Why try to be something we're not? We're already restoring a former industrial site into something more then it ever was before, bringing life back to an area that was desolate for many years. The intention has always been to make this the central focus of a new mixed use commercial residential district in our city. This goal can't be achieved if we just leave the surrounding land as grassy knolls and and unused lots. This area will never be or feel complete until the developer has finished their master plan. I'm sure many of the shop, restaurant and artisans that have set up shop here have done so with the knowledge that development would come in and introduce more people to the area, right now for most I bet this is a long term investment. If some of you had your way and put a massive cap on what development could be allowed within the area surrounding the Distillery I'm sure many of the businesses would close. When was the last time any of you spent time in the area mid winter? Even on the weekends it's dead once the cold hits.

The Distillery isn't located on the outskirts of the city, every year the city grows bigger and closer, if CityCorp doesn't build a few tall towers it'll only be a few years until TEDCO allows another developer to do it a few acres away. If you've been following the West Don-lands Proposals you'd know this to be true. We're not an old city, so I see no shame in combing what we have with new designs, to me it shows us as a progressive city. I just don't get all this false nostalgia for an area I bet most of us never knew much about or experienced before it was cleaned up and decontaminated in the late 90's.

To say nay to tall towers so one can walk around the brick roads and pretend they were in yesteryear is laughable. If you want to feel like you're in an old European city I suggest booking a flight and going to one, this is Toronto, this is 2007, and new and old merged is going to happen at the Distillery.
 
It's not an issue of mixing old and new; it is a concern over potentially overwhelming the old with the new.
 
Agreed. This does not have as much to do with a 'massive' cap and 'false nostalgia' as it has to do with proper massing and form, elementary conditions of good and respectful urban design.
 
I say that's not really a problem as most of the streets and laneways are narrow and won't be effected by a tall tower or two. People used to say the same thing about the CN Tower, half the time I don't even notice it unless I mean to.
 
The podium thingy blocking the Gardiner might not be so bad... in fact anything removing the Gardiner from the equation is a good thing. And Ed is right, the previous brown brick condos that attempt to blend in fail miserably. However, huge hulking glass towers are just as inappropriate in my opinion. I've always said that Mozo-style developments would be best for the area. Oh well.
 
Brutal.

These guys are just paving the way of destroying whatever character the neighbourhood had left.
 
Andrew3D said:
Why try to be something we're not? We're already restoring a former industrial site into something more then it ever was before, bringing life back to an area that was desolate for many years. The intention has always been to make this the central focus of a new mixed use commercial residential district in our city. This goal can't be achieved if we just leave the surrounding land as grassy knolls and and unused lots. This area will never be or feel complete until the developer has finished their master plan. I'm sure many of the shop, restaurant and artisans that have set up shop here have done so with the knowledge that development would come in and introduce more people to the area, right now for most I bet this is a long term investment. If some of you had your way and put a massive cap on what development could be allowed within the area surrounding the Distillery I'm sure many of the businesses would close. When was the last time any of you spent time in the area mid winter? Even on the weekends it's dead once the cold hits.

The Distillery isn't located on the outskirts of the city, every year the city grows bigger and closer, if CityCorp doesn't build a few tall towers it'll only be a few years until TEDCO allows another developer to do it a few acres away. If you've been following the West Don-lands Proposals you'd know this to be true. We're not an old city, so I see no shame in combing what we have with new designs, to me it shows us as a progressive city. I just don't get all this false nostalgia for an area I bet most of us never knew much about or experienced before it was cleaned up and decontaminated in the late 90's.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone is against development in the area or increasing the number of residents...it's scale of the development.

This isn't about pretending we're in the past..it's about maintaining the integrity of a historic area. It's possible to create modern buildings that could compliment the existing structures. That's what they're doing for the base of the Pure Spirits tower. Something along the lines of a MOZO would be terrific for this area. It doesn't have to be a choice between crappy faux-historicism or a modern glass & steel point tower, even though some people make it seem like it's one or the other.

I think the influx of residents will be good for the area, I just wish they did it with more thought with regards to the design of the buildings going up.



To say nay to tall towers so one can walk around the brick roads and pretend they were in yesteryear is laughable. If you want to feel like you're in an old European city I suggest booking a flight and going to one, this is Toronto, this is 2007, and new and old merged is going to happen at the Distillery.
Click to expand...

Like it or not, a major part of the area's appeal is its historic nature, and there's nothing wrong with respecting it in what is really a very small portion of the city.
 
Andrew3D said:
I say that's not really a problem as most of the streets and laneways are narrow and won't be effected by a tall tower or two. People used to say the same thing about the CN Tower, half the time I don't even notice it unless I mean to.
Click to expand...

This isn't the same situation though. These towers are essentially in the district...if they were blocks away I wouldn't care.
 
Too many people assume that if you're against high rises in a certain area you're against development or against modern architecture, what that's couldn't be further from the truth. I doubt many here would oppose an N-Blox style building or two in the area. It's the scale, not the style.
 
These guys are just paving the way of destroying whatever character the neighbourhood had left.
Click to expand...

&

I think the influx of residents will be good for the area, I just wish they did it with more thought with regards to the design of the buildings going up.
Click to expand...


But CityCorp has already shown us through attention to detail that they do care about the character of the neighbourhood, and I'm sure they have and will put as much thought into an en devour when it comes to what they design and build. The great thing about the Distillery is that not only a new district is being created, a true working community is rising as well. Even the original brick buildings they put up though they wont win any awards do blend in well with the original Victorian warehouses. They have an industrial feel to them with their random roof lines.

From flickr.com http://flickr.com/photos/lyndonc/
418383050_4aed8124b3_b.jpg

Lets agree to disagree.
 
I think the problem is that nobody understands the difference in scale of these 2 areas. A couple of 50 or 40 story towers next to this will just destroy the intimate feeling of this area.

I've included a couple pictures that i tried to photoshop some scale into the existing settings and I couldn't even find a photo high enough to fit the full height of the buildings.

pure1.jpg


pure2.jpg
 
Positioning and scale seem to be way off in your first image. I agree big black monoliths have no place here.
 
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