[raptor]

Damn this is going to be fantastic. I just hope that local architects and developers feel a bit guilty now when they submit their plans for yet another mediocre condo project.

(ok, we know that is not going to happen. But I can dream, right?)

Why would they feel guilty when they are rolling in dough? There is no incentive whatsoever to go beyond 'mediocre'. Just look at Sugar Wharf.

 

[AlbertC]

Personally wouldn't want to live in the area, but this project certainly looks amazing.

 

[Dr. Snoot]

The full sales brochure can be downloaded here. HUGE document with a lot of rich info & renders. Super interesting to read more about the rationale for the glass cube building material.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5c2hwcajqbqyky9/AACqzUlY_82UtKZFhV73Zdh-a?dl=0

This is the most detailed document I have ever seen for a development. It is almost 1GB in size and 338 pages long.

If we get even half of the thought and features they promise it will be spectacular.

 

[SpadinaBus]

Personally wouldn't want to live in the area, but this project certainly looks amazing.

Been here since 2006. Every year, it gets better and this development will take it up another notch. Clubs and bad resto/club hybrids are getting replaced with quality developments like this.

 

[TheKingEast]

That is by far the nicest, most detailed and robust brochure I've ever seen. I need to get a hold of the hardcopy.

Very ambitious project inside and out. It looks fabulous though. Good on the developer for not watering down the design...not just on the outside but on the inside as well. Exposed duct work and concrete at 1500/ft. Good for them. I remember when I had a loft the reviews were mixed "Oh this is cool" and "Is it finished?". I love it though!

Hope it turns out great so it will push other developers to step up their game.

 

[interchange42]

So the KING Toronto event that was supposed to start at 6 PM at Roy Thomson Hall tonight…

didn't offer food,
made people stand around inside the hall for 50 minutes waiting to be seated,
started 21 minutes late,
and then while Ian Gillespie kept it reasonably short,
Bjarke Ingels went long (and at least was engaging),
but Douglas Coupland, after a promising start with his fantastic work on Telus Sky, started rambling away and then kept going.

I left at 8:40 to get dinner. Anyone stay til the end? What happened after Coupland took his Van Gogh head to Brasilia? Anything worthwhile?

42

 

[neuhaus]

I left at 8:40 to get dinner. Anyone stay til the end? What happened after Coupland took his Van Gogh head to Brasilia? Anything worthwhile?

Yes it was annoying at the beginning, very unorganized. While waiting in line a long time to get in I had to put up with some ignorant agents thinking it was a sales event and had no clue about this event, and some people letting half a dozen of their friends who arrived late butt in front of them in line just before entering the hall.

I took advantage of my front row seat and stayed till the end. I thought it was all very compelling and entertaining. I must admit I didn't know much of Coupland's body of artwork so I thought his talk was fascinating and his style was very casual, frank and humble. I would never imagine the topic of butt plugs would be mentioned here!
In Brasilia, they do not chew gum, so his art piece didn't quite work and the health department in New York didn't allow his work to display/function as intended. There was a round table discussion with all three at the end and afterwards they show a short video presentation of KING Toronto, which I have seen snippets of it elsewhere before. It ended with the band playing, which the place cleared out when they started to play, which I felt really sorry for them. But it did drag on until 9:20pm.

In general it was a very informative, educational and entertaining presentation and I was happy that I attended. I must applaud Westbank for hosting such an event to the public while promoting the building instead of throwing a tacky party exclusive to real estate agents like the one I went to for YSL a couple nights ago. It shows their passion and commitment to the public realm and I love how Ian Gillespie mentioned that they are transforming themselves from a condo developer to a culture developer.

 

[MetroMan]

I stayed until the end and I thought it was an interesting talk. I came away very encouraged by their commitment to this project. I had been worried that parts of the project would get compromised but BIG and Westbank's past work reassured me that things like trees on the rooftops and patios are a non negotiable critical element of this project. I was also very excited about the art component. What I didn't understand is what Douglas Coupland's involvement is here. He's going to be a judge on selecting the art component. At first, I thought he'd be doing a lighting piece like he did on the Calgary project. Hopefully there's more to announce on that.

