innsertnamehere
Superstar
Sounds interesting.. It will be a good retail amenity for City Place. This looks to be directly to the east of the retail space that was already created underneath the Gardiner as a part of the West Block development.
- Thread starter innsertnamehere
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Sounds interesting.. It will be a good retail amenity for City Place. This looks to be directly to the east of the retail space that was already created underneath the Gardiner as a part of the West Block development.
ChesterCopperpot
Senior Member
Interesting to say the least
ChesterCopperpot
Senior Member
Going by the name "Under Concord"
Northern Light
Superstar
I can't say that I'm sold at all.
Adding some animation at-grade, sure.
That bit is fine.
But digging down, here? For that?
That looks to me to suck life away from adjacent streets rather than provide useful new services to the community. But perhaps I'm being unfair.
Oh, and terrible name.
Adding some animation at-grade, sure.
That bit is fine.
But digging down, here? For that?
That looks to me to suck life away from adjacent streets rather than provide useful new services to the community. But perhaps I'm being unfair.
Oh, and terrible name.
Towered
Superstar
I don't get the underground food hall/exhibition space at this location either. It's rather strange in fact. Why would anyone go there? Some of your park eviscerations come to mind, lol!
Maybe if it were connected to the PATH...maybe. But it's nowhere near that.
Northern Light
Superstar
I think I'd have these 2 concerns
1) It turns into Aura's basement; an expensive, and unsuccessful venture that just creates, at best, an under-utilized, wasted space, and at worst, somewhere dangerous or abandoned.
2) It's 'successful' but in so doing, sucks any retail life away from the street-level.
To me, (the underground portion) looks like a lose-lose proposition.
Towered
Superstar
Absolutely. The above ground shops probably make sense though since there seems to be a surprising scarcity of retail space among all those towers in City Place.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
I think this from the Architectural Plans explains the "why"
(Concord/LGA)
Maximizing square footage given limitations of the site. Should try a capsule hotel underground instead.
AoD
canarob
Senior Member
This will still be kind of dank, no?
concrete_and_light
Active Member
I think this is great and definitely have no issue with them digging down and maximizing the use of the site. If it's sparsely used now maybe it'll become more used when Toronto's population is even bigger. And if we're going to be stuck with the Gardiner going through here it's great to have as much of this kind of use as possible IMO. I see the point that this may draw people away from the streets around but IMO the streets around here are pretty bleak and hostile and don't really have the capacity to host these types of uses. So I don't think there's much animation of the streets existing or possible around it to draw away from. And if anything this could possibly create more animation on the surrounding streets by giving people a destination (the foodhall, etc.) to walk there for and to pass all the upper retail which hopefully could help make that retail more viable too.
Also the way the underground is open to the above will I think help integrate the space as well. It might be kinda cool to look down into and see that there's stuff down there to check out and cool to look up as well — when you're down there it wont feel as much like an underground mall basement as a result, but instead maybe kind of an interesting space where you can look way up through the layers and see the highway so far up above. And seeing the pillars supporting the highway down there, I dunno it's pretty cool to me! In like a brutalist grungy way, but I think it could work out.
Also the way the underground is open to the above will I think help integrate the space as well. It might be kinda cool to look down into and see that there's stuff down there to check out and cool to look up as well — when you're down there it wont feel as much like an underground mall basement as a result, but instead maybe kind of an interesting space where you can look way up through the layers and see the highway so far up above. And seeing the pillars supporting the highway down there, I dunno it's pretty cool to me! In like a brutalist grungy way, but I think it could work out.
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UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
Weird sub terrarium mall with hints of neo-Brutalsm. I know I'm sold...
DopeyFish
Active Member
i'm not going to lie... this is kind of wild
Canadian Chocho
Active Member
I actually kind of like this. There isn't much life to suck from the adjacent streets already.
greenleaf
Senior Member
I mean, sure why not. This is weird and I like that.
This can work but unclear to me why the underground portion wouldn’t be more open to the elements.
This can work but unclear to me why the underground portion wouldn’t be more open to the elements.
reteequa
Active Member
I dont mind it other than it being orientated the wrong way.
Should have buildings beside the streets with a path through the middle to continue the bentway like they are claiming.
Should have buildings beside the streets with a path through the middle to continue the bentway like they are claiming.