This building doesn't look cheap to me though? Sure, it's subtle and unflashy and from a distance it looks like your standard commercial glass box, but the detailing (what's been done so far, at least) looks top-notch. Lots of good stuff yet to come. The understatedness is by design, so as not to compete with City Hall, not a result of cheapening.
 
smably said:
This building doesn't look cheap to me though? Sure, it's subtle and unflashy and from a distance it looks like your standard commercial glass box, but the detailing (what's been done so far, at least) looks top-notch. Lots of good stuff yet to come. The understatedness is by design, so as not to compete with City Hall, not a result of cheapening.
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It's good, but definitely not as good as what RPBW is capable of.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Our "local design industry" had plenty of chances with the IO courthouse portfolio - and was in the running for this project as well. The proposal spoke for itself.

AoD
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Do you have a link to the locally designed proposals? I feel that Hariri Pontarini or Teeple could have done better. Just because they wanted to be respectful to City Hall doesn't mean it had to be bland. You can have multiple landmarks existing in harmony.
 
junctionist said:
Do you have a link to the locally designed proposals? I feel that Hariri Pontarini or Teeple could have done better. Just because they wanted to be respectful to City Hall doesn't mean it had to be bland. You can have multiple landmarks existing in harmony.
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@ProjectEnd already provided the rendering for one - and you can't "feel" if a firm could do better if they didn't take part in submitting a proposal or make the cut.

Speaking of this project - IO posted the Summer 2022 update (with interior pics):


And the architectural mast didn't get cut - it will be installed this summer. Phew,.

AoD
 
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junctionist said:
Do you have a link to the locally designed proposals? I feel that Hariri Pontarini or Teeple could have done better. Just because they wanted to be respectful to City Hall doesn't mean it had to be bland. You can have multiple landmarks existing in harmony.
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It doesn't work that way. You need to be 'vetted' (and rightfully so, at times). Hence there were no 'HPA' or 'Teeple' efforts.
 
Yeah, right. You guys are probably just biased against local design…

Look at something like the Perimeter Institute for a large public building impressively designed by Saucier and Perrotte and Teeple. HPA has a handful of better landmark projects in its portfolio as well.
 
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junctionist said:
Yeah, right. You guys are probably just biased against local design…

Look at something like the Perimeter Institute for a large public building impressively designed by Saucier and Perrotte and Teeple. HPA has a handful of better landmark projects in its portfolio as well.
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As if "we" somehow prompted IO- - because we apparently have that power - to make a choice for RPBW over the local firm - when a) you didn't even know that there was a local firm in the running and b) didn't know what they proposed, even though it's been posted here ages ago. In the meantime, practically the entire IO courthouse portfolio is handled by local firms - and neither SP, Teeple nor HPA got any of the jobs (large or small). Biased against local design? After seeing what our local firms in this "genre" offered (there is also the somewhat contemporaneous Calgary Courts Centre as an example of a similar scale) , you bet I am wanting a breath of fresh air.

AoD
 
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June 25, 2022:

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Rascacielo said:
From the Renzo Piano exhibition at Harbourfront Centre (until Sep 11, well worth seeing!). I didn’t know there would be a courtyard / atrium on the 16th floor (second photo). Not sure if they’ll actually plant the trees though …

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The Winter 2022 IO update show the interior courtyard with trees.

AoD
 
UT article about the exhibition:

urbantoronto.ca

Renzo Piano Building Workshop Exhibition Opens at Harbourfront Centre | UrbanToronto

As the Ontario Court of Justice nears completion by Toronto City Hall, an exhibition on its architects offers a glimpse into the fascinating design process that led to the building that we see today. Piece by Piece: Inside the Renzo Piano Building Workshop offers a rare and intimate look at the...
urbantoronto.ca urbantoronto.ca

Though it should be corrected - this isn't the first high-rise courthouse project in Canada - I believe the Calgary Courts Centre would be (and it's a taller/larger building); 180 Queen West is "sort of" one, but it's more a mixed used project.

AoD
 
Anyone else hate the first few floors of this? It just looks so "busy". Maybe it's just me.
 
Photos taken yesterday, August 9th, 2022:

We'll start with a simple shot, not of the building (primarily), but of the sidewalk on Chestnut.....as part of this project, both sides of Chestnut, Centre, and Armoury are getting new sidewalks/streetscapes.

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The new streetscape on the south side of Armoury is now complete:


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Now the building, with a bit of focus on soffit work:

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