junctionist said:
The walkway leads you to an entrance hall with elevators that can also be used for events. They preserved the archeological foundations of the former military complex outside the hotel beneath the walkway. But they also added lighting and put a massive glass floor above the foundations inside the hotel.

It's very impressive to see the foundations through the glass floor inside, and I was totally surprised when I saw it in person given how poorly received this project has been here. There's nothing like it in the city. Even with St. Lawrence Market North, they declined to invest the money needed to preserve the archeological finds at their original location.
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True, but the massing of the tower is so out of scale with the immediate context of the Automotive Building. If it had been a very slender point tower clad in a compatible material, I don’t think the negative reactions would have been so visceral. Also, the fact that a building developed on city property can get a pass on complying with the Tall Building Guidelines, while every other development in the city gets micromanaged by planning staff, only exacerbates the negativity.
 
junctionist said:
The walkway leads you to an entrance hall with elevators that can also be used for events. They preserved the archeological foundations of the former military complex outside the hotel beneath the walkway. But they also added lighting and put a massive glass floor above the foundations inside the hotel.

It's very impressive to see the foundations through the glass floor inside, and I was totally surprised when I saw it in person given how poorly received this project has been here. There's nothing like it in the city. Even with St. Lawrence Market North, they declined to invest the money needed to preserve the archeological finds at their original location.
Click to expand...
There was certainly talk of preserving the 'archaeology' below the SLM - the problem there was that the site is very small and if they had saved any of the findings 'in situ' they could not have had the garage - and it is/was the garage and the TPA $$ that are making the SLM redevelopment possible.
 
junctionist said:
The walkway leads you to an entrance hall with elevators that can also be used for events. They preserved the archeological foundations of the former military complex outside the hotel beneath the walkway. But they also added lighting and put a massive glass floor above the foundations inside the hotel.

It's very impressive to see the foundations through the glass floor inside, and I was totally surprised when I saw it in person given how poorly received this project has been here. There's nothing like it in the city. Even with St. Lawrence Market North, they declined to invest the money needed to preserve the archeological finds at their original location.
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As lovely as that sounds.... for me, this still doesn't make up for the exterior mess. It's honestly one of the worst projects of the decade.
 
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Ottawan said:
Fixed that for you. In many ways, the 2020s have not been kind so far, but at least they are not responsible for this mess.
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I think "Design" Haus was 2020's and 365 Church was 2010's, for what's that worth... >.<
 
Automation Gallery said:
“
Bridge to pay homage to Toronto’s Beanfield Centre
A new pedestrian bridge connecting the Beanfield Centre and Hotel X Toronto has been uniquely designed to retain the heritage facade of the convention centre.

Because Beanfield Centre is a heritage structure it was very important for heritage and for planning that the bridge have an architectural design that was sensitive to the heritage structure itself but also in itself was an architectural piece.”

The bridge is being created to have an impact in the day and evening.

“It’s a ceramic pattern on a laminated glass and there is a tri-coloured, interlayer film that produces a glazing pattern over the glass. We did this intentionally to allow for some site lines that took us from Lake Shore Boulevard to the Enercare Centre,” said Purdy.

“We wanted to create as much natural light coming into that connection as possible.”

Much of the construction of this bridge will happen off site, said Purdy.
More....... https://canada.constructconnect.com...4/bridge-pay-homage-torontos-beanfield-centre
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Bridge has opened.
www.newswire.ca

Exhibition Place Opens New Sky Bridge

/CNW/ - Exhibition Place officially opens the new Sky Bridge today. The first glass-enclosed walkway of its kind in Exhibition Place, the Sky Bridge connects...
www.newswire.ca www.newswire.ca
 
Exhibition_Place_Exhibition_Place_Opens_New_Sky_Bridge.jpg

from the article above
 
Here we go again...

Coming to General government Committee next week: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2021.GL27.18

Summary
Following the completion of a successful Request for Proposal process held in 2007, the City of Toronto and the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place (the "Board"), collectively as landlord, executed a 49-year lease agreement with two options, each to renew for a 25-year term (the "Phase 1 Lease") with Princes Gate Hotel Limited Partnership (the "Phase 1 Tenant") for the development of a new hotel on the Exhibition Place grounds. The first phase of Hotel X opened for operations on March 20, 2018, with the hotel development consisting generally of a 750,000 square foot podium and 29-floor tower that includes 404 rooms, and at least 350 underground parking spots.

Under the Phase 1 Lease, the Phase 1 Tenant had an option to lease certain additional lands to the west of the Phase 1 Lease lands for the development of second hotel tower. The Phase 1 Tenant exercised the option by written notice to the Board dated July 31, 2021. The proposed Phase 2 Hotel is permitted based on the approval of Council of the Phase 1 Hotel lease, which provided the Phase 1 Tenant with an option to develop a second hotel. However, as discussed below, the option under the Phase 1 Lease did not provide for the Performance Venue, now proposed by the Tenant for Phase 2.

This report recommends that City Council approve entering into a new lease (the "Phase 2 Lease") between the City, as the landlord, and Lakeshore Princess West Limited Partnership (the "Phase 2 Tenant") for the development and operation of a hotel and performance venue on the Phase 2 Lands, based on the negotiated terms and conditions included in this report under Appendix A and Confidential Attachments 1 and 2, as approved by the Board, subject to obtaining the necessary City authorization, by adoption of Item EP20.1 at its meeting of October 29, 2021.

The proposed second phase expansion of the Hotel X facility (the "Phase 2 Development") would be located to the west of Stanley Barracks on the south side of Princes' Boulevard, along the Toronto Waterfront at Exhibition Place, as shown in Appendix A - Schedule 1 (the "Phase 2 Lands"), and includes approximately 750,000 square feet of space comprised of:

- A 400-room hotel (360,000 square feet) (the "Phase 2 Hotel");

- Underground parking of approximately 350 spaces (200,000 square feet);

- A 6,600 to 7,000 seat auditorium-style entertainment performance venue (190,000 square feet) (the "Performance Venue").

CreateTO has reviewed the proposed deal and support the staff recommendations for City Council approval. Pending City Council approval of the recommendations in this report, a future Site Plan Application will be subject to review through City Planning and the approval of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division. City and Exhibition Place staff will complete the negotiations of the Phase 2 Lease and will work with the Phase 2 Tenant to develop a community engagement strategy, in consultation with the local Councillor.
 
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