Frankie1984
Active Member
I don't know if anyone else has caught this but around noon'ish, whenever it's sunny out, there is a MASSIVE glare bouncing off the building. If you are driving up Hurontario, it can be distracting.
hawc
Senior Member
Just as I suspected. The true purpose of these buildings - to harness the power of the sun and use it for evil!
Dan416
Senior Member
LOL that it explains it!
drum118
Superstar
July 19
junctionist
Senior Member
I don't get why the architecture at ECC is so dull, though ambitious city building was never characteristic of Etobicoke. While driving eastbound on Bloor at Six Points, the ECC skyline looks impressive in terms of density. Yet there is no standout tower, just a lot of acceptable but not outstanding towers. I'm not expecting Absolute's calibre of design, but it's really lacking in some true landmarks.
Filip
Senior Member
Because most of Etobicoke's 'ambitious city building' and tower construction is occurring by the lake. ECC is a forgotten emblem of Metro's suburban employment centres that never materialized.
The pedestrian and civic centre of gravity for Etobicoke has always been the Kingsway strip of Bloor a few blocks east. Between Royal York and Old Mill is one of the quaintest strips in the city imo.
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junctionist
Senior Member
Though Humber Bay has turned out to be a beautiful place, as a neighbourhood, it's more suburban than the mixed-use, vibrant urban area I had in mind. Maybe ECC was an "emblem of Metro's suburban employment centres", but North York and Scarborough seemed to take it seriously as a part civic, part economic endeavor. (ECC certainly isn't forgotten as the recent development boom has shown.) North York and Scarborough built attractive city halls and squares. They sought quality high-rise development and their city centres feel like real endeavors in city building with adequate placemaking.
On the other hand, Bloor in the Kingsway feels local, with an attractive, landscaped, public realm but mostly boring single or two-storey lowrise buildings. It's a great strip, but not an example of city building with ambition.
EMP1729
Active Member
Yes! It is a massive conspiracy put in motion by the tow truck operators and body shops....
Filip
Senior Member
I don't find anything ambitious about STC.. It's hideous, covered in concrete and anchored by a large, crappy mall surrounded by factories and that plant by Ellesmere station that makes the entire neighbourhood smell like farts.
NYCC is the only suburban city centre worth mentioning. That is also because of its relative size compared to the other boroughs and the fact that it is relatively well served by three subway lines (counting the Spadina line as another).
junctionist
Senior Member
How is it hideous? STC is ancoured by Raymond Moriyama's attractive Scarborough Civic Centre and Albert Campbell Square, a great urban space now framed by some interesting condos with retail spaces that sees plenty of events and a decent level of pedestrian activity. It's linked by its own rapid transit system. Some pockets of development are impressive, like Lee Centre Drive. That immediate area around the civic centre is its core, and today it has many interesting skyscrapers and buildings. It has a sense of place that the former city worked to achieve.
Though it's very much still a work in progress with a lot of gaps to fill in, it looks like it can grow into something cohesive around Albert Campbell Square. It has a mix of offices and residential. Sure it has a big mall, but at least it was planned to be central, unlike Sherway Gardens out in the middle of nowhere.
gregv
Active Member
Don't know if this was posted elsewhere but the New York Times has an article on Absolute:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/r...ower-puts-mississauga-ontario-on-the-map.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/r...ower-puts-mississauga-ontario-on-the-map.html
drum118
Superstar
OH!!! Lookie what I see on Tower E??
July 20, 2011
Go home on a 19 and no camera on me, I spoted something new on the north side of Tower E and that was a section of the new baloney railing. Head home and got my camera and got these shots.
The first 8 floors have railing post in postion for the glass.
Only one section is done with a few peices up on the floor either for testing of the start of baloneys insulation.
I will hold my comments until I see more.
Had a looked at the underground parking areas for these towers and all levels are full. Where do the 1,000 cars for these park if the existing towers are taking up that space now??
Just place 19 photos on the site
July 20, 2011
Go home on a 19 and no camera on me, I spoted something new on the north side of Tower E and that was a section of the new baloney railing. Head home and got my camera and got these shots.
The first 8 floors have railing post in postion for the glass.
Only one section is done with a few peices up on the floor either for testing of the start of baloneys insulation.
I will hold my comments until I see more.
Had a looked at the underground parking areas for these towers and all levels are full. Where do the 1,000 cars for these park if the existing towers are taking up that space now??
Just place 19 photos on the site
Jasonzed
Senior Member
^Looks good to me. It will be interesting to see how it looks at dusk with a red sky...
khris
Senior Member
Woo! Glass on the 5th building balconies. About time.