Top 10 Toronto Restorations

[tudararms]

How about the former bank at Yonge and Queen, at the foot of the Maritime Life building? It is a beautiful addition to the intersection. Lots of former warehouses and industrial buildings in both the east and west ends are getting make-overs too which is great.

 

[andreapalladio]

It must be noisy up there.

Yes, but it's quieter than all the voices inside my head.

 

[building babel]

Do they tell you to raise an army and liberate France?

 

[limber88]

How about the former bank at Yonge and Queen, at the foot of the Maritime Life building?

I disagree. That bank represents a mildly insidious trend towards 'facadism' in heritage preservation, in that only the outside couple of walls were preserved, but very little of the actual historical building itself was kept.

If we're going to claim to preserve a structure I think we should strive to protect more than just the superficial outside face.

 

[Observer Walt]

Archivist: I certainly agree regarding the High Park church, and a number of other historic structures where only a facade has been maintained. These facades tend to clash noticeably with the rest of the structure and really add no appeal.

I am all in favour of preserving entire historic structures, as in MARS, Ballet School, Police Station 51, and others which have been mentioned here. Adaptive reuse with some interior renos gives these buildings a new life, and they are fully in use. Preserving only a facade is of somewhat doubtful usefulness.

 

[andreapalladio]

I disagree. That bank represents a mildly insidious trend towards 'facadism' in heritage preservation, in that only the outside couple of walls were preserved, but very little of the actual historical building itself was kept.

Actually, they kept (or recreated) the original ceiling and the pilasters inside, which had been ripped out or covered over in a typically blah 1970s renovation. It was the ugliest bank in town when I was an articling student.

 

[ganjavih]

I am all in favour of preserving entire historic structures, as in MARS

I don't think much more than the facade was saved for the MaRS project. Most of the inside seems to have been gutted.

 

[tudararms]

Are you sure Limber? I've only passed by but I was fairly certain the interior of the Bank of Montreal had at least been refurbished, if not "preserved" per se. Anyhow, of course where possible I think a building should be preserved, but sometimes the interiors are such that they preclude modern day living or economics in which case adaption and/or retrofitting will actually better ensure a heritage building's survival by keeping the building relevent. Except for museum-type heritage this to me seems a much more sustainable approach to heritage buildings.

 

[buildup]

I don't think much more than the facade was saved for the MaRS project. Most of the inside seems to have been gutted.

When virtually the entire exterior of a building has been preserved and restored, not just the street wall, and no structure has been built directly on top, the effort represenst more than facadism. Certainly we must respect the developers need to make the site economic.

 

[buildup]

Er, i meant to say "BEST seen at event with drink in hand" -- as it was meant to be.

I didn't mean to sound so....awful.

I'm so glad you corrected this, it really was sort of an appalling comment.

 

[Mystery Man TO]

The facade of the Chumcity building is amazing ... apparently they used to make bibles there. Much more usefull now.

 

[adma]

Except that it's 20 years old already. (Though granted, the post which started this thread didn't specify *recent* restorations...)

 

[Mystery Man TO]

The Chumcity facade was restored (again I guess) this past year.

 

[Brighter Hell]

Are you sure Limber? I've only passed by but I was fairly certain the interior of the Bank of Montreal had at least been refurbished, if not "preserved" per se.

i passed by the rear of that building a few times when it was under construction. the entire old bank building was gutted, with the two outside walls held up with steel bracing.

 

[shawnmicallef]

buildup> typo's can very serious sometimes.