Fantasy conversions?

[luggee]

Hey everybody,

Dave from the Globe and Mail here. You all helped me once with a column I did on "Unintentional Landmarks" about a year ago and I was wondering if you'd like to pitch in again.

Ever drive by a non-residential building and say: "Man, would that make a cool house!" ??

We've all heard of former churches that have been converted and even a few small schoolhouses, but what else? My wife always jokes that she'd love to convert one of those city works pyramids into a cool multi-level pad and I always seem to be admiring mid-century banks.

I'm going to be writing on this in the near future, and would love to have your input. It can be one building you've always admired that could actually work as a house or it can be a total fantasy crazy thing that would probably never work....

And rest assured I'll give mucho credit to this forum and individual members, should they ask.

Cheers,

DLeB

 

[Ed007Toronto]

The CN Tower would be a cool pad. I also wouldn't mind living on the top of old Canada Malting silos.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Clocktower of the Old City Hall.

AoD

 

[Ed007Toronto]

Oh and any coverage of Urban Toronto is much appreciated. The urbantoronto.ca URL now works.

 

[building babel]

Alvin: That's where ap works. He won't like that.

www.metunited.org/av/carillon.mov

 

[building babel]

444 Front West. Through the swank deco revolving doors, up the escalator to the huge open plan penthouse. Servants below.

 

[adma]

Unfortunately, it looks like the thread got nuked by one of those past ezboard viruses--but what's definitely worth reinvoking is my "Inn On The (Paisley) Park" proposal, i.e. more-or-less neighbourhood resident Prince Rogers Nelson buying IOTP and turning it into, well, a Playboy Club-esque monument to His Purpleness--complete with Vanitys/Apollonias/Wendys/Lisas/Sheila E.'s lingering about all that deathbed Dickinsonia.

And, of course, his portrait in the lobby...

Seems like a poignant dream now, considering that both IOTP and Prince's excuse for settling in the Bridal Path (i.e. his marriage) are toast...

 

[Archivistower]

Toronto Hydroelectric Building on Carlaw.

 

[pw20]

The obvious: Casa Loma... "finally you can own the dream!"

 

[wyliepoon]

The Torch. As bad as it looks, it has an amazing rooftop patio.

 

[elook]

Westin Harbour Castle's restaurant would make a nice pad.

 

[Archivistower]

Drop my Toronto Hydro building on Carlaw. Great building, too close to the railway tracks. Put me down for the Science Centre, with its natural setting.

In this case, the servants would occupy the highest levels, the better to take deliveries and maintain the fleet.

And yes, I would keep the electric hair-stander-on-ender in place for amusement at my debauched parties. Of course, all of you, including GBoy, are invited.

 

[interchange42]

The Toronto Hydroelectric Building on MacPherson between Poplar Plains and Rathnelly. That's a real stunner of a structure, and would make for some gorgeous lofts, or preferrably, midtown palace. Beautiful neighbourhood too (if a bit pricey). I don't mind the proximity to the rails in this case: private apartments would face the park in back, which would be converted into a landscape of various "garden rooms", behind which the North Toronto Water Pumping Station (if I have the name right) would now serve as 1) Orangerie and 2) massive indoor pool and spa. Apologies to those above the Lake Iroquois shoreline escarpment whose water pressure would subsequently drop.

42

 

[nassauone]

Greatest conversion ever? Well that's simple.

The giant KFC bucket up along the Gardiner would make for the best bach. pad ever. A simple ladder up to it. Cut a skylight. I bet that baby is 500 sq. feet inside!

I think about it everytime I drive passed it.

And now, so will you.

Your welcome.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

The Whitney Block tower.