Ireland Park

[JasonParis]

I knew where it was, there was just no obvious way for me to get there. All I came across was locked gates and parking lots.

 

[urbandreamer]

those silos are the best looking towers on the entire waterfront! Hot!

A condo tower similar to that glass mini tower would be nice. I used to hang out around down there when there was zippo there--when did the malting plant close I seem to recall seeing trucks backed into the loading dock?

 

[Edward Skira]

Canada Malting closed in the late 80's.

 

[smuncky]

i think the beaten up silos are perfect for this type of site. it almost looks like the chunks of concrete were taken out on purpose to give a certain feel for the site.

i still have to go visit it and check it out for myself since it looks like a great vantage point to the city.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

re: Silos

One adaptive/reuse the city should look into is the MillCity project in Minneapolis:

http://www.millcitymuseum.org/

It also won an AIA Honor Award in 2005:

http://www.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/Fact-MillCity.pdf

AoD

 

[JasonParis]

My Ireland Park pics (from a few week's back)...

 

[MajorComplainer]

OMG, I have a few pictures almost the same as yours...

 

[JasonParis]

Well I won't complain.

 

[Hydrogen]

Thanks for the images, Darkstar.

The success of the waterfront will be built upon many large projects, but smaller efforts like this will give its corners a welcome and much needed atmosphere.

Hope to see many more initiatives like this.

 

[JasonParis]

Thanks!

BTW, Now had an inteesting take on this park in today's issue...

A Tribute Starved in Stone

 

[junctionist]

Thanks for the images, Darkstar.

The success of the waterfront will be built upon many large projects, but smaller efforts like this will give its corners a welcome and much needed atmosphere.

Hope to see many more initiatives like this.

It's the small little projects that can be so personal and creative. I like the hard to find nature of the park, it made the monument so much more striking. Whether it's a project with lots of financing like this one, or something as simple as the old "secret swing", when you had to look for it, the discovery was so much sweeter. I think the location was ideal, as the Canada Malting Silos in the background have been a favorite for urban explorers for years, those who strayed from the well marked, sterile attractions to appreciate the age of industry in Toronto like no museum could provide.

 

[MajorComplainer]

 

[Irishmonk]

The Now article almost sounds like an "Onion" parody. Gee, the monument doesn't address the root causes of a famine that happened 150 years ago. And the Egyptian pyramids don't address the root causes of, umm, mummification, so, I guess they're inappropriate too. Yawn.

 

[Observer Walt]

^ Agreed. It's ironic that you'd learn almost nothing of the park itself by reading this screed.

 

[Archivist]

I do love this park. An interesting phenomenon is that people have started to jam coins into various parts of the immigrants arriving. I noted it first in the pockets of one of the migrants, but this morning they were just everywhere. Not only pennies either. Bought me my morning coffee and scone.

I think it points to the success of the figures and their accessibility, despite their "melodramatic" nature.

Anyways, below are my photos of Ireland Park (some taken before it opened, as indicated), at various times of day, including one showing the offerings.