Nothing says quality like at-grade, spandrel-infested, window wall:

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No, not really...

...you see all those bits of details of lines, mullions, and what have you are all distracting from the overall design. Even if the colour parts where the loudest hues, that gray collection of that unfortunate window wall as is would take away from it, IMO. So the overall feel of the building gets drowned out.

Furthermore, the way they designed it, it looks like it's held together by spit and glue, making it look like they got from a Walmart sales bin. I am pretty sure it's not that flimsy at all, but it sure does look like it would be whisked away to Kansas on an afternoon summer breeze...

The thing is though, none of that has to be there at all.
 
I think with all the retail that's supposed to be going in the Loblaws building on Bathurst, it's fine without, IMO
 
I think with all the retail that's supposed to be going in the Loblaws building on Bathurst, it's fine without, IMO

I disagree. If the idea is to create a real community, you want to have opportunities for local people to run small businesses at street level in the neighbourhood. It adds more eyes on the street and people who are personally invested in the neighbourhood because they need the neighbourhood to be attractive for their businesses to do well. It allows for more social interaction. In the Junction, the part of the neighbourhood that sees the most investment is the commercial area on Dundas with a large number of small businesses.

The business owners care about the public realm and engaging with the neighbourhood and city through events and initiatives. By contrast, the big box retailers at the northern fringe of the neighbourhood in the Stockyards area don't have a BIA and don't seem to care about anything past their property lines. Where the small businesses on Dundas make the neighbourhood vibrant, the big box retailers sterilize their part of the neighbourhood.
 
I'm really liking how that area is shaping up, and those narrow streets are nice.

Also, some may not agree, but I like the similarity of the buildings. It keeps for a consistent theme and builds a neighbourhood cohesion throughout instead of a bunch of buildings that clash.
 

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