It kinda resembles a Alien Queen's hive. Come to Toronto and get a Xenomorph implanted in your chest cavity!
 
It's interesting and risky architecture - and honestly a breath of fresh air. Why is everyone so afraid of something different? Would you rather a bland glass box? People need to be more open minded about risky architecture - it creates interest and debate, and draws people to this area to liven it up. No need to immediately dismiss everything different. Hell, this could even become a major landmark if done properly.

People like Rob Ford would dismiss a proposal like this in the way the above posters have, but in an forum devoted to architecture? I'm surprised.
 
The architects of this have balls that's for sure. It'll be on every tourists 'must see' list when visiting- not a bad thing.
 
MBS said:
It's interesting and risky architecture - and honestly a breath of fresh air. Why is everyone so afraid of something different? Would you rather a bland glass box? People need to be more open minded about risky architecture - it creates interest and debate, and draws people to this area to liven it up. No need to immediately dismiss everything different. Hell, this could even become a major landmark if done properly.

People like Rob Ford would dismiss a proposal like this in the way the above posters have, but in an forum devoted to architecture? I'm surprised.
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The fact that it is 'risky' and 'interesting' doesn't mean it isn't pretty fugly... and do we need another music venue, really?
 
I agree with MBS, with the amount of bitching that happens on this forum over "characterless and uninspiring glass boxes", and how many people whine and plead for more interesting architecture that will make Toronto "world class", you'd think people would appreciate something daring and risky being proposed. People ask for interesting things, and yet when one comes along, it is said to be "hideous" and "weird". What do you want people??? I never realized how ridiculously hard to please so many people on this forum are..
Something that isn't a boxy condo is being proposed.. be excited that proposals like this are actually being brought forward in our city! Even if you find this particular one ugly, doesn't mean you discourage any architects or artists or whatever to keep trying and getting stuff like this on the table..
No wonder people take their interesting designs elsewhere.
 
I agree- there is certainly truth to that. Didn't Canada's star designer Bruce Mau move his operations to Chicago for that very reason.
 
Tewder said:
The fact that it is 'risky' and 'interesting' doesn't mean it isn't pretty fugly... and do we need another music venue, really?
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Exactly... and exactly.

A+ for effort and interest factor, but in terms of beauty? It's just not there.

If you actually read the proposal you will notice that it relies upon our 'harsh winters' for a sheet of ice to build up between the various strands of the exterior wall to close off the interior from the elements. Sorry, but that's laughable.

The interior space of the hall looks fascinating, but it does not rely on an exterior like that being built to achieve it. Maybe someday in some other skin.

In the end this is a quick diversion, a very imaginative vision worth a quick look, but one with no backer and no basis in reality. At the same time, here's hoping we see such imagination poured into projects that do have a hope of being built in the Toronto of the future!

42
 
Guide to Becoming A Hot New Architect:

1) Build miniture model of existing builing.
2) Take a dump on it.
3) Write 10 pages of artistic justification: invoke literary allusions and mention that building materials are locally produced and organic.

I do like the effort here....even though it looks like Malting Silos are a part of a Hentai tenticle-rape fantasy.
 
The_Architect said:
I agree with MBS, with the amount of bitching that happens on this forum over "characterless and uninspiring glass boxes", and how many people whine and plead for more interesting architecture that will make Toronto "world class", you'd think people would appreciate something daring and risky being proposed. People ask for interesting things, and yet when one comes along, it is said to be "hideous" and "weird". What do you want people??? I never realized how ridiculously hard to please so many people on this forum are..
Something that isn't a boxy condo is being proposed.. be excited that proposals like this are actually being brought forward in our city! Even if you find this particular one ugly, doesn't mean you discourage any architects or artists or whatever to keep trying and getting stuff like this on the table..
No wonder people take their interesting designs elsewhere.
Click to expand...

You are spot on. Thank you. I was reading this thread backwards and trying to catch up on what the hideous spaghetti barf was - and holy surprise - amazing. Ya, let's rather have some more Festival Towers and Maple Leaf Squares with our cheese and crackers elsewhere in Toronto, especially on the waterfront for God's sake.

You can diss the winter element (though highly doubt the description meant to imply that the ice would in any way structurally shield or protect the interior space), but I applaud the concept of having the structure take different forms in different seasons, especially so close to the water. It's like a Pompeii-style attack on the silos. Love it.

The last time I got excited about anything built here was L Tower and its obnoxious orange circle, and thinking of visitors stepping out of Union Station or walking along Front and having that total mind f*$! of seeing that boot next door. That would have been a great addition.

Toronto is prime for new unique design because we have so much boring crap to fill in the background.
 
I think this looks awesome. I'm surprised at all the flak this radically cool design is getting in this thread.
 
Anything with a radically cool design will get flack, like the OCAD table top building and the ROM. I would love to see something this insane be built on the waterfront. no doubt there will be no shortage of haters!
 
There's nothing wrong with radical designs. The ROM and OCAD were great designs when first revealed. But just because it's radical doesn't mean that it's a good design. The crux of the issue is personal tastes. "Good design" is subjective to each and every one of us who comments on such proposals (and finished products). Right when this particular rendering was posted, there was a common sentiment that at least it's not another glass box. That's true, but that's not to say I have to like it. There are decent looking glass boxes and bland boring ones, too. To me this proposal looks like a giant brilo pad. What we can all agree on is that it gets people outside of UT talking and interested in architecture, assuming the proposal is widely shown to the masses.
 
Boy, I can't wait to witness the should-it-stay-or-should-it-go-now donnybrook btw/Mayor Ford and Councillor Vaughan...
 
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