droyces
Active Member
Well I've only read two of your posts (the one quoted and the one that triggered my initial response) and from that I can only assume that all previous posts and all future posts by you will be equally uninformed.
Toronto 1 Yorkville | 183.18m | 58s | Bazis | Rosario Varacalli
- Thread starter cruzin4u
- Start date
Well I've only read two of your posts (the one quoted and the one that triggered my initial response) and from that I can only assume that all previous posts and all future posts by you will be equally uninformed.
CN Tower
Banned
Attachments
Ramako
Moderator
Whoosh!
Ramako
Moderator
This tower being set back from the street should mitigate the effect of wind. Presumably it would come down the tower but break on the roofs of the heritage storefront before hitting the street.
Mongo
Senior Member
From the "Design Rationale" report:
The 58-storey residential tower (i.e. 55 storeys above the 3-storey base building) is positioned on the westerly portion of the site and anticipated to include 577 units, including 68 one-bedroom units, 365 one-bedroom plus den units, 87 two-bedroom units and 57 three-bedroom plus den units.
<snip>
Vehicular access will be provided by way of the north-south public lane located along the west limit of the site, which will be widened to 6 metres. The lane will provide access to parking and loading, which will be located in the southwest corner of the ground floor. A ramp will lead to 4 levels of underground parking, including 126 car parking spaces for residents. A total of 358 bicycle parking spaces are proposed, including 84 visitor spaces on Level P1 of the underground garage. The underground garage is proposed to extend beneath the lane widening and the pedestrian walkway, but will be set back approximately 6.0 metres from Yonge Street.
(From the listed height, they must be counting the height to the top of the rooftop amenity feature, and not the additional 1.5m of the architectural "skin". The sum of the floor heights, not counting the "skin", is 187.396m.)
Shadow Impact
In order to assess shadow impacts, a shadow study was undertaken by Bousfields Inc. for the proposed development on March 21st, September 21st and June 21st for each hour between 9:18 a.m. and 6:18 p.m. In this regard, the applicable Official Plan policies (Policies 3.1.2(3) and 4.5(2)(d)) focus on the spring and fall equinoxes and assign a particular importance to shadow impacts on low-rise Neighbourhoods designations and on parks.
With respect to the Neighbourhoods designation located to the east of the site, the study indicates that there would be no shadow impact at any time of day on June 21st, however, there would be some incremental shadow impacts at 4:18 p.m. and 5:18 p.m. on March 21st/September 21st. The shadow impact at 4:18 p.m. would fall primarily on the existing 16-storey apartment building, while the impact at 5:18 p.m. would fall on the houses on Collier Street. By 6:18 p.m., the shadow impact would move entirely off the Neighbourhoods designation. The maximum duration of shadowing in any location would be less than an hour. There would also be a minor incremental shadow impact on residential properties at the southeast corner of Berryman Street and Hazelton Avenue at 9:18 a.m.; however, the shadow would be entirely gone by 10:18 a.m. Based on the foregoing analysis, it is our opinion that the shadowing impact on the Neighbourhoods designation would be “adequately limited”, as required by the Official Plan.
The building will result in an incremental shadow impact on small portions of Davenport Road/Church Street between 11:18 a.m. and 4:18 p.m. on March 21st/September 21st and on portions of Yonge Street between 1:18 p.m. and 4:18 p.m. on March 21st/September 21st and between 2:18 p.m. and 4:18 p.m. on June 21st. To the north, the building will cast an incremental shadow on Town Hall Square between 10:18 a.m. and 12:18 p.m. on March 21st/September 21st and June 21st, and on the Yorkville Branch Library and the Yorkville Fire Hall at 9:18 a.m. on September 21st and between 9:18 a.m. and 11:18 a.m. on June 21st. Based on the foregoing analysis, it is our opinion that the shadow impacts from the proposed development on adjacent streets, properties and open spaces would satisfy the Official Plan criterion of being “adequately limited” and would be acceptable having regard to the urban character of the surroundings, which includes numerous existing and planned tall buildings.
With respect to parks, the closest are Frank Stollery Parkette, located at the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Davenport Road, and Jesse Ketchum Park, located on the west side of Bay Street, north of Scollard Street. The shadow study shows that the proposed building would result in a minor incremental shadow impact on Frank Stollery Parkette at 12:18 p.m. on September 21st, while there would be a minor incremental shadow impact on Jesse Ketchum Park at 9:18 a.m. on March 21st/September 21st and on the Jesse Ketchum School property at 10:18 a.m. on March 21st. There would be no shadow impact on either park at any time of day on June 21st.
In the case of Frank Stollery Parkette, the 18 Yorkville building currently casts a shadow on significant portions of the parkette at 11:18 a.m., 12:18 p.m. and 1:18 p.m. on March 21st/September 21st. The shadow cast by the proposed building at 1 Yorkville Avenue would be largely subsumed within the shadow cast by the 18 Yorkville building at both 12:18 p.m. and 1:18 p.m., the exception being a narrow sliver of incremental shadow cast on the westerly portion of the parkette at 12:18 p.m. on September 21st. The incremental shadow would be approximately 5 metres wide and would translate into an additional 5 minutes of shadowing on the parkette.
