I walked around this block of development today. It really is quite a shock to come along Gerrard, heading east, and suddenly see these shiny, tall and hugely machined buildings pushing up to the sidewalk of the site. The surroundings only up the contrast - generally being short, dingy and a bit slapdash. It just seems like yesterday that this corner was was a very particular 'nowhere' - a border zone, to use Jane Jacob's parlance - and now it is a very definite, even aggressive, 'somewhere'.
So far, in terms of material and massing, it looks extremely well done, IMO. The detail work looks great - especially on the finished Sackville Street buildings.
My only substantial complaint was the pervasive grey tone of the materials used throughout the site, on both sets of buildings. All the glass, bricks, cladding and concrete were pretty much in the same middling grey colour range, looking strenuously monotonous. It was an overcast day, which didn't help anything stick out much and helped drain out what colour that was visible at all. But regardless, I felt the buildings were all far too constrained and uniform in tone. With them sitting on such a large stretch of land, a bit more variety would have been welcome.
I'll have to get down there on a sunnier day. It might perk things up a bit. Also as more people and businesses move in, that should enliven things, too.
I didn't get close to them, but at a distance, really liked the rhythmic look of the townhomes set up on the North side of One Cole. It looks like red brick was used there, and it works well.
It was great seeing warm light dotting the sides of the building, from lamps, where the first new people have moved in.
Quite a change...and the questions, worries and hopes about what happen to the area only seemed magnified by seeing these buildings being completed. Quite a gamble. Whatever happens here, you get the feeling it's going to be powerful, no matter how it turns out.
