Bay Adelaide Centre West Tower (Brookfield, 50s, WZMH)

[tudararms]

I like everything about this project except the buildings which represent quite nicely what a lot of us here bemoan about typical Toronto architecture: that podium that appears to offer little to the streetscape, those ubiquitous white pillars, the boxy profile, the plain glass-wall facades, and the less than awe-inspiring building height. Part of me wants to cheer the loss of the stump and the symbolic kickstarting of office building in the city, but part of me also wishes that such a symbolic project would have offered something a little grander and sexier, potentially establishing a new standard and precedent for what will hopefully turn out to be a new round of office construction in the city. I don't want to be a downer about this, and I will watch with interest as the project materializes, but I can't help but walk away from this feeling a little underwhelmed.

 

[SD2]

It's worth keeping in mind this is only the first phase of a project that may have three towers. One of the other two could end up being the 'landmark'.

 

[Suicidal Gingerbread Man]

^
They would have to challenge some limits to get a landmark tower. I believe that all density limits have been used for the two other, smaller towers.

 

[Canuck 36]

Landmark towers don't always have to be the biggest.

 

[rbtaylor]

I count 28 elevators on ground floor. 26 passenger and 2 freight.

That's a boat load of vertical transportation for a 50 storey building.

 

[tudararms]

I agree Canuck. I'd take better design over taller height any day.

 

[Suicidal Gingerbread Man]

Normally you would want people to be able to see the landmark tower, though. You would normally expect the "landmark" tower of the Bay-Adelaide complex to be the tallest.

 

[Canuck 36]

True one would normally expect that, but the two other towers could still be unique and landmarks themselves.

 

[Ed007Toronto]

Some tidbits from talking to a construction worker at the site tonight.
- roof of 347 Bay was removed today. You can now see sky through the upper floor windows
- stump will be removed to a depth of P4 as will the base of the two buildings on Bay. Never knew they were going that deep at the stump.
- stump will be demolished using a chemical reaction. Small holes will be drilled into the stump. They will injected with a couple of chemicals that when they react expand and smash the concrete. About 10 holes have already been drilled on the northwest corner of the stump. The stump is so strong it took two days just to do these. Full scale demolition of the stump begins in the next few weeks.

 

[DaninToronto2]

Been checking this one everyday. Slowly windows have been removed, ceiling panels have disappearing, parts of the facade are gone. Really this building is ugly and its nice to see it come down. Only hope the new building will do that corner justice as it seems kind of barren in terms of mostly blank walls and the Trump sales office.

 

[Sir Novelty Fashion]

^ just to add to Ed's notes, the new buildings will also make use of the substantial underground plant (heating, cooling, electrical, IIRC) that was built along with the stump. It was, I'm told, "the world's most expensive parking lot."

 

[building babel]

Ed007:

Why not buy chunks o' Stump, package them in little plastic baggies, and sell them like they did with the Berlin wall? Or, a Stumpy Bits party at your global headquarters could relaunch and promote the reinvigorated forum.

 

[adma]

Maybe we can all have a ritual wee before it goes

 

[Sir Novelty Fashion]

Perhaps the stump could be carved into a million little stump-shaped commemorative paperweights. Each complete with detailed elevator-shaft cutouts on one side, and on the other, a miniature Fidelity or Sick Kids mural.

 

[borgos]

Why not buy chunks o' Stump, package them in little plastic baggies, and sell them like they did with the Berlin wall? Or, a Stumpy Bits party at your global headquarters could relaunch and promote the reinvigorated forum

That's what I wanted to do with the now demised Ontario Supreme Court Building at 145 Queen West (now the site of the COC). So many grumpy old Masters inflicting permanent mental scars on poor articling students, I'm sure they could have auctioned off the right to press the detonator button.