Urban Shocker said:
Except that Burano's lozenge-shaped tower responds to the view terminus possibilities offered by the little jog in Bay Street, whereas Chancre-La offers its weakest face to the only perspective that offers the top-to-toe money-shot.
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How exactly does Burano respond to the view terminus possibilities offered by its location? It presents a pretty unceremonious view to anyone peering north on Bay.
 
The street does a little shimmy, and the building does a little shimmy along with it, so from a distance the form of the building represents its location.
 
Urban Shocker said:
The street does a little shimmy, and the building does a little shimmy along with it, so from a distance the form of the building represents its location.
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Well it certainly responds well to the shape of the site, but I wouldn't say that it really takes advantage of the view terminus. Despite its "little shimmy" it presents a featureless wall to any one going north on Bay. It represents the shape of the street, yes, but it doesn't really engage people approaching it from the south with any kind of statement. It also doesn't take advantage of the top-to-toe visibility offered by the location since, save the podium, there is virtually no variation of form, materials, etc. along its length. Given that there are so few sites like this one, this was a situation that called for a little more flair.
 
The unvarying nature of the form, top-to-toe, is its strength though - it doesn't need to do more than say: "shimmy" since there are so few sites like this one ... and "shimmy" sums it up so well. Where else in town does the opportunity to say "shimmy" exist, or to have it said so clearly?
 
Well the apartment building on the s/w corner of Church and Park does an...inverse-shimmy. But it's not exactly something to behold. It could also be argued that the Rogers headquarters on Mount Pleasant just south of Bloor does a slight shimmy, just north of where Jarvis turns into Mount Pleasant. Also, the Toronto Public Library at Bathurst and Dundas, when seen heading west on Dundas east of Bathurst, does quite a nice shimmy.

I happen to agree with you here; Burano's strength is it's defined lines--i.e., its edges. I really like looking up at it from south on Bay. It says something, to my mind.
 
Yes, the slightly unsettling knife-edges that you see when you look up - or down - Bay Street at this tower are distinctive.

We've got our flatirons, here and there. Now bring on the shimmies!
 
... and I think that the way the balconies extend out "into thin air" at the north west and south east corners of the lozenge, as well as the angularity of the glass podium addition, adds to the slightly unsettling effect.

Here's a great image of the effect, from forum member Atlantis:

Atlantis said:
6995219853_97fd62d4e4_b.jpg
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^
massage parlour, tattoo and piercing parlour, and payday loans. ugh.
can you say downmarket?
be nice to get some good retail happening here....
 
Urban Shocker said:
... and I think that the way the balconies extend out "into thin air" at the north west and south east corners of the lozenge, as well as the angularity of the glass podium addition, adds to the slightly unsettling effect.
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I think it may be because we locals know the potential slicing effect of what the balcony glass from Burano's little sisters across the street could do to a person.

thedeepend said:
^
massage parlour, tattoo and piercing parlour, and payday loans. ugh.
can you say downmarket?
be nice to get some good retail happening here....
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You can get plenty of "good" retail at the Eaton Centre & College Park to the south, and Bloor Street to the north. If those business weren't drawing customers to the busy sidewalks along here and turning a profit, thus providing services people want, then they wouldn't last long with the rents along there.

Our concerns should be focused on the conditions of the buildings on Yonge between Bloor & Gould.
 
vatche said:
These r not unattractive buildings, they just have to e worked on.
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I noted buildings between Gould & Bloor Sts., not just these ones, the remaining 19th & early 20th century buildings of course.
 
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