Yes, but Pei's pyramid isn't 10x the height of the rest of the Louvre. The ROM addition isn't must different in height - after all, locals didn't oppose that much, but Thorsell's tower they did, with such a furor that he had to retreat. There is just too much clashing of density and height, rather than design.

To those who think G&W is a fake Disneyland, I disagree. These buildings are the real deal. They are also a rare legacy of Toronto's very much Dickensesque Victorian industrial heritage.

I just think they are just still too overwhelming, and as Enviro says, may set a dangerous precedent, which I never thought of yet.
 
Actually in terms of context, these towers relate to the "gateway" concept in the East Bayfront Plan - which will see towers of a similiar scale on both sides of each arterial road.

AoD
 
At first glance the proportions of the proposed towers overwhelmed me - but I'm warming to them now. The juxtaposition of buildings is just one of the elements of Toronto's built form that make this a great city. Yes, they will be giant towers, but I think they could work very well at further integrating the Distillery District with the rest of downtown.
 
SeanTrans said:
Yes, but Pei's pyramid isn't 10x the height of the rest of the Louvre. The ROM addition isn't must different in height - after all, locals didn't oppose that much, but Thorsell's tower they did, with such a furor that he had to retreat. There is just too much clashing of density and height, rather than design.

To those who think G&W is a fake Disneyland, I disagree. These buildings are the real deal. They are also a rare legacy of Toronto's very much Dickensesque Victorian industrial heritage.

I just think they are just still too overwhelming, and as Enviro says, may set a dangerous precedent, which I never thought of yet.
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Well said.

One thing about Toronto is that we have a mix of the old and new pretty much everywhere. Is it really that bad if there's just one little area that of historical structures that doesn't have a huge (in every sense of the word, in this case) old/new contrast?
 
The juxtaposition of buildings is just one of the elements of Toronto's built form that make this a great city.
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I think the randomness of development, the lack of consideration of context and architectural harmony are large parts of why Toronto's streets are not the most pleasing to the eye.
 
So many great cities of the world like New York or Tokyo are also complete random collections of buildings and infrastructure - and they seem to almost feed off the playful spontaneity of built form and discontinuous urban vistas. Within the parameters of a given site, architects are almost completely free to create whatever their heart desires (and their developers will pay for). Paris is beautiful, but a place like NYC has a vibrancy that can be found nowhere else. Back to Toronto - we're certainly not a Paris, and we could use the notions of the accidental or random city more to our advantage!
 
I don't think I have seen one person who is arguing that the modern and the old cannot co-exist and even compliment each other so I am not quite sure why there is one post after another attempting to justify that concept. The problem is in the form and the massing of the buildings and we can throw around the great cities like New York until our nipples all get hard with excitement, but you are not going to see many 50 story buildings beside a three story walk-up in Greenwich village and if you do, I am sure its lamented and adds nothing (but disrespect) to the area.
 
alklay said:
I don't think I have seen one person who is arguing that the modern and the old cannot co-exist and even compliment each other so I am not quite sure why there is one post after another attempting to justify that concept. The problem is in the form and the massing of the buildings and we can throw around the great cities like New York until our nipples all get hard with excitement, but you are not going to see many 50 story buildings beside a three story walk-up in Greenwich village and if you do, I am sure its lamented and adds nothing (but disrespect) to the area.
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EXACTLY. The urban scale is precisely what makes me envious of NYC. Towers don't just drop 'from the sky.'
 
this collection of a dozen or so Victorian era industrial buildings is hardly a neighbourhood or even a 'district' and find the comparison to Greenwich Village rather amusing
 
This has the potential to be the most hotly debated proposal on UT, with almost half really supporting it, the other side with major reservations. For the most part too, the discussion has been very civil and well-thought out. This is what Urban Toronto should be all about.
 
Yeh certainly I wouldn't consider it a district. It is is what it is- a marvellous 19th century industrial compound that has been nicely restored to an arts/crafts complex. It's no Greenwich village by any stretch of the imagination :)
 
Greenwich village was only used as an example of an area where lowrises in New York where 'tall buildings' would be inappropriate.
 
I posted a poll. I put a 21 day limit on votes to keep it fair and fresh. Four options. Though my opinions have been made, I hoped to make it fair. I am sincerely interested in what people here think.

Clear Spirit Living Poll
 
SeanTrans said:
This has the potential to be the most hotly debated proposal on UT, with almost half really supporting it, the other side with major reservations.
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Indeed. This is arguably the most interesting project in the entire city at the moment, partially because it seems to me that the result apparently could be wonderful, disastrous, or any point betwixt. Both sides of the fence present equally compelling points, imo - this one's truly unpredictable. I really don't know what to make of it anymore, and just hope that it ends up happy, in any case.

Regardless of what eventually materializes, the new renderings (towers, stilt-y things, staircase, etc.) look totally hot to me.

For the most part too, the discussion has been very civil
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I'll try very hard not to shatter that trend again, but it's never easy with a head this fat, a tongue this sharp, and a nature this combative.
 
You never used to be that way. What's become of you since you changed your name? Next thing you know Urban Shocker will change gender ...
 
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