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Global Village Backpackers Redevelopment (460 King W, Allied REIT, 3s, Gensler)

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The Spadina Hotel in 1921

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Glad to hear the rumours of a historically inaccurate brick facade were untrue. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
 
I got a feeling the tudor facade may have been a later addition though. The mansard roof just doesn't jibe.
 
Why not consider that Toronto architecture of old might have been a bit wonky (or whimsical if you prefer) for some buildings? We venerate anything old that's left, but maybe they were occasionally as slap-dash then as we are, occasionally, today.
 
Tewder said:
I got a feeling the tudor facade may have been a later addition though. The mansard roof just doesn't jibe.
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The mansard roof was, in fact, a later addition. The building on the corner was originally a two-storey house, with the third storey and mansard roof added when it was renovated into a hotel two years later, in 1875. I agree the tudor facade was probably added later.

More info here: http://tayloronhistory.com/2015/02/13/renovations-at-site-of-old-backpackers-hotel/
 
WiddleBittyKitty said:
Why not consider that Toronto architecture of old might have been a bit wonky (or whimsical if you prefer) for some buildings? We venerate anything old that's left, but maybe they were occasionally as slap-dash then as we are, occasionally, today.
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but i'm not sure they had the luxury of being all that deliberately slap-dash about it then (generally speaking of course), it was a far less disposable/consumerist society and things had to be made to last. I imagine any shortcomings in design and/or execution we might perceive are more about lack of resources or limits to technology and equipment. These places are still standing though and often without the best of ongoing maintenance and care.
 
I certainly don't mean to disparage everything old, and not even this building per se, but smably's history of the building is very telling. It's grown by accretion over the years, bits here and there which don't necessarily make for one completely coherent whole, and now it's being restored to this pastiche of styles.

I'm fine with that though, looks like it will be charmingly odd.
 
Tewder said:
Perhaps, but i'm not sure they had the luxury of being all that deliberately slap-dash about it then (generally speaking of course), it was a far less disposable/consumerist society and things had to be made to last. I imagine any shortcomings in design and/or execution we might perceive are more about lack of resources or limits to technology and equipment. These places are still standing though and often without the best of ongoing maintenance and care.
Click to expand...

Although old photos of Toronto shows many structures that wouldn't be built if codes were as strict as they are today. Just because society was more prone to pay alot for quality than we do today doesn't mean a lot of junk with less regulation wasn't produced as well.
 
There's just a transparent netting over the facade so I was able to peak through. It looks pretty much identical to the rendering. Right now there's only insolation on the building but you can see from the placement of the windows and other elements that it's being done in the tudor style.

I personally like it. I look forward to the little patio and to finding out what sort of establishment will be using it. Do we have any word on the street level tenants?
 
There have been a number of hotels in the core that have closed of late, and others are threatened, and they all seem to be mid or low-priced accommodation. This one, the Primrose, the Selby are gone. The Hilton Garden Inn on Jarvis closes next. I know that there's an Ace Hotel, a Primus Hotel at King Blue, and rumoured W on Mercer Street, but those are all expensive. Hotel X opens outside the core next year, but again, it's not a budget location. Maybe much of the budget travel is going Air B'n'B's way these days?

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They're nearing completion. Glazing has been installed on the modern addition and plaster and wood has been mostly finished in the Tudor style seen in the rendering. Some trim and staining is left to be done.
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