Concrete's Liberating Allure

[Towered]

One brutalist example that always goes under the radar is the Bay store (formerly Simpsons) at Yorkdale mall. I always liked the look of that building ever since I was a kid, and aside from the Eaton Centre and the "tent" food court at Sherway Gardens I think it's the only example of a shopping mall making an effort with regards to creating something that had actual thought put into its architecture.

 

[khris]

One brutalist example that always goes under the radar is the Bay store (formerly Simpsons) at Yorkdale mall. I always liked the look of that building ever since I was a kid, and aside from the Eaton Centre and the "tent" food court at Sherway Gardens I think it's the only example of a shopping mall making an effort with regards to creating something that had actual thought put into its architecture.

Sears at Square One in Mississauga is also pretty brutalist.

 

[jozl]

What a load of self serving piffle. As if..people dislike a building because it's made of concrete. My guess is most people wouldn't even know or care what it's made of. What people have reacted to is the horrible legacy of oppressive brutalist garbage that has blighted so many cities and are now (thankfully) being torn down. Concrete might be a great plastic medium adaptable to imaginative design but, unfortunatley, the majority of architects that utilized it during its heyday had little or no imagination (the wonderful Rosedale Valley Bridge excepted).

 

[khris]

Mmmm so sexy!

http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/07/10/19/

 

[junctionist]

It's so...democratic?

 

[smuncky]

love it.

 

[marcus_a_j]

I caught the tail end of an episode of 'Frontiers of Construction' (or a show similar to that) and they were going on about the advancements in concrete technology. Basically they were adding recyled glass to the mix resulting in several variations.

One variation gave the concrete a colourful appearance with various colours of glass "speckled" throughout. The second variation gave the concrete some transparency, allowing light to pass through. This created several effects such as shadowing from behind the concrete wall, and also the concrete illuminating.

For the brief few minutes I was watching, it was quite interesting to say the least. Anyone heard of or know more about this new concrete?

 

[grey]

Here's a thread I posted in Architecture containing a ton of pictures of brutalist and strange architecture around the world:

http://urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?t=6615

 

[Jarrek]

Much like the bridge photo in the first picture illustrates I think brutalist and heavy concrete buildings and structures work best when contrasted against natural settings or when they are low-rise sprawling campuses in a natural context. I don't think they work too well in urban contexts or as master planned districts.

Bang on. They look fine when isolated, but when woven into the urban landscape they create a disconnect.

 

[smuncky]

could someone point me in the direction of the rosedale bridge. i can't seem to find it on google maps.

 

[Edward Skira]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...79.370744&spn=0.002631,0.004737&t=h&z=18&om=1

 

[adma]

On Bloor, as you're crossing the Rosedale Valley E of Parliament, look down from the N railing

 

[khris]

So much better than Google.

 

[smuncky]

ha thx guys. i must've passed that located so many times when coming from the dvp.

 

[interchange42]

So much better than Google.

...but not available to everyone. Stupid Microsoft.

42