[steveve]

I actually find the dark green hue of the office building cladding to be somewhat refreshing. Though green glass dominated the formative years of the construction boom, blue and grey glass seem to be much more prevalent as of late.
Recent office builds SFC, 16 York, LCBO Tower, Bay Adelaide, EY, CIBC Square, etc all seem to have some variation of blue or silver.
The X beams and metallic accents also compliment the overall aesthetic.

 

[ProjectEnd]

The movie theatres were not taken up so that area is being configured for other commercial use. Any other particular retail tenants continue to only be speculation.
42

The theatre space has been leased to the Konrad Group.

Correct, it's cheap green glass.

42

It is green, but it's not cheap.

 

[marcus_a_j]

I'm curious to know what the restaurant on the top (38th) floor will be. Regardless, the views would be awesome.

Source: Toronto AIC 440 Front St W

 

[interchange42]

The theatre space has been leased to the Konrad Group.

Ah, the digital agency and product innovation firm that offers strategy, design, and technology services to the world's most ambitious businesses and brands? The Konrad Group that leverages their design-driven approach to build cutting-edge digital solutions, delivering compelling experiences to their clients and further on to their clients' customers? Cool.

It is green, but it's not cheap.

Sorry, I should have said “bargain basement, bottom-of-the-barrel, fire-sale, iron-loaded, penny-pinching number-cruncher architecturally-stigmatized bottle-green vitrics associated with the worst of our condo construction from the previous wave." I mean, just compare it with the glass in the Stantec building right in front of it:

Photo by @PatM

At least the green glass on the tower is nice and flat.

42

 

[Northern Light]

Sorry, I should have said “bargain basement, bottom-of-the-barrel, fire-sale, iron-loaded, penny-pinching number-cruncher architecturally-stigmatized bottle-green vitrics associated with the worst of our condo construction from the previous wave." I mean, just compare it with the glass in the Stantec building right in front of it:

42

42! I had no idea you could speak with a @ProjectEnd accent!

Hands over the award for Unambiguous Opinion of the Day!

 

[ProjectEnd]

Hey, I'm not here to stand up for the colour, but it's the same product line that's also being installed at 100 QQ and the new Piano Courthouse. Early 2000s window wall, this ain't.

Perhaps HPA has some answering to do?

 

[interchange42]

Is it HPA ultimately? Heard it through the grapevine that it was a cost-saving move by RioCan who are not quite as used to the finer points of architecture as are Allied REIT and of course HPA themselves. It has not been long that RioCan has been in the AAA office tower development business, and in this case it seems to show.

I do think HPA needs to take some ribbing here for the non-functional cross-bracing. It does look good from a distance, but come on HPA… you guys are amongst my fav architects in town, but oooooffffff!

42

 

[Heller94]

Shawn Mendes comments on The Well

 

[Undead]

View attachment 285371Shawn Mendes comments on The Well

this needs to become some kind of Toronto meme lol

 

[Ciarlandini]

this needs to become some kind of Toronto meme lol

Perfect time for Kotsy to sweep in and do his magic

 

[DavidCapizzano]

I'm curious to see if the southern residential towers will use a different hue of glass/curtain wall on their north and south facades, and if there will be any big material differences between the Rio Can rental tower and the two Tridel towers.

 

[soufflot]

I do think HPA needs to take some ribbing here for the non-functional cross-bracing.

I get the feeling this might be an unpopular opinion on here but... why? Should they also take a ribbing for the non-functional brick panels planned for the Wellington facades? Or the stone veneers used elsewhere? At the end of the day, aren't they all different shades of adornment masquerading as structural elements?

The architecture nerd in me also thinks structural cross bracing would have been really cool. But even though that wasn't ultimately possible (presumably for reasons beyond HPA's control), I'm still glad they decided to give this building more personality than strictly structurally necessary.

 

[ProjectEnd]

I'm curious to see if the southern residential towers will use a different hue of glass/curtain wall on their north and south facades, and if there will be any big material differences between the Rio Can rental tower and the two Tridel towers.

AFAIK the podium is also Antamex but the towers are a different supplier.

 

[interchange42]

I get the feeling this might be an unpopular opinion on here but... why? Should they also take a ribbing for the non-functional brick panels planned for the Wellington facades? Or the stone veneers used elsewhere? At the end of the day, aren't they all different shades of adornment masquerading as structural elements?

The architecture nerd in me also thinks structural cross bracing would have been really cool. But even though that wasn't ultimately possible (presumably for reasons beyond HPA's control), I'm still glad they decided to give this building more personality than strictly structurally necessary.

It's not a binary situation, there are shades of gray here that include a difference between cross bracing that has no effect other than aesthetic, and a cladding material that is a more attractive veneer covering a less appealing one: you still have to clad the building, so it might as well be pleasing to the eye (and the brick veneers should provide decades of maintenance-free wear).

Also in the shades of gray department: I used the word 'ribbing' which indicates a good-natured poke, not a full-on dressing down. I know the cross-bracing isn't a crime against humanity… it's just not functionally honest 'tis all!

42

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

I get the feeling this might be an unpopular opinion on here but... why? Should they also take a ribbing for the non-functional brick panels planned for the Wellington facades? Or the stone veneers used elsewhere? At the end of the day, aren't they all different shades of adornment masquerading as structural elements?

The architecture nerd in me also thinks structural cross bracing would have been really cool. But even though that wasn't ultimately possible (presumably for reasons beyond HPA's control), I'm still glad they decided to give this building more personality than strictly structurally necessary.

No - but Wallman might