5 Condos that tower above the rest in Toronto

[RezBoy]

From the Toronto Star today. Interesting picks.

5 Condos that tower above the rest according to hume

Jul 04, 2009 04:30 AM
CHRISTOPHER HUME


1. PURE SPIRIT LOFTS
70/80 MILL ST.

2. 294 RICHMOND ST. E.

3. THE HUDSON
438 KING ST. W.

4. REGENT PARK
246 SACKVILLE ST.

5. RIVERSIDE LOFTS
747 QUEEN ST. E.

 

[gei]

I don't get what people see in the hudson. It's quite noisy outside (and therefore, inside)... most of the views arent spectacular... and I find the units terribly overpriced...

Not to mention parking in the immediate area is a b***h

 

[Jayomatic]

I think the Hudson is great though i'm biased because i'm a renter here but there are many great things about this building. The units are high quality with great finishes and great simple layouts. I've got a brilliant view facing east looking directly towards the gleaming bank towers and in the afternoon, the reflection off the buildings definitely make up for the lack of a western exposure.

The lobby is gorgeous and i've lost count to how many times i've had to say excuse me to get between people looking in from the outside. The common areas are probably the nicest i've seen in most of the condos and they are always spotless.

Overall it only goes to show that Great Gulf builds a quality product with great attention to detail.

 

[Hipster Duck]

GG's downtown condos all deserve As. Thanks to them, Spadina south of Queen looks like some grand avenue out of Buenos Aires, or something like that.

 

[casaguy]

Minor quibble, but 294 Richmond is not a condo. And except for One Cole, I don't think the Regent Park building he's talking about is a condo either. I believe they're both rentals.

 

[Condo Queen]

5 Condos that tower above the rest

5 Condos that tower above the rest

VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Pure Spirit Lofts' tower sitting on a podium defines the streetscape and helps bring a sense of order to the Distillery District.

Jul 04, 2009 04:30 AM

Christopher Hume

When it comes to architecture, the Star’s Urban Affairs critic Christopher Hume has a lot to say. These five condominiums meet his standards for architectural excellence:

1

PURE SPIRIT LOFTS
70/80 MILL ST.

Sleek, elegant and thoroughly urban, this project illustrates how the best condos give to the city as much as they get. In this case, that means a tower sitting on a podium that defines the streetscape and helps bring a sense of order to the Distillery District. (Read the Condo Critic on Pure Spirit Lofts.)

2

294 RICHMOND ST. E.

This frankly contemporary building exemplifies the contemporary desire for great views and total transparency. It may not be energy efficient, but it looks good. Occupying a small site in the neglected inner-core, this glass and steel building couldn’t be more unlike its red-brick neighbours. But the size and scale, simplicity and rigid geometry feel just right. (Read the Condo Critic on 294 Richmond St. E.)

3

THE HUDSON
438 KING ST. W.

Sitting on the northeast corner of King and Spadina, this 21-storey condo belongs as do few contemporary projects. Though it verges on being more a slab than a tower, it is saved by a varied facade of brick as well as steel and glass. Also effective is the sidewalk retail, corner grocery store with an outdoor seating area. Few fabric buildings are as comfortable in its role as a fabric building, enhancing the streetscape and displaying good manners.

4

REGENT PARK
246 SACKVILLE ST.

Standing eight storeys tall, this building represents the new look of social housing. It’s not luxurious, but it’s in touch with the needs of real people. The building addresses the sidewalk and is fully a part of its community and the city. Made of glass and dark grey masonry, the complex has none of that earnest public-works aesthetic that helped make the original Regent Park so dreary. (Read the Condo Critic on Regent Park.)

5

RIVERSIDE LOFTS
747 QUEEN ST. E.

Just four storeys tall and fitted ever so carefully into the historic area on Queen east of Broadview, this is one of those small projects that doesn’t try to copy what was already there, but which is content to bring a happily contemporary taste to the area. Modern, domestic and thoroughly urban, it shows how intensification can be good for the city. (Read the Condo Critic on Riverside Lofts.)

 

[Joy Paterson]

I don't get what people see in the hudson. It's quite noisy outside (and therefore, inside)... most of the views arent spectacular... and I find the units terribly overpriced...

Not to mention parking in the immediate area is a b***h

The Hudson is one of my fav condo buildings. Its in a great location and the finishes are top notch as well. Love the lobby!

 

[simuls]

GG's downtown condos all deserve As. Thanks to them, Spadina south of Queen looks like some grand avenue out of Buenos Aires, or something like that.

There is nothing resembling Buenos Aires anywhere south of Queen or North of Queen, or anywhere in the city for that matter. Forget the insides, they're irrelevant to this discussion and I think the Hudson is ugly on the outside, although the Urban Fresh does add to the corner significantly.

 

[Archivist]

simuls, have you been to Buenos Aires? Not exactly the most happening architecture (though a lovely city) and new residential buildings in the city are about security - ie., you won't get close to them if you tried.

 

[simuls]

I just spent the better part of 2 weeks in Buenos Aires last month actually, and you're correct in that it doesn't have the most happening architecture. In fact, it's quite poor on that front except for the Euro-style buildings of long ago. There are pockets in Palermo, Recoleta, Retiro and San Telmo that have some interesting buildings, but security is an issue. I didn't, however, see any gatedness or anything. It's just you can't get past the front, second or third doors (mostly glass), without signing away your first born.

Specifically, my comment had to do with the Grand Avenues of BA comment, like Nuevo di Julio, Avenida di Mayo, etc. and while not knocking Spadina or BA, they just don't look anything alike. I just thought it was a silly comparison, that's all.

 

[Archivist]

Actually, then, simuls, we can agree, because what you describe is also what I saw in BA on my visit there.

By the way, perhaps my best large city travel experience of all time. Lovely people.