Toronto Ontario Square and Canada Square | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

Our central waterfront needs at least one major (year round) attraction, like an art gallery or aquarium. We don't have one single major attraction on our downtown waterfront. I think that's pathetic. Too bad the AGO wasn't moved there. That would have been amazing! Move Captain Johns, fill in the quay at the start of Yonge St. and build something!!!
 
What we really need is some Canadian architects to come along and create something innovative that can be covered in the winter and open in the summer. Imagine something like a nice large town square that has a giant atrium like above but with a retractable roof.

Lets show the rest of the world how a city can build innovative seasonal architecture.
 
taal said:
In the summer time your "indoor" complexes will just be wasting space.

Unless there's something can convert from indoor to outdoor I'd rather have it sit empty during the winter as to not sacrifice it for summer/spring/fall time use.
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An indoor complex isn't really a waste of space. If it's too hot outside, people can go inside to cool down. Right now there's not many places to "cool down" at the waterfront. If it's too hot, the only thing you can do is sit under a tree or bring an umbrella. But that doesn't help with the heat. I'm sure with a complex, it will be busy all year around. People will go hang out there during the winter or summer. Winter to stay warm. Summer to get away from the sun for an hour or two. I know when I was in HK, I would be walking in and out of malls just to stay cool because it's so humid outside. Also for the rainy season you need shelter as well. There's hardly anywhere to hide on the harbourfront area when it rains.
 
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Our central waterfront needs at least one major (year round) attraction, like an art gallery or aquarium. We don't have one single major attraction on our downtown waterfront. I think that's pathetic. Too bad the AGO wasn't moved there. That would have been amazing! Move Captain Johns, fill in the quay at the start of Yonge St. and build something!!!
 
I've been pitching the aquarium idea for ages now. That would actually draw people to the waterfront from afar.
 
But why is my question ... and by no means am I settling for anything;
What you ask for, an indoor complex, can be built anywhere downtown can it not?
What's so bad about the current location of the AGO. You could build something in the lands on East Bayfront.

Why use up waterfront space just to attract people there all year. If it's the winter they'll stay *inside* anyway so no one would appreciate the waterfront location. Or at least no more so then if it were anywhere else downtown.

What is so special about the waterfront anyway? One thing that stands out is that it has water, that really needs to be the central feature. Again, why does it need to attract people all year (although if you can think of something that works both summer and winter by all means). I'd rather build an aquarium elsewhere downtown. Also why place a "Toronto" museum on the waterfront when old city hall would be a perfect location.
 
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Aquariums have this crazy relation to water, shockingly, which would tie the aquarium on waterfront idea together.

Why use up waterfront space just to attract people there all year. If it's the winter they'll stay *inside* anyway so no one would appreciate the waterfront location. Or at least no more so then if it were anywhere else downtown.
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They're no more or less likely to go to it in the winter on the waterfront or elsewhere. Also, if it's anything like Chicago's aquarium, the view of the lake from the main pool is very nice. Winter or not.

...although if you can think of something that works both summer and winter by all means).
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I just did.
 
Sure but at the same rate you could build that just a bit to the North in the ACC/Skydome vicinity. It's close enough to the waterfront to have the same relation. But at the same rate it doesn't take up valuable waterfront land better used as a park or some other outdoor facilty.

Look the waterfront is a big place - I have no objection on building such facilities elsewhere on the waterfront but not the central waterfront!!!
Yes, building them elsewhere implies it'll likely not be downtown though ...

Chicago for one benifits from a much larger central waterfront exposure. I'd really like to see the stretch from Spadina to Yonge. Remain open parkland - or at the very least have it surrounded by parkland / decks.

I wouldn't be so opposed to an aquarium if it didn't cut off access to the lakefront by foot *outside* ... maybe that would work.
 
taal said:
Sure but at the same rate you could build that just a bit to the North in the ACC/Skydome vicinity. It's close enough to the waterfront to have the same relation. But at the same rate it doesn't take up valuable waterfront land better used as a park or some other outdoor facilty.

Look the waterfront is a big place - I have no objection on building such facilities elsewhere on the waterfront but not the central waterfront!!!
Yes, building them elsewhere implies it'll likely not be downtown though ...

Chicago for one benifits from a much larger central waterfront exposure. I'd really like to see the stretch from Spadina to Yonge. Remain open parkland - or at the very least have it surrounded by parkland / decks.

I wouldn't be so opposed to an aquarium if it didn't cut off access to the lakefront by foot *outside* ... maybe that would work.
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I apparently completely neglected the topic at hand with my comments. I was thinking about an aquarium on the east bay front, somewhere around Parliament or Cherry St.
 
taal said:
I'd rather build an aquarium elsewhere downtown. Also why place a "Toronto" museum on the waterfront when old city hall would be a perfect location.
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Ok, I agree with the Toronto museum being at old city hall, but an aquarium elsewhere? That makes no sense. An aquarium is one thing that belongs on the waterfront. I think the Portlands would be a cool area for that though. It would provide amazing views onto the lake and of the skyline.
 
we can dream. an aquarium would be beautiful and perfect for our waterfront. my friend's father is a zoologist at u of t and he's been pushing for this since the dawn of time. highly unrealistic though, at least in the near future.

after purchasing the land, going through the environmental assessments, designing/engineering the building, getting FISH (i know nothing about filling up museums with beautiful works, let alone an entire building with exotic animals), and financing the project...i don't see toronto getting something like this for another 20 years...if ever.

that's not necessarily a bad thing...just slightly unfortunate. this city can, and will build other attractions. I LOVE THE WAY WE ARE ANYWAY! xoxoxo
 
Hmm, well this is what I envisioned anyway.

aquariumwaterfront.jpg


(Obviously with a not-Chicago's aquarium, aquarium.)
 
i love chicago. a lot of people say toronto is just a smaller chicago. true and not true. i do think though that toronto should strive for its beauty, it's dedication to the public realm, and its international reputation as a cultural powerhouse.
 
oh no...Toronto can't be like Chicago. I hate O'hare so much. I would like to think the Toronto weather is better than Chicago. And I think the airport is better to. I hate going through O'hare. It's a nightmare.
 
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