Traynor said:
I wholeheartedly agree that a few more "standout icons" would be appreciated... I just question everyone bemoaning that every new project not being that icon. They can't ALL be designed by Starchitects! That would just get oppressive.
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I don't see anyone bemoaning that every new project should be an icon. All I see is people saying more effort should be put into the design, and less grey used.
 
Festival Tower poking out above the Zurich Building.

4229655984_ed06c44242_b.jpg
 
Cityplace looks really sick in that shot!

Festival will look ok from that angle!... (i don't think it really fits in to the cityplace batch!)
 
caltrane74 said:
Hold judgement until more of the exterior is complete. The buildings defining feature will be the white frost glass, and off the top of my head I cant think of any run of the mill projects around town finished as such.
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What does this condo tower say about the Film Festival? This tower could be anywhere.

I believe the indoor sliding doors will be frosted. The effect could be nice, but thus far none of the details impress me, including the installed windows.

Frosted windows or not, I feel they could've been more innovative.

For all those that are suggesting not every tower has to be a landmark, I agree. The problem is that this tower is part of a landmark development that will house, celebrate and represent one of the world's premiere Film Festivals. I don't think higher expectations for a project of this stature are unreasonable.
 
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Great podium, but the tower is a complete sleeper. Building design does seem to be improving in Toronto though. 40 years ago the typical residential was ghastly. Today, most aren't ugly, but merely forgettable. Perhaps, in another 40 years as Toronto continues its ascension, residents will demand exceptional design and bland towers like this will become the exception.

At least we're moving in the right direction. It's part of the natural progression as a city's affluence, influence, and standing in the world goes up. Global cities attract the world's elite, who in turn influence the built form and the city in general. A more sophisticated population demand more sophisticated everything. What people accept as satisfactory in the past just doesn't cut it going forward.

Those arguments that if everything is special, then nothing is special is a complete cop out. Do people really believe we need to build 'x' number of bland buildings so that we appreciate the nice ones? Why not just move to Oshawa? You can get all the bland you want out there. That views like this are still quite prevalent here is a good indicator that Toronto is still very much a work in progress. It will take a generation or two before Torontonians catch up to the realities of what their city has become.
 
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isaidso said:
Great podium, but the tower is a complete sleeper. Building design does seem to be improving in Toronto though. 40 years ago the typical residential was ghastly. Today, most aren't ugly, but merely forgettable. Perhaps, in another 40 years as Toronto continues its ascension, residents will demand exceptional design and bland towers like this will become the exception.

At least we're moving in the right direction. It's part of the natural progression as a city's affluence, influence, and standing in the world goes up. Global cities attract the world's elite, who in turn influence the built form and the city in general. A more sophisticated population demand more sophisticated everything. What people accept as satisfactory in the past just doesn't cut it going forward.

Those arguments that if everything is special, then nothing is special is a complete cop out. Do people really believe we need to build 'x' number of bland buildings so that we appreciate the nice ones? Why not just move to Oshawa? You can get all the bland you want out there. That views like this are still quite prevalent here is a good indicator that Toronto is still very much a work in progress. It will take a generation or two before Torontonians catch up to the realities of what their city has become.
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Toronto is a city where it's the marketplace that will arbitrate the quality of condo architecture that comes about. Anybody have any ideas where we currently sit on the evolutionary line of the condo/apartment box ?
 
isaidso said:
At least we're moving in the right direction. It's part of the natural progression as a city's affluence, influence, and standing in the world goes up. Global cities attract the world's elite, who in turn influence the built form and the city in general. A more sophisticated population demand more sophisticated everything. What people accept as satisfactory in the past just doesn't cut it going forward.

Those arguments that if everything is special, then nothing is special is a complete cop out. Do people really believe we need to build 'x' number of bland buildings so that we appreciate the nice ones? Why not just move to Oshawa? You can get all the bland you want out there. That views like this are still quite prevalent here is a good indicator that Toronto is still very much a work in progress. It will take a generation or two before Torontonians catch up to the realities of what their city has become.
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I don't know about that 'Global City' theory. Your average Tokyo building is pretty blah...
 
isaidso said:
Great podium, but the tower is a complete sleeper. Building design does seem to be improving in Toronto though. 40 years ago the typical residential was ghastly. Today, most aren't ugly, but merely forgettable. Perhaps, in another 40 years as Toronto continues its ascension, residents will demand exceptional design and bland towers like this will become the exception.

At least we're moving in the right direction. It's part of the natural progression as a city's affluence, influence, and standing in the world goes up. Global cities attract the world's elite, who in turn influence the built form and the city in general. A more sophisticated population demand more sophisticated everything. What people accept as satisfactory in the past just doesn't cut it going forward.
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I do believe that buildings should be consistently engaging from all vantage points, but at least this one delivers where it really counts, which is of course at street level. I was in Montreal over Christmas break, and while it does boast a number of 60's concrete blocks like Toronto does, the city centre even outside of the old city is quite consistently speckled with some beautiful old buildings, as well as some smartly designed new ones. It was a dazzling experience, and I didn't even have to look up (or care to).

I share your criticisms of this building, isaidso, but I'm happy about its overall contribution to the urban fabric of the neighbourhood and downtown in general, a contribution that will be most acutely appreciated when you're sauntering about at street level. I can almost forgive a bland tower with a thoughtful base...almost.
 
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Video of Lightbox

[video=youtube;IAeIDj8nRzU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAeIDj8nRzU[/video]
 
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good photos, but this collection of similarly coloured and styled glass buildings make me so frustrated! I hope the next round of highrise building in this area returns to the use of brick to give some sort of contrast...
 
the area is getting more "modernized" now with all the glass towers going up... And i notice how Boutique and RBC go nice together cause they both have long podiums which kinda reflect eachother...

they are "L" shaped when you take into account the podiums. :)
 
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