Parc Downsview Park

[AndreaPalladio]

Norman Foster perhaps, who has a staff of dozens of architects who trade entirely on his name and reputation? I could list many more if you like.

And yet the good Baron still enters competitions all the time, because he is always looking to keep the pipeline full of work to support his giant staff. I doubt very much Lord Foster or his partners would ever say they have too much work in the office.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Some firms - like Foster perhaps - expand to accommodate the work, others deliberately stay small to maintain quality. Foster is a bit of a factory; our local building is a good example of that.

 

[buildup]

Is there some sort of consensus on this board that the Foster Building is sub-par? I like it.

 

[Bogtrotter]

I think there are many that believe this was not the best effort by Foster and co.

 

[interchange42]

Is there some sort of consensus on this board that the Foster Building is sub-par? I like it.

Buildup - We NEVER get consensus on this board about anything, it seems to me. We usually get agreement amongst some members concerning certain projects, which may seem like consensus, but often there are a similar number of members with totally crap taste and out-to-lunch ideas formed in their never-taught-how-to-think noggins that will line up as the opposition. What can you do?

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[scarberiankhatru]

Foster's Pharmacy building is sub-par during the day but par at night.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The Foster project architect, who gave a talk at the ROM about it a year or so ago, admitted that the exterior failed aesthetically in certain respects - specifically, the planned contrast between strong verticals at the base and strong horizontals on the upper levels failed to happen. But he was obviously proud of how well they had done in arranging the interior uses of the building to fit the energy-conservation measures in the design.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

I heard complaints about the interior even before it opened.

 

[interchange42]

Enough Foster Pharmacy building talk in this thread - this is about Downsview Park.

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[unimaginative2]

There are some really interesting land-use plan documents available on the www.pdp.ca website.

 

[Hydrogen]

Enough Foster Pharmacy building talk in this thread - this is about Downsview Park.

There's nothing happening there, so it's easy to understand that minds can wander.

 

[brettrobinson]

There are some really interesting land-use plan documents available on the www.pdp.ca website.

where is it on the web site?

 

[unimaginative2]

That's bizarre... all the documents seem to be gone. Maybe they're starting from scratch. Let me see if I can dig them up.

 

[Mike in TO]

An update on development plans:

The latest design includes 362 acres for parkland and 210 acres to be sold for development—development that would have to go through the normal planning processes - however these numbers are not yet finalized. Downsview Park chair, David Soknacki has just begun meeting with neighbouring community groups who need to decide if they are willing to trade off increased densities for more park land.

 

[ShonTron]

I just wish the Federal government was upfront about it's "gift" to the city back in Collenette's day. I don't mind development as long as it is an attempt to be urban (unlike say the big boxes south of Wilson on old Downsview lands) - but that better mean we will get a damned good park for the rest of it.