Towered
Senior Member
Perhaps the station entrance could be designed as a "ghost" appearance of the first parliament buildings...
- Thread starter jmacmillan
- Start date
Perhaps the station entrance could be designed as a "ghost" appearance of the first parliament buildings...
TossYourJacket
Senior Member
"Important New Landmark" is Metrolinx speak for "chance to make Conservative Party donors richer". 
Ideally I would love if they actually came up with something special here, but the plans they've showed so far are some pleasant if unremarkable condos (which do make sense above a subway, but condos aren't exactly anything remarkable in downtown Toronto), a lack of the civic infrastructure the city wants, and a subway entrance that is just integrated into a condo podium. Nothing about any of that says they are remotely serious about making this anything special.
Ideally I would love if they actually came up with something special here, but the plans they've showed so far are some pleasant if unremarkable condos (which do make sense above a subway, but condos aren't exactly anything remarkable in downtown Toronto), a lack of the civic infrastructure the city wants, and a subway entrance that is just integrated into a condo podium. Nothing about any of that says they are remotely serious about making this anything special.
DSC
Superstar
Or possibly the District Gaol that replaced it?"Important New Landmark" is Metrolinx speak for "chance to make Conservative Party donors richer".
Ideally I would love if they actually came up with something special here, but the plans they've showed so far are some pleasant if unremarkable condos (which do make sense above a subway, but condos aren't exactly anything remarkable in downtown Toronto), a lack of the civic infrastructure the city wants, and a subway entrance that is just integrated into a condo podium. Nothing about any of that says they are remotely serious about making this anything special.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
I don't really have any "skin" in this particular game, unlike those who live in the community who might be invested in one outcome or another - what irks me is Metrolinx PR-speak in this particular instance. I absolutely hate flowerly rhetoric with no actual bearing on reality - don't call it a "landmark" if you haven't put forward anything so far that will lead to that outcome. What's been promised is a subway station with mixed uses like @TossYourJacket said.
AoD
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Northern Light
Superstar
When it comes to the station itself.......as opposed to any interpretive centre that may be on-site............
The first thing I'd like to see is simply attention to quality finishes throughout. No cheaping out!
What I don't want to see is a half-assed effort on the station, followed by tacking together a few historical plaques/photos/representations that most people won't read and won't enlighten anyone about anything.
Then, if you're going to make it 'First Parliament Station'..............you want to ask, is there anything in particular that's do-able, and realistic that might be appropriate in terms of architecture/interior fit-out/colour-scheme in telling that story.
On this, I'm quite dubious, as the station box will largely be determined by a form meets function build. Moreover, the original Parliament buildings were quite modest, nothing about a large subway station is going to evoke them or the feel of them particularly well. As such, I'd be inclined to mostly focus on quality over a particular style; but with the admonition that if a large-scale mural is employed somewhere in the station, likely as a tile-mosaic, then the adjacent tile/ceiling finishes should be chosen to create a sympathetic framing.
When it comes to emulating heritage more broadly, I'm skeptical that this could be done well. I don't see real, heritage-appropriate brick or stone being used anywhere in the station. I'd be open to the thought; but I'm adamant that a cliche-ridden faux job be avoided. I think the easiest thing to do with 'flavour' would to emulate a general industrial vibe, with a colour-scheme that evokes the older buildings in the area + St. Lawrence, but which does so with mainly contemporary finishes. If appropriate, and properly funded, a portion of the mezzanine could be done with historically accurate finishes.
Last thought...........way too many themes. If you're talking about 50 different things, you're talking about nothing at all.
Stick to the knitting of the Parliament itself and the other direct uses of the site that make it distinct/important.
There is absolutely a place for social context; and for the evolution of the City more broadly. But those belong in an interpretive centre and at a Toronto Museum, ideally in Old City Hall.
The first thing I'd like to see is simply attention to quality finishes throughout. No cheaping out!
What I don't want to see is a half-assed effort on the station, followed by tacking together a few historical plaques/photos/representations that most people won't read and won't enlighten anyone about anything.
Then, if you're going to make it 'First Parliament Station'..............you want to ask, is there anything in particular that's do-able, and realistic that might be appropriate in terms of architecture/interior fit-out/colour-scheme in telling that story.
On this, I'm quite dubious, as the station box will largely be determined by a form meets function build. Moreover, the original Parliament buildings were quite modest, nothing about a large subway station is going to evoke them or the feel of them particularly well. As such, I'd be inclined to mostly focus on quality over a particular style; but with the admonition that if a large-scale mural is employed somewhere in the station, likely as a tile-mosaic, then the adjacent tile/ceiling finishes should be chosen to create a sympathetic framing.
When it comes to emulating heritage more broadly, I'm skeptical that this could be done well. I don't see real, heritage-appropriate brick or stone being used anywhere in the station. I'd be open to the thought; but I'm adamant that a cliche-ridden faux job be avoided. I think the easiest thing to do with 'flavour' would to emulate a general industrial vibe, with a colour-scheme that evokes the older buildings in the area + St. Lawrence, but which does so with mainly contemporary finishes. If appropriate, and properly funded, a portion of the mezzanine could be done with historically accurate finishes.
Last thought...........way too many themes. If you're talking about 50 different things, you're talking about nothing at all.
Stick to the knitting of the Parliament itself and the other direct uses of the site that make it distinct/important.
There is absolutely a place for social context; and for the evolution of the City more broadly. But those belong in an interpretive centre and at a Toronto Museum, ideally in Old City Hall.
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Undead
Senior Member
Then we should rename VMC to "OLP Donor Station" just to be fair"Important New Landmark" is Metrolinx speak for "chance to make Conservative Party donors richer".
dusk
Active Member
Speaking personally, I'm less interested in how impressive the potential station can be and more cautious about what it will look like at the surface. Looking just to the southeast, I'd love if the first parliament site linked to or played off of the distillery district and became a destination in of itself instead of just a blob of condos.
achender
Active Member
There seems to be a large tent going up at the south end of the site.
evandyk
Senior Member
I walked by today, and didn't take a picture because a dump truck was mostly blocking my view, but there's a pretty large tent covering the south end of the site now.
DSC
Superstar
This is to shelter the archaeological dig and would seem, to me, means they have found 'something unexpected or interesting". If they have to move to a Stage 4 archaeological excavation it will probably delay things on the site. From earlier excavations and old plans of the area, the area is where the gaol was - the first parliament buildings are (were) a bit further north but I guess we will see.....
Is there still a tent covering a dig here? If so, it would be great — if anyone is going by the site — to have some pics in the thread to show what's going on!
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evandyk
Senior Member
Tent is definitely still there. There’s not much you can make out when nearby though in terms of work.
Wow! Much larger than I imagined! Any ground-based images in the area would also be cool!
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UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
Err...why is there a big tent being put up there...
"Think of Time Team, Uta."
...oh!
"Think of Time Team, Uta."
...oh!
evandyk
Senior Member
It is pretty big. Maybe I'll try to take a walk by later today if work is not too busy.