Ian Gillespie ended with something that struck me: I think KING will be a turning point for Toronto. People will demand that kind of quality and creativity in their buildings.

This might sound like obvious PR but I believe there's some truth to it. The first couple of phases of Toronto's condo boom are over. Pretty much every empty lot has been taken. Developers could build anything and people would buy it. Lately, projects have had to set themselves apart. Something like KING will definitely raise the bar, at least for downtown. I'm excited for this.

 

[MetroMan]

…we'll get something closer to this second one—although it would be a few years before it were this green:

View attachment 159943

You'd be surprised. I planted vines on my patio from a seed (in June) and my patio has been completely overtaken by vines. It's amazing. If they're planting ivy, it'll take just one season to grow up to 20 feet — per plant. It'll be pretty green by the end of the Summer. The next Spring, it'll fill up and be just like in this photo.

 

[Contra]

You'd be surprised. I planted vines on my patio from a seed (in June) and my patio has been completely overtaken by vines. It's amazing. If they're planting ivy, it'll take just one season to grow up to 20 feet — per plant. It'll be pretty green by the end of the Summer. The next Spring, it'll fill up and be just like in this photo.

And per the document it looks like they know what they're doing. Specific plants chosen for the levels of sunlight vs shade and a pretty impressive lattice-work of cabling to let the vines grow.

 

[neuhaus]

It's so refreshing that the interiors and landscaping is not done by the usual group of firms in the Toronto condo world. And better yet, BIG is also responsible for the interiors so there is a cohesion between inside and out, something that is lacking here. There is nothing off-the-shelf or recycled (design-wise) here.
Yes, the landscaping and design of the planters are extremely detailed and thoughtfully designed so that they will survive our extreme climates. I'm excited to see different parts of the building will have specific species to deal with the specific microclimates and lighting conditions. Parts of the building will bloom in different colours at different times of the year which will really animate the building. The plantings will create more privacy, buffer the noise and soften the building which is needed when most of the units face or look down on each other.

 

[Blovertis]

You'd be surprised. I planted vines on my patio from a seed (in June) and my patio has been completely overtaken by vines. It's amazing. If they're planting ivy, it'll take just one season to grow up to 20 feet — per plant. It'll be pretty green by the end of the Summer. The next Spring, it'll fill up and be just like in this photo.

Sorry, off-topic, I know, but what kind of vines were they? I'm already thinking of next summer.

 

[Filip]

You'd be surprised. I planted vines on my patio from a seed (in June) and my patio has been completely overtaken by vines. It's amazing. If they're planting ivy, it'll take just one season to grow up to 20 feet — per plant. It'll be pretty green by the end of the Summer. The next Spring, it'll fill up and be just like in this photo.

Can you let me know which type? I want to do something similar on mine...

 

[ten_eighteen]

This is the most detailed document I have ever seen for a development. It is almost 1GB in size and 338 pages long.

If we get even half of the thought and features they promise it will be spectacular.

Does anyone know how I might be able to get a hard copy of this document? I'm a huge fan of BIG and would love to get one of these books... I know they are probably only intended for successful purchasers in the building, but I would love to get a copy!

 

[TheKingEast]

It's so refreshing that the interiors and landscaping is not done by the usual group of firms in the Toronto condo world. And better yet, BIG is also responsible for the interiors so there is a cohesion between inside and out, something that is lacking here. There is nothing off-the-shelf or recycled (design-wise) here.
Yes, the landscaping and design of the planters are extremely detailed and thoughtfully designed so that they will survive our extreme climates. I'm excited to see different parts of the building will have specific species to deal with the specific microclimates and lighting conditions. Parts of the building will bloom in different colours at different times of the year which will really animate the building. The plantings will create more privacy, buffer the noise and soften the building which is needed when most of the units face or look down on each other.

You're not pleased with Cecconi Simone?

I agree. I feel like you can't tell the interiors apart in many of our buildings. Boring. This is nice though.