, etc. HP have emerged as this city's leading architect firms, IMO.

 

[ADRM]

aA is a one trick pony, and their trick of wraparound balconies is getting old really fast. They have quickly gone from modern minimalist designs to predictable second rate budget architecture; wraparound balconies with a ton of spandrel, mullions, mismatched balcony doors, etc. HP have emerged as this city's leading architect firms, IMO.

All images from the database entries:

 

[interchange42]

blindnaAss: the inability to distinguish one good building from the next

42

 

[DtTO]

All images from the database entries:

Many of those will be nothing like the renderings. Theatre Park is their best work in recent times.

Also, these are these actual buildings which are either under construction or recently completed by aA:

See the pattern?

blindnaAss: the inability to distinguish one good building from the next

I'm not sure that insulting people who disagree with your opinion looks good on your part.