I brought up 55 Mercer as an example of how to do window wall right. The white and bronze top hat panels look great and cut through the clutter of the entertainment district. They give the building an identifiable expression and add some much needed solidity to the facade. The podium is warm and textural fitting in seamlessly to its surroundings.

You are on a roll tonight! I enjoy your posts like this, even when I may differ (I don't here); but you can be quite thoughtful in articulating your objections or praise for a given project, and when you are, it's always worth a pause for consideration.
 
You are on a roll tonight! I enjoy your posts like this, even when I may differ (I don't here); but you can be quite thoughtful in articulating your objections or praise for a given project, and when you are, it's always worth a pause for consideration.

Haha thank you. I mean ultimately I am not a design professional - I don’t work in architecture, development or planning - I just have a lot of opinions about design - all of which should of course be taken with a grain of salt.
 
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5 weeks on..........time for an update, Photos taken March 18th, 2023:

First, from Church, just south of Bloor:

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Now from across the Charles at Church site:

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And up close:

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Interesting little sub-skyline coming together southeast of Bloor and Yonge there. Won't be long before that whole area just blends together though.
Development bring in tax revenue for the city. If you want to retain the old city look then this is not the place to live.
 
One option, while it maybe not be ideal, is to go to Google Maps and use Street View. Can go around the neighborhood back to 2007.
Cool! I didn't even know that was a feature of Google Maps until you pointed it out.

ETA: Looking through all these old streetviews, Toronto was certainly pretty grimy and worn-out looking in the early 2000s. I do sort of miss that version of the city, though!
 
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Interesting little sub-skyline coming together southeast of Bloor and Yonge there. Won't be long before that whole area just blends together though.
Two more (excluding 55C) are still on the way just on this section of Charles East alone. Plus the Manulife development at Church / Charles. It's remarkable.
 
I remember walking along that stretch of Charles around 2011, just when it was on the verge of being transformed. I think Casa was already there, and the old YMCA (?) was already shuttered but still standing. I wish I'd taken pictures then.
 
I used to live in residence at Victoria College in the late 90s, so Charles Street was a common street for me to walk down. There used to be a lot of old houses and small apartments. On the corner of Bay and Charles were some Victorians that held bars that we used to go to. It had a homey feel compared to the Big City vibe it has now. I don't know which vibe is better - but it's certainly vastly different.
 

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