Toronto Star Critique
The good and the bad on Parliament
Christopher Hume
November 08, 2008
Given a choice, most Torontonians would probably rather avoid Parliament St. Despite its august-sounding name, it tends to be rundown and neglected. Some stretches are better than others; these days it's the bottom end, south of King St., that has taken on new life.
The reason, at least partially, is the advent of the Distillery District, which although it's still evolving, has revitalized this remarkable industrial site. It's also because of the development happening along King, which is now residential from Jarvis St. all the way east past Parliament to the Don.
Given that this is one of the most historic areas of the city, it's not surprising that it's also one of the most urban and interesting. Whatever their faults, our 19th-century ancestors knew something about city building. True, they didn't have much of a social safety net, but they understood how to connect buildings and streets, how to build compactly.
Though the city has stood by and allowed many heritage buildings in the neighbourhood to be reduced to mere facades, the basic proportions of things remains intact. But when one sees 19th-century structures such as the one on the southeast corner of King and Sherbourne being destroyed to make way for yet another condo tower, one can't help but worry.
On the other hand, the 1901 Consumers' Gas building at Parliament and Eastern Ave. was magnificently restored into a police station. And tiny Wilkins Ave., lined with workers' housing on both sides, feels fresh and fully integrated. Now, more townhouses are under construction on Gilead Place, just across from Jamie Kennedy's new Gilead Café.
As recently as two or three years ago, this would have been unthinkable.
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Condo Critic
PURE SPIRITS LOFTS AND CONDOS, 33 MILL ST.:
One of the best new projects in Toronto, this is an excellent example of how architecture can be pressed into service not just to sell units but also to build a city. The most visible part of the complex, a 32-storey glass-and-steel tower, sits atop a five-storey brick podium designed to create space, in fact, a whole new square, east of Parliament south of Mill. The triangular-shaped building comes to a point at the west end of the site, creating one of the sharpest corners this side of Helmut Jahn. Such drama is rare in architecture, especially in Toronto architecture, and it's hard to resist.
The podium does all the work; it defines space and allows for the continuation of the streetscape along Mill. Both the scale and materials mean the podium manages to be respectful of the industrial heritage and contemporary and appropriate. It also introduces a much-needed note of real urban life to the Distillery. The street-level retail will include grocery stores and banks as well as art galleries and design shops. Finally, it seems, it could actually be a place to live not just visit.
The tower itself, which has already become an east-end landmark, is clean, crisp and elegant. It divides the podium in half and rises from the street as a single element. It's tough not to admire the sense of confidence, restraint and simplicity that informs this building.
GRADE: A