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Merchandise Lofts Condos - Real Estate -

Flux Capacitor

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On UrbanToronto, we discuss every building, but not much has been said about one of the first and greatest conversions.

Please your thoughts on the MERCHANDISE BUILDING.
 
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There are some really wierd plans and layouts, but there is a nice and wide range of sizes and some two level units. There are some units that do not face outside but into a lightwell/couryard, I wonder how people like living in these units.
The building has some great amenities for a development of that age. Some of the units have really awkwardly high window sills (almost like basement windows).
Simone Cicconi did a brilliant job on creating a cool more-refined industrial loft interior, which deservedly put them on the map for design in Toronto.

The interiors feature concrete ceilings and some had exposed concrete floors, which makes me wonder about how noisy these units get especially when there are so many people living there.
The location is non-descript and dumpy, but is in short walking distance to Ryerson and Yonge St.
 
I've known several co-workers, friends and acquaintances who live or have lived here, a few from the beginning. The project was a nightmare for several years until it was completed but I think it's a pretty cool project now. I've never heard anything about noise transfer problems, not to say there aren't any. It's an odd place to get into, you have to go on two sets of elevators that are a distance apart so it's a bit of a hike to get to the units, depending on where they are located of course. One that I was most impressed with was a huge 2 bed + den probably around 1500-1700 sq. ft. that seemed to have about 12' ceilings and a massive living/dining area. It even had an attic type area off the main hall which was being used for storage but was eventually going to be converted to an open concept guest bedroom. If I recall it was a corner unit which faced south and east and was really well decorated too. I'm not a big fan of lofts personally, they're generally too "cold" for me but I saw another one that I liked which was a three level loft at the former Toronto Telegram building but the building was in big trouble at the time as the developer had gone bust and the building was incomplete. My very favorate loft (that I could truly live in) was a 2 bedroom penthouse + media room with a massive south facing terrace (new construction built atop an existing building which I think was an early Context project) on Baldwin Street in Kensington Market. It had two levels, excellent sized principle rooms, very good sized bedrooms & was generally extremely spacious and well laid out. It didn't have any pipes, HVAC ducts & things like that running along the ceiling or walls which appealed to me. That was by far the best loft I've ever been in.
 

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