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Ryerson: Master Plan

Thanks for that post.

Please, please, please, please strive for decent architecture. I am so sick of reading about how the architecture around that area is allowed to be sub-par because the area is commercial and 'tacky.' I am also so tired of excuses regarding costs for sub-par design.

There was an article today in the New York Times that Zaha Hadid has designed an Art Museum for Michigan State University and the cost: $40 million. And its damn decent looking. Yes, its probably not as big as the proposed student centre (but it is a 41,000-square-foot building) but the design proves that you can strive towards decent, compelling and interesting architecture, and not have to use cost as an excuse for 'boring' (or non-architecture, like the new business building on Dundas, or TLS).

I am not arguing for a starchitect, but decent design would do wonders for this area and maybe push new buildings to strive for something more than grey aluminum siding 'galactic coal carriers.'
 
ryerson master plan

There is no reason why Ryerson shouldn't be on Yonge St. I also think it will bring both students and the larger university community a measure of self-respect to have a visible and significant position on the city's major street. I also don't think that there is any place to go on the east side of the campus. The buildings being replaced on Yonge are either of limited architectural value or in bad state of repair. The area, while not as dodgy as it was, is still not particularly pleasant and could badly do with a remake however it happens. A university is as respectable a remake as you can get. Actually it would be a nice relief from the constant barrage of consumer culture if they don't include at grade retail, which they may include. In Montreal, Concordia, McGill and University of Quebec at Montreal are all on major thoroughfares and do not by any means negatively affect the surrounding areas. In fact, McGill is a green oasis where you can get away from the chaos of the city for a little while. I think that you can have all kinds of different uses made of a street, not just commercial, and still have it successful. I would only hope that Ryerson puts some effort into the design of the building and that they help upgrade the streetscape(trees, decent paving, etc.)
 
alklay said:
Thanks for that post.

Please, please, please, please strive for decent architecture. I am so sick of reading about how the architecture around that area is allowed to be sub-par because the area is commercial and 'tacky.' I am also so tired of excuses regarding costs for sub-par design.
Click to expand...

Seeing as Ryerson has the only comprehensive School of Urban & Regional Planning in Toronto, and it also has a school of architecture, I don't think you'll have to worry about sub-par design.
 
Hmm. Having those programs in place at Ryerson doesn't seem to have saved the city from a couple of bloopers.

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It's interesting how a secondary Ontario Poly-U is getting such notice these days. Probably overdue me thinks. Great that they got a bit of money to move forward as an urban campus. Hopefully In the coming decades TO will begin to get on-par with MTL and Boston with regards to diverse and leading educational opportunities in NA.
 
Bogtrotter said:
It's interesting how a secondary Ontario Poly-U is getting such notice these days. Probably overdue me thinks. Great that they got a bit of money to move forward as an urban campus. Hopefully In the coming decades TO will begin to get on-par with MTL and Boston with regards to diverse and leading educational opportunities in NA.
Click to expand...

LOL, seems your news source is a bit out of date! :D:D
 
Redrocket:

Seeing as Ryerson has the only comprehensive School of Urban & Regional Planning in Toronto, and it also has a school of architecture, I don't think you'll have to worry about sub-par design.
Click to expand...

I wish I could share your sense of boosterism, but I am afraid, as interchange has already mentioned, the recent crop is a bunch of hit and misses. Chang School is great, Engineering, Graphic Arts and Student Centre being mediocre. SHE and Business is on the awful side of design quality.

I've attended the first half of the town hall meeting today and the plans presented are fairly decent. Salient points:

- The plan is unconventional in the sense that there is no "blank canvas" for the institution to develop a methodical plan of expansion - so it's dependent on the opportunities as they arise.

- Development of student housing is going to be mostly by the private sector with minimal funding from Ryerson.

- Mixed-used seems to be the name of the game - the 8 potential developmented sites mentioned (Sam, Yonge strip, Kerr Hall, Old Business Bldg, Church St. Parking Lot, Image Arts, New Business Bldg) are to be developed with multiple uses, some with potential private/institutional sector partnerships.

- Sam's: Site of the new library, to be connected to the existing building; first 2 - 3 floors to be at least party retail based; potential Dundas Station North entrance (the other being the Salad King bldg).

- Yonge "strip": long term - continuation of retail at grade; "podium" to house academic functions, potential tower component.

- Kerr Hall: long term (given the need to move existing academic functions); underground + ground + podium + tower component. Expanded RAC; transparent and public ground level use, flexible academic uses at the podium, academic and/or other uses for the tower(s). Siting of the towers is affected by the helicopter flight paths.

- Old Business Bldg (+ Public Health and other City of Toronto properties): podium + tower components, private sector involvement.

- Church St. Parking lot (+ interior design bldg): 100K sq. ft.+ floor area, academic.

- Image Arts: rebuilding by Diamond+Schmitt, 4s but sized for 6.

- New Business Bldg.: Sized for several additional floors.

Other points:

Gould is not likely to be completely closed - only the section between Victoria and Bond.

AoD
 
smucky:

Oh gawd I did. 5 more minutes of it and I would be puking as if having played Doom (/other FPS). Like seriously, did they have to do all that jerking around at high speed and moving the camera backwards?

And gawd, all the renderpeople and one dimensional trees. I have never seen that many people on campus - it's downright Hong Kong.

AoD
 
haha! that's what really made it funny to me. all those 2D people. the whole assortment from people biking on the quad grass to grandma's walking their pets and people playing frisbee in the streets.
 
Thats because you can do anything in the amazing world of Renderland! Where water is chocolate milk and one never experiences the chill that accompanies a rogue piece of skin's dash for freedom on a cold winter's day.
 
I hope they put the Sam's sign up somewhere facing onto YD Square. Perhaps TLS, but somehow that doesn't seem right. But on another building in the area, that'd be awesome. (Better than the alternatives atleast.)
 
‘‘New Face on Yonge Street’’

Ryerson's new look for Yonge & Gould
January 24, 2008
Rob Roberts
National Post

ryerson_1.jpg


Ryerson University today revealed what its ‘‘new face on Yonge Street’’ will look like, a transformation of the former Sam The Record Man at Gould Street into a library and student centre.
“Sitting on Yonge Street with millions of people passing by, they will know about Ryerson. I want all our students to be in the front,†said Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson. “To move forward on Yonge Street, the whole world will see us proudly.â€
Premier Dalton McGuinty today announced $45-million for construction of the Student Learning Centre, on land Ryerson recently purchased for $40-million.
An artist’s schematic shows a series of glass boxes with the Sam’s sign apparently incorporated within. The centre will include retail at street level, with the library and study areas above. Ryerson, which has 24,000 students, is growing quickly and needed more room to expand its downtown campus. Mr. Levy said the institution has become the number one choice of students applying to Ontario universities, bumping Queen’s University to second place.
The Student Learning Centre will be built on the site of the former Sam the Record Man and Future Shop. Mr. Levy said conserving Sam’s iconic sign is a priority for Ryerson.
“We have to honour the site, and we have a responsibility to work with the city and preserve it in some form,†said Mr. Levy.
Architectural development is in its early stages and construction is set to begin in 14 months.
 
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