You guys are just snobs. Sometimes cheap things are good. Imagine if every building, like this one, could be built for a hundred dollars.
 
Definitely, tower is fine to me; the podium is really no different than what's standing there right now. Underwhelming considering that it's coming from Pei Partnership.

Looking at some of the interior shots of the lobby, the sloping plantings might be interesting though.
 
Ridiculously over-the-top criticism from some.

The building has a reserved retro-modernist design to it, harkening back to 60s through its proportions. It's meant to have a calm, dignified, quietly confident manner.

Not for you? Other buildings will dazzle where this one just wants to be serene.

42
 
I think the disappointment stems from the fact that we had our hopes up from the fact that this tower is being designed by a firm that doesn't usually do a lot of work in Toronto (even if ultimately they are just relatives of Pei).

What we got is indeed reserved-- but so is most every recent condo development in Toronto.
 
JBM weighs in:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...but-a-less-than-stellar-plan/article12706385/

"The main entrance is bland, the porte-cochere, advertised as “grand,” is dull. True, the building will show a little more concrete than we’re used to seeing in glassy high-rises – the edges of the floorplates flip up to form balcony fronts here and there – but this move isn’t enough to relieve the tedium of the tower’s appearance. The best thing that can be said about the project is that, viewed as a whole, it isn’t entirely awful – though the Yonge Street façade of the six-storey podium, which looks like a parking garage, is in fact pretty awful.

That’s not good enough. Every condo tower in this city doesn’t have to be a stunning show-stopper. But every one can and should do Toronto the favour of not being tiresome – especially one that’s set to go up in an interesting, busy neighbourhood such as Yonge and Eglinton. Every tall structure should contribute something, however small, to the local conversation about the art of building and living tall. This one doesn’t."
 
I generally think architectural "critics" in our local papers sound like raging tits, but I do agree with his evaluation entirely.
 
Here's a video that helps put this building in context with its surroundings:


Any idea on the status of the appeal?
 
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Patty said:
Here's a video that helps put this building in context with its surroundings:

[video=youtube;9loqfLK-CkE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9loqfLK-CkE[/video]

Any idea on the status of the appeal?
Click to expand...
Nice video.

The OMB hearing is scheduled for mid January, 2015. Mediation facilitated by the OMB is currently underway . I predict these talks will lead to an agreement between the city and developer, with the tower getting a 5-10% haircut in height. It's the Toronto way.
 
Automation Gallery said:
I don't see why at 56s/180m, still shorter than the 58s/195m E-Condo up the street
Click to expand...

Planning department says otherwise:


Issues to be Resolved Prior to submitting a Final Report to Toronto and East York Community Council

i) Consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. - particularly but not exclusively with those policies which are related to Urban Growth Centres (UGC's).

ii) Conformity with the Official Plan and Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan Policies. - particularly but not exclusively with those policies of the Official Plan pertaining to Mixed Use Areas and Built Form. With respect to building height and density, the Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan and the UGC policies require the highest heights and densities within the Yonge- Eglinton UGC to be located at the 4 corners of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue within the Mixed Use Area 'A'.

iii) Conformity with the Design Criteria for the Review of Tall Building Proposals. - particularly but not exclusively with those criteria pertaining to: tower floor plate size; shadowing; setbacks and separating distances between the proposed development and any existing towers or potential tall buildings sites.

iv) The replacement of all or a significant amount of the office space of the existing 6-storey building within the proposed development. New office space would continue the potential for employment uses to be located on the site.

All kind of weak issues. The developer's planners and legal team should be able to successfully convince the OMB that they are in compliance with provincial growth management laws, but the city needs something to justify a settlement. Hence why I believe we'll see a minor decrease in height.
 
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