77 King Street (TD Centre) Revitalization

[interchange42]

Probably not too happy.....we are talking about the man that made sure all retail used black and white signage....i mean he was a genius, but if he liked green roofs, the banking pavilion would already have one.

There may have been a few modern houses hidden in hills in Mies' day, but there was no green roof movement at the time… so who knows what he would have thought. That the banking pavilion did not get a green roof is not an indication that Mies did not like green roofs.

That fact that this green roof will only feature what is essentially a lawn should mean that no-one should be upset: you won't be able to see the greenery from the street.

42

 

[someMidTowner]

I hear where you are coming from 42. its not really a big deal at the end of the day. Not saying Van der rohe would be angered by the green roof itself, it just seems that modern changes to the original plan (the future td signage and green roof) are the type of thing that he would have needed convincing on... The TD signage that is being applied for would probably be more of a wtf for him than a green roof would anyways. on google maps, the current roof of the banking pavilion appears to look very slick. Black steel and glass reflecting the rest of the design. I love how we are incorporating green roofs into toronto buildings. The more green roofs there are, the better the air quality, but this is one example where im slightly (and i repeat only SLIGHTLY) worried the plans might detract from the overall aesthetic of the area.

 

[adma]

Mies was not averse to green, as the moments of grass in the T-D plaza prove (And he was not averse to yellow, as the bank's daffodils prove)

 

[adHominem]

Mies was not averse to green, as the moments of grass in the T-D plaza prove

See also his Esso service station outside of Montreal - as noted in Regular, Super it was designed to be low & sit behind a berm to blend into the landscape, if memory serves.

 

[Mr.Tang]

There is a notification for new signage beside the backc entreance of the Ernst & Young Tower (the one with the Design Exchange built into it). It seems they would like to put a corporate logo on top of this buidling - which would be a notable first for the TD Centre.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Not really a big deal, E&Y tower is never a Mies - and it will never be one. I wouldn't shed a tear if it was torn down tomorrow (save the old Toronto Stock Exchange).

AoD

 

[Mississauga Slim]

As far as the green roof thing goes, I think it does make a significant difference to the integrity of the design. The current roof was designed very carefully and for good reason: because it is conspicuously visible to the thousands of people who see it every day from the surrounding office towers. That being the case, the esthetics of the roof surface are not trivial, but a carefully considered part of the design.

 

[Urban Shocker]

"Green roof" is a catch-all term for plants, not a requirement that it has to be a greensward. They could plant it with Black Mondo Grass or Heuchera Obsidian, which is also black, if they wanted.

 

[androiduk]

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[egotrippin]

The transformation continues. With this, FCP's re-cladding, and all the new additions as of late, our core is certainly looking fresh and rejuvenated.

 

[condovo]

Astonishing renewal. Just gorgeous.

 

[TheProfessor]

I really hadn't noticed just how not black these buildings had become until this. A great move in my opinion.

 

[Tulse]

Spectacular shot, androiduk -- the framing of both rejuvenating buildings is fabulous.

And yes, this "re-blackening" will really give the buildings back their heft.

 

[Red October]

The question is, how much more black could this get?
The answer is none.. none more black.

(50 points to anyone who gets the reference)

 

[Tulse]

It's black turned up to eleven!