Star: What Does Frank Gehry have his eye on this time? (University Health Network?)

[Canuck]

Agreed, it would be nice to have iconic architecture in this city.

And Hume is absolutely right. Much of the buildings in this city is mundane and without merit - provincial mediocrity at its best. Sometimes the only thing more mediocre about this city is the defense that it is not mediocre.

I wound invite those who disagree to visit Syndey, Viennna, Dubai, San Fran, Munich, and 50 other cities....and this day and age, the internet would second Hume's overall notion about this city. Most of my Euro based friends chuckle about Toronto...

I find it impossible to believe every new building in Sydney, Vienna, San Fran or Munich is that much greater than our own. Recently built ugly/bland architecture is hardly a Toronto phenomena.
One area Toronto is behind comparable cities is how our streets look. Messy Urbanism may be our form, but the state and look of our streets leaves much to be desired.

As for Dubai... really? Dubai?
I suppose if Toronto had an army of near-slave labour we too could build the tackiest-of-the-tack this side of Vegas. If Dubai is fitting your vision of great architecture... ehhh.. well I'm glad you enjoy it.

 

[whatever]

I wonder where they're thinking of putting it. The first thing I thought of were all those lots along Bay St., but that might be too far out for UofT. The current eye bank is at 1 Spadina Circle, but I can't see them tearing that old beauty down, even if it is old and in need of major retrofits.

Then again, an iconic Gehry building at the head of Spadina does have a certain appeal...

 

[Mongo]

The current eye bank is at 1 Spadina Circle, but I can't see them tearing that old beauty down, even if it is old and in need of major retrofits.

Yikes! That's a scary thought. Imagine Gehry doing a Liebskind Crystal on the old Knox College building.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The development site for 1 Spadina is located at the north end anyways. If the architect is skillful, he could have inserted a building that wouldn't show when viewed from the south but creates an iconic terminus from the north.

AoD

 

[Canuck]

BTW: I created a new thread for architecture comparisons between cities: please post any further thoughts on that topic there:
http://www.urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?t=9044

 

[Dan416]

1 Spadina is a great building. I wouldn't want to see it Liebskindized.

 

[adma]

I wound invite those who disagree to visit Syndey, Viennna, Dubai, San Fran, Munich, and 50 other cities....and this day and age, the internet would second Hume's overall notion about this city. Most of my Euro based friends chuckle about Toronto...

...and esp. if Dubai's part of the equation, they're likely the sorts of "Euro based friends" who hold Tyler Brûlé to greater esteem than Jane Jacobs.

What Toronto is

What Toronto could be

*ahem* *ahem* *ahem*

 

[junctionist]

Yikes! That's a scary thought. Imagine Gehry doing a Libeskind Crystal on the old Knox College building.

I don't even want to imagine such an addition. I wonder how it's like on the inside. I remember seeing some photos of it basically looking like a warehouse on the inside, but that may have only been a part of the interior. Still, I suppose they would need a sterile warehouse space for eyeball storage.

 

[Towered]

1 Spadina Crescent sure would make a nice museum...

 

[suv]

...and esp. if Dubai's part of the equation, they're likely the sorts of "Euro based friends" who hold Tyler Brûlé to greater esteem than Jane Jacobs.

What Toronto is

What Toronto could be

*ahem* *ahem* *ahem*

Adma, not sure if you are disagreeing with me. But all I got to say is bring out the salami and cheese baby, this game is over!!! Onions baby! Onions! (little ode to Chuck Swirsky)..

Ha ha ha. I think the pictures capture exactly what Toronto is, and what it could be. No offense to Jane Jacobs what so ever...there could be any other picture in there of anyone else, and the story will still be the same.

 

[adma]

Busted. It's off to john school for you...

 

[suv]

Busted. It's off to john school for you...

Busted? Bust. Busts. See. This is the problemo with Toronto.

Ha ha ha. It has none. No busts. No onions. Just one giant CN tower giving Buffalo the finger. Well, I hope it's Buffalo that's on the recieving end.

See you at John school. What time is your session at? By the way, I love the tower...got to go grab a bite there some time soon...

 

[smuncky]

I don't even want to imagine such an addition. I wonder how it's like on the inside. I remember seeing some photos of it basically looking like a warehouse on the inside, but that may have only been a part of the interior. Still, I suppose they would need a sterile warehouse space for eyeball storage.

it's really old and needs a major overhaul on the inside. in some places, the paint on the walls is peeling really badly. but the cool thing about the building is that its got interesting nooks and crannies that you can try and discover the whole day.

the eyeball storage area is actually quite small and is the size of about 2 rooms or so.

 

[syn]

This would be nice, but I have a hard time believing the UHN would pony up the cash necessary for a Gehry buliding. Researchers always need more funding so I can't see them wasting a large amount of extra money just to get a Gehry.

That said, I hope it's true.

 

[lawsond]

what toronto is:

what toronto COULD be; using the chuckling European model: