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Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship (Queen & Yonge)

Shot of the north Saks Fifth Avenue sign from today.

The square logo for Saks is actually set forward from the rest of the sign. Looks like possible lighting might be going in behind the square logo to illuminate it at night.

QlWnyWW.jpg
 
devjohnson said:
Shot of the north Saks Fifth Avenue sign from today.

The square logo for Saks is actually set forward from the rest of the sign. Looks like possible lighting might be going in behind the square logo to illuminate it at night.

QlWnyWW.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah- are they adding the two side panels later? Looks a bit sad on that left side
 
JasonParis said:
I've heard the Food Hall in the basement won't be opening for months as they are having all sorts of issues on that floor with mud build-up due to water seeping into the building.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. The food hall wasn't supposed to open at the same time as the rest of the store, but whenever one gets a look behind the hoarding they seem even further behind than I would have imagined them to be at this point.
 
officedweller said:
I think it's a missed opportunity if they don't raise the bridge up a floor to the rectangular windows on the Hudson's Bay building.
By sticking with the arched window, you'll always have a cramped entry into Saks and Hudson's Bay.
There's more than enough space to install a mezzanine and escalators on the Eaton Centre side.
But they've built the reception area in the Hudson's Bay building with the existing bridge in mind.
Click to expand...
Where would the bridge go if they raise it a floor? It already leads to the highest shopping level of the Eaton Centre.
 
LNahid2000 said:
Where would the bridge go if they raise it a floor? It already leads to the highest shopping level of the Eaton Centre.
Click to expand...

I think officedweller's reference to mezzanines and escalators means that he is proposing that there would be another set of escalators on the mall side to accommodate the raised bridge.

I don't see a lot of benefits to be had from raising the bridge. HBC would not likely be interested, because of the skywalk would no longer funnel customers onto the second floor overlooking the atrium, which is more desirable than the third floor. The escalators and mezzanines that would be required in the mall would be an unnecessary expense and would likely interfere with the mall entrance to 20 Queen, the Second Cup, and possibly the lower level of the office building cantilevered over the mall, and would likely reduce visibility of Harry Rosen. Current legislation would require new elevators for accessibility reasons, just to access the bridge - from an accessibility perspective alone, it would be actually a much less desirable condition than what exists now. Customers wouldn't benefit that much, since it would be yet another series of escalators, as compared to the current entry all on one level, all for an entrance that would seem to be not that significantly wider. And I don't think the City, in particular Heritage, would be particularly keen - unlike the current connection, a raised bridge would require the removal of some of the Simpson's building brickwork. Seems a lot of trouble for a route I take several times a week and have never noticed being particularly cramped in its current location.
 
Yeah, Skeezix is correct in what I was thinking.

When Cadillac Fairview bought the Hudson's Bay building a couple years back, there was a suggestion in the media that the bridge would be expanded and widened.

I posted this pic some time ago - but have now added a few lines to show where an escalator and mezzanine could be built making use of the existing columns. In theory, a portion of the adjacent office level of 20 Queeen West could also be converted to retail space on that level (or the bridge could even project out from 20 Queen West if that space became mall/retail).
The wider bridge would meet the Hudson's Bay building on the level above the arched windows (in theory, less heritage-sensitive).
But as Skeezix has mentioned, the current Saks / Hudson's Bay renos have focussed the reception / lobby on the 2nd floor.

8uhSr9D.jpg

Original pic from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/canmark/4782691879/
 
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Okay, but your drawing is missing elevators that would be required by law. Even without the elevators, it seems to adversely impact about three retails units in the mall, to be replaced by the possibility of less desirable retail units above (reminiscent of the failed Galleria retail level the mall used to have) which themselves would displace office space. The third floor of the Simpsons building would be more heritage sensitive, not less - the likelihood of the City approving this seems small. Customers would lose a direct connection. And the bridge wouldn't be significantly wider. I don't see anyone benefiting from this.
 
I too see no need for this. Adding the inconvenience of having to go up (or down) another story is probably not worth an extra foot of width in a corridor that is never overly crowded in the first place. This has the danger of discouraging customers and flow-through and adding considerable expense (both short and long term. Escalators are not cheap to maintain).
 

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Interesting that this is only Wilkinson Eyre's second design for this city, but likely the first that will be completed!

What they are calling the Proposed West Elevation is what we would call the Proposed East Elevation… but then they drive on the wrong side of the road too.

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It looks like the Louis Vuitton shop-in-shop is being installed at the corner of Yonge and Queen. Can't quite tell if there will be a separate street entrance for the shop, but the window treatment is being done in a sort of translucent fritted glass in their Damier pattern. Looks pretty good. Sorry no photos!
 
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