News   May 03, 2024
Assembly's Blueprint for Sustainable Urban Living in the GTHA
 962     1 
News   May 03, 2024
RAD's State of the Market 2024 to Feature Talks on AI and Real Estate
 592     0 
News   May 03, 2024
Congratulations to our Avontuura Guides Winners!
 284     0 

The best buildings in Toronto since 1989?

Walk 3 is basically the Entertainment District, southeast, and the question here (and in other nearby walks of course) is how many of the new condo towers merit inclusion. Along this route, it can be argued that Shangri-La, Theatre Park, 500 Wellington, 550 Wellington, and 20 Niagara should all get in. 8 Mercer has the best front doors of any new condo in Toronto: is that with mention? #11 is now being incorporated into Bisha, so there's an addendum. The whole Metro Hall complex has to be acknowledged too: I take it the importance of a building in the book is not only measured by the success of its design, and that importance to the city comes into play too.

42
 
Two huge additions that have not been mentioned I believe are the ROM and AGO. Also the much followed L Tower doesn't get much love. These were all projects that gathered much attention during construction. I would add the work at the Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor St. as a great project.
 
Everybody, thanks for your suggestions so far. Almost all of them are ones that I've considered or am planning to include, which is reassuring.

To answer your questions: I'm adding new walks to cover the waterfront, including Distillery and West Don Lands so they will be well covered. And I'm adding tours to cover all of "the suburbs." In the 416 suburbs, which buildings best capture the history of industrial expansion - anywhere from New Toronto to the Golden Mile?

(thanks for your advice on this, Adma)
 
AlexBozikovic said:
Everybody, thanks for your suggestions so far. Almost all of them are ones that I've considered or am planning to include, which is reassuring.

To answer your questions: I'm adding new walks to cover the waterfront, including Distillery and West Don Lands so they will be well covered. And I'm adding tours to cover all of "the suburbs." In the 416 suburbs, which buildings best capture the history of industrial expansion - anywhere from New Toronto to the Golden Mile?

(thanks for your advice on this, Adma)
Click to expand...

Alex, consider the old Eastern Lines Locomotive Shop on Laird Drive, situated in once what was an industrial (and earlier, airport) zone, that was converted to a Longo's in 2012, in a sea of big box stores. It's a good illustration of the fall of manufacturing in Toronto, the rise of the service economy, and how buildings and land uses are being re-purposed in the city.
 
mjl08 said:
Alex, consider the old Eastern Lines Locomotive Shop on Laird Drive, situated in once what was an industrial (and earlier, airport) zone, that was converted to a Longo's in 2012, in a sea of big box stores. It's a good illustration of the fall of manufacturing in Toronto, the rise of the service economy, and how buildings and land uses are being re-purposed in the city.
Click to expand...

Excellent. Thanks.
 
AlexBozikovic said:
In the 416 suburbs, which buildings best capture the history of industrial expansion - anywhere from New Toronto to the Golden Mile?
Click to expand...

These suggestions may not be far enough outside the core for you, but:

Summerhill LCBO - redevelopment of a previously suburban train station
'The Hangar' at Downsview - a bit under the radar, but it's maybe the only example of a successful conversion of the former military airport
Imperial Oil Building - a design for a City Hall transformed into the corporate headquarters for Imperial Oil, then converted into a condominium

Also, and it's from before 1989 and not to do with the 'history of industrial expansion', but the King's Landing condo by Arthur Erickson is worth a consideration as what might well be Toronto's most successful waterfront building (couple it with the Music Garden across the street, too).

The Skydome is worth a mention too - not sure if it meets the criteria since it was finished in 1989. It was the last of its kind of baseball stadium and had a pretty huge effect at spurring the city's growth in the former CN lands (we probably wouldn't have City Place without it, for instance).
 
Walk 4 is another one with new condos that shouldn't be dismissed too quickly, and older buildings that are in better shape than they were in 1989.

629 King West by Saucier + Perrotte is mostly a looker, Fashion House with a Silverplate Building update is a must, while just about everything that Allied has revitalized along here is worth a mention. Update for the Canadian Westinghouse Bldg of course, while I think that crazy Hyatt shouldn't be ignored (but not because it's great exactly). The Lightbox and Festival Tower is the most important new building along the whole walk… until you realize that you have to add Richmond and Peter into the walk to capture QRC West, Picasso, Tableau, 401 Richmond. Maybe #18 gets carved off this walk and added to walk 14 or 15 instead, as this walk should probably end up as King to John to Adelaide to Spadina to Richmond and back to John.

42
 
Post-1989, my favourite Toronto buildings that I can presently think of:

institutional/commercial:
National Ballet School on Jarvis
Summerhill LCBO Station

residential condos:
Creed Building (I think this was renovated post-1989 to its current state)
238 Davenport

residential homes:
Concrete House in Bennington Heights http://www.atarch.ca/#concrete; http://www.curbed.com/2016/3/31/11339770/concrete-houses-modern-architecture-homes
renovation of Lawren Harris House in Forest Hill http://drewmandelarchitects.com/index.php?/projects/harris-house/
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top