[SP!RE]

But it's been temporary since 2007. In other words, not at all temporary.

 

[neubilder]

The Ritz also has 25+ unsold 1000sq/ft-million dollar suites without balconies.

L Tower is completely sold out..reason why there is window-wall over curtain? Balconies...If you can figure out a way to get balconies into curtain, be my guest...window-wall doesn't necessarily mean "subpar" or "cheap", it's a completely different assembly.

Mcdonalds - over 25 gazillion served. Doesn't mean it's good.

The fact that the Ritz doesn't have balconies has nothing to do with the fact that they used curtainwall. Are you trying to say curtainwall is incompatible with doors or balconies? CW is expensive, and the details are precise. It comes down to cost. But L-tower sold for around $900/psf, so there's no excuse there. And sold mostly to foreign investors who were convinced by the starchitect cache and sensationalist design - which I like btw, I just think the detailing should be consequent.

 

[k10ery]

The ROM is indeed not a box, but that doesn't mean it's good architecture. Nor is it very functional for it's intended use. Curators had to spend a fortune on climate controlled cases because the conditions of the building itself were impossible to control due to the wacky useless interconnected spaces. The ROM does almost none of the things that a gallery is supposed to do. It also displaced one of the few semi-monumentally scaled squares in the city.

I agree with all that. Poor layout, poor finishes, a desecration of the original architecture when enhancement was possible, and a missed opportunity to create public space. Plus, come on: a pyramid in front of an historic museum is not exactly original thinking!

 

[steveve]

android's last pic is the best i've seen l tower's cladding look, the randomized strips are a very redeeming feature for the cladding. that is still not to say that this building has great cladding,

but perhaps the texture of the cladding is as much bad as it is good.

I think this could sorta work, kinda like the way the ROM does, even though they ditched the original completely glass facade for that white aluminium-like material. most people think it's pretty cool (as do i), the same thing might happen here, L tower might pull a clutch

 

[scrapergeek]

Here's a question. Bit of a tangent I know, but if in say 50 years time, a developer wanted to convert a window wall system to glazed curtain wall, is that technically possible? Just curious.

 

[whatever]

What do you mean by convert? I suppose you could remove and replace, but structurally and functionally they're two completely different systems.

 

[wmedia]

What do you mean by convert? I suppose you could remove and replace, but structurally and functionally they're two completely different systems.

Yes you can remove and replace, but I doubt it would be straightforward, or even possible given the differences in how they are anchored, positions of doors, balconies etc.

 

[androiduk]

 

[Jasonzed]

from today

 

[Komiksulo]

Man, we could use a couple of nice bright red or orange buildings downtown...

 

[Torontovibe]

Anything besides grey, green or blue would be much appreciated but red would be wonderful!

 

[vegeta_skyline]

Red would definitely be nice - one reason to like both Cinema tower and The Yorkville.
I wouldn't mind seeing some more Royal gold either.

 

[philofra]

From Fort York:

 

[someMidTowner]

 

[k10ery]

From curbed.com, a sampling of comments about the worst buildings in the world. It's nice to see Toronto is world class.

LIBESKIND SUPER-SPECIAL DOUBLE BONUS ROUND:

· "The Crystal," Daniel Libeskind's addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto: "the world's worst addition in the history of construction." And: "an abomination by any standard."

· "I nominate the oversized and uber-ugly 'EL Masterpiece' lightfixture that Libeskind just designed for Zumtobel. It's bigger than some buildings ... though not as big as Libeskind's ego, of course. (BTW - What kind of pompous jerk calls his light fixture 'Masterpiece'?)"

· "Libeskind's ROM Crystal. His Las Vegas Crystal. Oh, what the hell, everything he's built, anywhere."

· "I think anything and everything by Daniel Libeskind would make the list. He can't seem to tell the difference between his own turds and real design."

· "It's not a building, but I nominate Libeskind's Tre Piu Door just because he's so ridiculous and the jerk deserves it." (YouTube video here.)

· "Get rid of Libeskind's office and most of the hideous building problem goes away with it."

· Libeskind's Zlota 44 tower, Poland: "makes the communist era buildings look good."

· Libeskind's Museum Residences, Denver: "Sorry, but if the topic is 'eye-searingly awful buildings,' then Libeskind's name is going to figure prominently."

· Libeskind's Jewish Contemporary Museum, San Francisco: "where he mutilated an historic building with another of his stupid crystal forms. He's really degraded architecture across the globe."