[Secret Agent]

At the end of the day, this entire complex is disappointing. Especially when you consider what could have been built here. These towers could have been built anywhere in the GTA.

 

[maestro]

Disappointing, yeah, but, I'd hardly call these anywhere buildings. I'm not sure what you mean by what could have been either. I find these the best of all previous designs. Anything else is pure speculation and meaningless.

 

[taal]

Disappointing, yeah, but, I'd hardly call these anywhere buildings. I'm not sure what you mean by what could have been either. I find these the best of all previous designs. Anything else is pure speculation and meaningless.

I disagree about this, there were some very interesting designs back in the day proposed here, in the early BA West days; A few were POMO in design but they would be different.

 

[wopchop]

At the end of the day, this entire complex is disappointing. Especially when you consider what could have been built here. These towers could have been built anywhere in the GTA.

I highly doubt that a 51-storey and 44-storey office tower could have been built 'anywhere in the GTA'.

 

[travis3000]

I highly doubt that a 51-storey and 44-storey office tower could have been built 'anywhere in the GTA'.

This is true. They are both taller than anything in Mississauga and North York (the two tallest skylines outside of downtown TO). In fact the only other Canadian city that has built full fledge office towers at this scale in the last 10 years has been Calgary.

 

[G.L.17]

Taken this afternoon.

 

[Hanlansboy]

Well, since we're hoping for what could have been......I'd have really liked had they decided to build two taller, or even one much taller (with a larger floor plate) tower, instead of the small, medium and large assortment they've decided on. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the buildings, not at all. In fact, I actually like what they did with the east tower, especially extending it out to yonge street. That said, you all know of my insane quest for the taller the better, and had really hoped for a much taller tower. There are so few sites available to build a major tower in the heart of the financial district, it just would have been nice to see something that would have given FCP a run for its money. Oh well, too late now, and I know there's a million reasons as to why they chose these designs, then again, I've never really lived on a little place we call Earth. With so many new projects already under way, and even more about to began, we have nothing to complain about. I've lived in this city all my life, in all my 46 years, this has got to be the longest, and most transformative boom this town has ever been witness to. And to be honest, each day I drive through condo alley on the Gardiner, I still look in bewildered awe at just how much and how fast, our skyline is transforming into one so different, it hardly looks like Toronto anymore. To test that statement, I recently grabbed a few shots of our current skyline from several different vantage points, but, I photoshopped out the CN Tower and The Rogers Centre, posted it on my Facebook page, and asked everyone to identify which city it was. I was really surprised to discover over half couldn't identify their own city, and a few even argued that it wasn't Toronto, and implied that I was lying, tells you something n'est pa?

 

[kotsy]

. And to be honest, each day I drive through condo alley on the Gardiner, I still look in bewildered awe at just how much and how fast, our skyline is transforming into one so different

As much as I hate how ugly and similar most of those condos look, I absolutely love that drive! I can't help but smile and look up every single time.

 

[salsa]

Each day I drive through condo alley on the Gardiner, I still look in bewildered awe at just how much and how fast, our skyline is transforming into one so different, it hardly looks like Toronto anymore. To test that statement, I recently grabbed a few shots of our current skyline from several different vantage points, but, I photoshopped out the CN Tower and The Rogers Centre, posted it on my Facebook page, and asked everyone to identify which city it was. I was really surprised to discover over half couldn't identify their own city, and a few even argued that it wasn't Toronto, and implied that I was lying, tells you something n'est pa?

To me that tells me how unremarkable many of our buildings are, especially when viewed from the lake. It's all just the same blue glass towers popping up everywhere. Ever since Southcore walled off the view of the financial district, there has been nothing special in our skyline that could tell the world what city this is if it wasn't for the CN Tower. Chicago and New York are way better at architecture.

 

[stjames2queenwest]

take away their iconic super tall structures and they look like everywhere else too.

 

[NBGtect]

Ya those cities only have a few gems. Take away them and they look the same as most east coast and Midwest cities in NA. People really over exaggerate how different cities are because they are happy and on vacation. But objectively, those cities have major crapulence too.

 

[LUVIT!]

Yes they do have lotsa mediocre buildings...BUT...they have lotsa absolutely fantabulous edifices as well....especially NYC... It's a Wowser!

 

[wmedia]

People really over exaggerate how different cities are because they are happy and on vacation.

Absolutely. Psychological state makes a huge difference, even within the same city. One some days I'll curse at the blandness of Bay Adelaide, yet on other days I'll appreciate it as clean and reflective infill. It's that damn cup of serotonin being half empty or half full!

 

[urban]

Ya those cities only have a few gems. Take away them and they look the same as most east coast and Midwest cities in NA. People really over exaggerate how different cities are because they are happy and on vacation. But objectively, those cities have major crapulence too.

Its true that people tend to favour a vacation destination over their hometown because they are on vacation but in terms of architecture NY and Chicago do look better. And so do a lot of American cities. Because they have a greater proportion of office towers and office towers are almost always better looking than residential. And American office towers are almost always better looking than Canadian because they have the bigger companies.

 

[renvel]

Office towers

Its true that people tend to favour a vacation destination over their hometown because they are on vacation but in terms of architecture NY and Chicago do look better. And so do a lot of American cities. Because they have a greater proportion of office towers and office towers are almost always better looking than residential. And American office towers are almost always better looking than Canadian because they have the bigger companies.

Nice obsevation. There is a lot of truth in it...