[Natika33]

Didn't want to take away his thunder but Rascacielo already posted that on the previous page...lol.

Oh, missed that Guess the reiteration was lucky for me then!

 

[HometownPride]

And technically, the tallest building wouldn't be occupying the actual site of the Star building, though it is part of the complex.

 

[torontologist]

Even renovating the former Toronto Star building at One Yonge like fellow International Style skyscraper Seneca One Tower in Buffalo would be better than demolishing it completely.

Seneca One Tower - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I think it is very shameful that our heritage preservation system is abused to protect shacks on Queen St E while this building of architectural and cultural significance (and *massive* amounts of embedded carbon) doesn't have any sort of designation. What a joke.

Time to designate more brutalist buildings before they're gone.

 

[evandyk]

Don't forget the Heritage Tim Hortons at Front and Sherbourne that was the most basic unornamented brick shoebox ever constructed. That's clearly more important than this building.

 

[C-mac]

I think it is very shameful that our heritage preservation system is abused to protect shacks on Queen St E while this building of architectural and cultural significance (and *massive* amounts of embedded carbon) doesn't have any sort of designation. What a joke.

Time to designate more brutalist buildings before they're gone.

It's amazing that so many of us agree with you, but yet the city doesn't feel this way.

 

[hansboyca]

I think I was more upset the last time they demolished the Toronto Star Building. It really hadn't been in existence that long and was an art deco classic.

You were around when they demolished the original Star building? Wow! Yes, I'd have been outraged and heartbroken.

 

[Dr. Snoot]

It's amazing that so many of us agree with you, but yet the city doesn't feel this way.

I think a lot of people would disagree that this is the heritage we should be saving.

I have nothing against brutalism, and there are many great and interesting examples that should be preserved, but this building, frankly, is ugly, demonstrates almost nothing in terms of unique craftsmanship or materiality, and is a street-level killer at one of the most prominent waterfront locations in Canada. We can do a lot better.

Also, I'm holding a long-term grudge regarding the demolition of the original Toronto Star building.

 

[ProjectEnd]

You were around when they demolished the original Star building? Wow! Yes, I'd have been outraged and heartbroken.

O&Y built this Star Building *because* they demo-ed the original one for FCP.

 

[maestro]

Modernism is the least appreciated movement on these forums.

This isn't Brutalism to begin. Brutalism is decorative/ expressionism. This is minimalism. (From memory) Each window bay is equal in size and each side of the building has a equal number of bays. Each of those bays is inset from the face of the facade. This sounds simply however, think of one of the hundreds of towers built since 2000 that manages this. The highly regarded Selby on Sherbourne comes the closest. Some of its bays just have full height spandrel glass panels.

I wouldn't call the tower a street killer. The printing complex attached to it is. It's purpose was industrial and was going to be demolished in every Pinnacle conception

 

[jje1000]

Even renovating the former Toronto Star building at One Yonge like fellow International Style skyscraper Seneca One Tower in Buffalo would be better than demolishing it completely.

Seneca One Tower - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I'm not sure modernist fans would appreciate the red and black paint job or the neo-brick warehouse aesthetic Seneca One's new owners have given it lol

 

[C-mac]

We can do a lot better.

I think this is the problem right here. This city continues to put up very sub par buildings. Pretty much anything by Concord Adex that goes up is an eyesore, which is sad because their buildings are all over the place. The mentality that "we can do better" is not something I have a lot of faith in when it comes to skyscrapers in this city. I'm not suggesting the Toronto Star building is a site to behold, but in a city that's rife with glass box's, anything that isn't glass is a win in my books so replacing it with another glass building just adds to the clutter. so that's why I think it should be preserved.

 

[Koops65]

We don't know what they envision for the 95 and 90 floor towers... they may not be all-glass.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

I kinda like the concept where they where planning to bottle the TorStar building in glass. I still think that can be done without needing it to be office space....

...but let's see what they have to offer first before speculating too much about it. HP Sauce may have some complimentary tricks up their sleeves like they're proposing for 350 Bloor East. <3

 

[TossYourJacket]

Regarding the TorStar building: Can't say I'm surprised. It's an older office building, plus it's outside the financial district, and far from the subway. It's not exactly an ideal office location with the current lack of demand. Consider that 11 Bay, just a block away is effectively cancelled. And that would have had direct streetcar, as well as PATH, access. There's also been no movement on The Hub, which also would be newer and closer to Union than this building. And while I think we should be spreading out offices beyond the financial district, the lack of movement on the Waterfront East LRT makes it hard to justify offices on Queen's Quay East. Who knows when there will actually be a streetcar stop outside? Years of bad planning and decisions are compounding at this point.

I agree with what @UtakataNoAnnex said, something closer to 350 Bloor East, in terms of respecting the original building, would be ideal here. Would also add a nice contrast in materiality from the northern towers.

 

[rdaner]

A zoom of building that reinforces how central this lot has become with East Bayfront development! Screaming for something very dense, mixed-use and svelte.