RyeJay
New Member
I also agree. Different building materials and colours would be very appreciated. I wonder how a brick inclusive Sun Life Financial Tower may have impacted (and broken up) the Southcore's localised glass monotony...
- Thread starter Condo George
- Start date
I also agree. Different building materials and colours would be very appreciated. I wonder how a brick inclusive Sun Life Financial Tower may have impacted (and broken up) the Southcore's localised glass monotony...
Torontovibe
Senior Member
Funny how those are never the neighbourhoods people want to visit and spend time in. For some odd reason most people prefer Greenwhich Village/NYC, The Rocks/Sydney, The French Quarter/New Orleans, Old Montreal, Kensington Market, Camden Market or Oxford Street in London.
In fact, are there any new, modern, minimalist (glass, spandrel & steel) districts that are beloved by a city or tourists? I can't think of any, anywhere in the world.
(none that I've been to anyway)
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FNTS
Active Member
Tjuvholmen in Oslo, Hammarby Sjostad in Stockholm, Hafencity in Hamburg, the Dublin Docklands, Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires, Canary Wharf in London, Potsdamer Platz in Berlin... I could go on
wkbdyb
New Member
Those are all "old" cities where historical districts are an integral part of the character they present to tourists and visitors. Toronto is not a city like this, and here they have the opportunity to do something different and unforced, and do it well.
TrickyRicky
Senior Member
"Tjuvholmen in Oslo, Hammarby Sjostad in Stockholm, Hafencity in Hamburg, the Dublin Docklands, Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires, Canary Wharf in London, Potsdamer Platz in Berlin... I could go on"
Torontovibe's point may be exaggerated FNTS but honestly? I have been to most of these cities, tourists and locals alike asides from a few architecture and design fans don't exactly beeline to these districts.
On the other hand a city should be about diversity. Diversity should mean that not all areas should need to be the same. There should be place for fine-grained old districts and super modern non-human scale environments in a city.
I once met a guy from Ireland who was going on and on about how great Toronto was because the streets are so wide and open. It made him feel everything was bright and clear and dynamic, open to possibility. We would probably go to his town and comment how the compact form and charm of the streets created such a dynamic and human-scale environment.
Torontovibe's point may be exaggerated FNTS but honestly? I have been to most of these cities, tourists and locals alike asides from a few architecture and design fans don't exactly beeline to these districts.
On the other hand a city should be about diversity. Diversity should mean that not all areas should need to be the same. There should be place for fine-grained old districts and super modern non-human scale environments in a city.
I once met a guy from Ireland who was going on and on about how great Toronto was because the streets are so wide and open. It made him feel everything was bright and clear and dynamic, open to possibility. We would probably go to his town and comment how the compact form and charm of the streets created such a dynamic and human-scale environment.
Torontovibe
Senior Member
Canary Wharf is a popular place for Londoners and tourists? (well loved?)
Come on, get serious! It is a business district, like any other business district. Few tourists or Londoners go there to hang out and enjoy. Do a search of London's best districts or tourist areas and it does not come up on any top 10 lists. Canary Wharf is the only place I've been to, of the ones you mentioned, so I can only comment on that one but I saw little there that would appeal to anyone other than the people working and living there. I saw nothing beautiful, interesting or charming. I'm sure most Londoners would agree and not put it in their top 10 districts/neighbourhoods.
Now for the others, I'll have to use Google Street-view & Youtube to check them out. (but I will check them out)
My whole point is, what most of the architecture geeks on UT appreciate and what the rest of the world appreciates, is usually quite different. The buildings and places in the world that people really love, look nothing like the minimalist utopias many of the architecture experts on Urban Toronto favour. I know, the experts always think they are right and anything that includes art, is considered "fussy" or a useless decorative do-dad. What many don't get, is that art and decorative features actually appeal to people. Charm and colour are not dirty words. (grey spandrel is, to me anyway)
Southcore is not a disaster but it's not what one would call charming or even animated, well, besides the train park, which is pretty charming. (and cool) It's one of the few features of this area, that actually puts a smile on people's faces. Hopefully the newer buildings (Ice & Delta) will help animate this area, once the retail opens up.
isaidso
Senior Member
Delta and ICE look great, the aquarium is alright, the rest of the new buildings in this area are mind numbing.
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MisterF
Senior Member
And yet even in newer cities like Toronto the most interesting and dynamic parts of the city are the older districts.
Torontovibe
Senior Member
^^ Yeah, I wonder why that is? Could it have something to do with the bland, cold, characterless look of all new retail? They all look exactly the same with flat glass walls and nothing to give them any individuality. I think people hate the sameness of all that glass on street level.
Contra
Senior Member
I really like all three of these buildings. Green roofs are a great touch and they look good from above. The cladding is great on all three as well and they hit the street really nicely.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
too bad everything between the roof and the first floor is kinda boring.
devjohnson
Active Member
How are these anyway boring? They're such high quality bold designs in my opinion.
TheKingEast
Senior Member
They are pretty conservative looking. high quality and bold are not words I'd use to describe the design of these buildings. The materials might be high quality but the design is pretty safe, boring, bland....my opinion, of course.
devjohnson
Active Member
The PWC and Bremner Towers, maybe. But I really love the Delta Tower, that strip down the side is very sharp, and considering how shiny and reflective it is, it makes this building really striking in my opinion!