The tower itself is clumsy enough aesthetically, but as countless posters have mentioned, the podium is utterly revolting. Cluttered grey-orange paneling, tacky materials, and shoddy quality of build...this is nothing short of an offense to those who must walk past this stretch of downtown on a regular basis. I won't even elaborate on what should be considered objective fact: all it takes is a glance at the gorgeous historical structure next door to realize how diminished our tastes have become over the course of a century.
How on earth did the city allow this...on what's arguably its number one street? Is this how a supposedly "world-class" city behaves? That Toronto fails to rise to the occasion when it really matters speaks volumes about our broader civic values: namely, cheapness, parsimony, and utter indifference. What's the latest version of the damn relief line being torn apart on the drawing board?
Fingers crossed that decades from now, this visually vulgar eco-bloodsucker can be dealt with. Preferably with the wrecking ball.