Toronto Yonge-Dundas Square/Sankofa Square (Brown + Storey Architects)

[LUVIT!]

I say let's meet at Yonge and Dundas! Across from the confusing blank concrete space filled with grifters! Yay see you soon.

 

[Admiral Beez]

So yeah, I don't think Sankofa is going to stick if it doesn't outlast at least a generation of people who have always called it Dundas Square. And on that point, I can add NEW INFORMATION to this thread: I was sufficiently motivated by this discussion to confirm with the Mayor's Office that the little street that runs along the south edge of the square will continue to be called Dundas Square. There are no plans to change it. So yeah, good luck getting people to stop calling it Dundas Square when the name is right on the map and when the streets bounding it are still Yonge, Dundas St E and Dundas Square.

I'd say Sankofa is only around until some corporation buys the naming rights. It's only a matter of time before it's Tim Hortons Square, No Frills Square, etc.

Or maybe Date Square, sponsored by DateTO, as part of their places to meet up campaign.

DateTO - Discover Toronto's Best Date Spots

AI-powered Toronto date discovery platform with 500+ curated venues. Find the perfect date spot in the 6ix.

dateto.ca

 

[LUVIT!]

It is apparent this naming has created some controversy which is worthy of discussion pro or con.

 

[kotsy]

Almost added this to the Eaton Centre thread but seems more appropriate here.

Toronto's Yonge and Dundas corner could be getting another prominent digital sign

The gradual evolution of Toronto's Yonge and Dundas intersection into a mini Times Square could continue with the addition of another video signage i…

www.blogto.com

Speaking of billboards, does anyone know what's going on with this one? It's been blank/white for a few years now it seems. I can't believe it hasn't been turned into a screen or at least another billboard ad.

 

[3Dementia]

Given every YouTube video on earth begins with a SquareSpace ad... I humbly offer a future name alternative that celebrates Toronto's inventive, historical place-making efforts... such as Avenue Road:

Sankofa becomes:

Square Place (Plaza)

 

[nightstreak]

Almost added this to the Eaton Centre thread but seems more appropriate here.

Toronto's Yonge and Dundas corner could be getting another prominent digital sign

The gradual evolution of Toronto's Yonge and Dundas intersection into a mini Times Square could continue with the addition of another video signage i…

www.blogto.com

I was literally thinking of this exact possibility for a billboard the other day. The original round façade of that corner would have made a more unique electronic billboard than the tower they installed that ruined the greenhouse entrance. Restore the round surface (It's still there behind the wall), clad it in glass and cover it with a mesh of lights that work as a display like The Las Vegas Sphere.

The Sphere's mesh display:

To bring this back to the square, has anybody noticed how busy the little sliver of sidewalk is on the Eaton Centre side while the square is completely empty? Says a lot about allowing buskers to flourish on their own without the heavy handed regulation on the square. Connecting the two sides would also help. End car traffic from Queen to Dundas and connect the sides and you'd see this section of Yonge flourish.

 

[Obsidian]

It’s been 21 years since Rogers put their name on the stadium that everyone who isn’t bound by broadcasting obligations still calls The SkyDome. Unlike politicians, Rogers isn’t accountable to voters.



I don’t disagree that the square needed better branding but I certainly do not support the way in which arguably one of our most visible landmarks was renamed by the preferences of a city councillor.

The process was originally supposed to have had the committee come up with a shortlist that would be voted on by citizens of Toronto. Instead they jammed it through. Nothing short of that is illegitimate and unlikely to be adopted into the city lexicon.

Are you also so worked up about the names of all the new crosstown stations which the public had no say in. Or the renaming of Eglinton West which the public also had no say in.

 

[nightstreak]

Are you also so worked up about the names of all the new crosstown stations which the public had no say in. Or the renaming of Eglinton West which the public also had no say in.

There were extensive community consultations for the Eglinton Crosstown, including on the naming of the stations, one of which I attended (Fairbank).

Heck, they even had a public vote for the naming of the TBM's that dug the Crosstown, which Urban Toronto's @JasonParis won.

 

[TossYourJacket]

Speaking of billboards, does anyone know what's going on with this one? It's been blank/white for a few years now it seems. I can't believe it hasn't been turned into a screen or at least another billboard ad.

View attachment 714600

A residential tower is proposed to be added to that end of Atrium which will block it from the North (it will still be visible from the south, which is why only the north side is dead). The tower stupidly cantilevers over the sign because god forbid we remove a single piece of advertising in this city.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

...I think the latest revisions have that ridiculous cantilever removed:

Atrium on Bay Expansion | UrbanToronto

Atrium on Bay Expansion, Toronto by 1, Hariri Pontarini Architects

urbantoronto.ca

But yeah, if they went through with that...it may have been a first for a tower to be design around an existing billboard. >.<

 

[Admiral Beez]

Given every YouTube video on earth begins with a SquareSpace ad... I humbly offer a future name alternative that celebrates Toronto's inventive, historical place-making efforts... such as Avenue Road:

Sankofa becomes:

Square Place (Plaza)

I thought you were going to propose Square Square. Or Square²

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

While fighting over it's name the more important issues such as design and aesthetics seem to get lost in the noise...

 

[picard102]

Are they planning on changing the squares design and aesthetics?

 

[70Challenger]

The original Eaton's exterior was a gem of late modernism, now it's a mishmash with no architectural identity. Wish I could have seen it back then in its original form.

 

[UrbanOzz]

I was literally thinking of this exact possibility for a billboard the other day. The original round façade of that corner would have made a more unique electronic billboard than the tower they installed that ruined the greenhouse entrance. Restore the round surface (It's still there behind the wall), clad it in glass and cover it with a mesh of lights that work as a display like The Las Vegas Sphere.

View attachment 714700

View attachment 714698

The Sphere's mesh display:

View attachment 714701

To bring this back to the square, has anybody noticed how busy the little sliver of sidewalk is on the Eaton Centre side while the square is completely empty? Says a lot about allowing buskers to flourish on their own without the heavy handed regulation on the square. Connecting the two sides would also help. End car traffic from Queen to Dundas and connect the sides and you'd see this section of Yonge flourish.

gosh i can't stand blogto, they couldn't even link the application or mention who the applicant is. does anyone know where I can find the application?