<snip>
In the case of Jesse Ketchum Park and School, the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel and the 26-storey Four Seasons Residences at 51 Scollard Street currently cast shadows across portions of Jesse Ketchum Park and School at 9:18 a.m., 10:18 a.m. and 11:18 a.m. on March 21st/September 21st. The siting of the proposed building at 1 Yorkville Avenue results in its shadow being largely subsumed within the shadow cast by the 51 Scollard Street building which, although not as tall as the proposed building, is closer to the park and school. At 9:18 a.m., the proposed building would cast a narrow sliver of incremental shadow to the west of the shadow cast by the 51 Scollard Street building. The incremental shadow would be approximately 7.5 metres wide and would translate into an additional 7 minutes of shadowing on the park. At 10:18 a.m. on March 21st, the proposed 1 Yorkville building would cast a small incremental sliver of shadow along the Bay Street frontage of the Jesse Ketchum School property.
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cassius
Active Member
I want to like it but I just can't. The balconies need to go and the triangular extrusions are a mess. I get what they were going for with the (horizontally) alternating in-and-outs but it's a design fail in my opinion. Also, what's with the complete lack of relation to the base/podium? I'll wait for a render of that part before making further judgement.
With a few tweaks it could look good though. Hopefully the DRP offers some constructive feedback, if it ends up going to them.
With a few tweaks it could look good though. Hopefully the DRP offers some constructive feedback, if it ends up going to them.
Mongo
Senior Member
From the Heritage Impact Assessment:
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
No official statement of significance has been prepared for the existing buildings at 836-850 Yonge Street and 1-9 Yorkville Avenue. The following draft statement of cultural heritage value has been prepared for the purposes of this HIA and may be used to inform a future statement of significance. The structure of this draft statement forms the basis of our evaluation of the impacts of the redevelopment on the heritage resource.
The properties at 830-850 Yonge Street, constructed between the mid 1850s and 1909, possess design, historical and contextual value as an intact example of a Victorian Commercial block.
The buildings are good representative examples of late 19th and early 20th century commercial architecture, which is characterized by three storey height and brick construction, vertical emphasis in massing and proportions, flat roofs with parapets, tall windows with segmental brick arches, simple cornices, predominantly corbelled or bracketed decorative brick friezes and architraves, brick pilasters used to frame or divide the facade into regular rhythm of bays, and groupings of buildings of similar design.
Building features are relatively intact, well crafted and finely detailed.
The Yonge Street buildings form part of a larger commercial block which has resisted redevelopment and demolition since the 1880s and represents one of the only remaining examples of a complete block of this type in Toronto.
ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING CONDITION
In general, the buildings are in fair to good condition, with some areas difficult to evaluate given the presence of multiple paint coatings. No severe deterioration was seen on the exterior.
The building interiors have been modified and no original features remain.
CONSERVATION STRATEGY
The Yonge Street Buildings will be retained to a depth of approximately 6 metres and the structure beyond this line will be removed. If possible, bricks will be salvaged for repairs and conservation work on the Development Site. In the event that salvaging a sufficient number of bricks is not feasible due to deterioration or stability concerns, an appropriate replacement brick will be used.
Party walls and facades on Yonge Street will be stabilized and protected during demolition of the existing structure beyond six metres and construction of the new building. The four storey north facade of 850 Yonge Street and two storey facade at 1 Yorkville Avenue will also be stabilized and protected. The west return wall of 1 Yorkville Avenue will be rebuilt.
The existing floors within the Yonge Street buildings will be removed and replaced at similar elevations with non-combustible materials. Party walls will be braced during this process to ensure structural stability. Floor levels may be altered slightly to be consistent with adjoining buildings. This alteration is an Ontario Building Code requirement for fire safety purposes.
Existing roofs will be removed and replaced with new non-combustible materials to comply with Ontario Building Code requirements. Where existing, parapets will be protected and braced during roof replacement and construction, and the missing parapet cornice at 844 Yonge Street will be reinstated.
The decorative pediment at 850 Yonge Street will be carefully removed and stored during construction. Following completion of construction, the parapet will be reinstated.
The window openings on the second floor of 836 Yonge Street will be restored to reflect a more historically appropriate configuration. All other windows on the Yonge Street facade will be removed and sympathetic replacement windows installed within existing openings.
Painted brick facades will be stripped and cleaned where possible, and metal and wood details will be painted using traditional colour palettes. Metal details on the second and third levels of 850 Yonge Street will be reinstated based on archival photographs. Further investigation work is needed to determine the durability of the existing brick and the feasibility of stripping or cleaning the painted brick.
Elements of the Yonge Street and Yorkville Avenue facades will be restored and repaired as needed based on the condition assessment prepared as part of this report.
9.2 Storefront design strategy
As part of the proposed development, the existing storefronts on Yonge Street will be rehabilitated in a manner sensitive to the heritage character and architecture of the buildings while maintaining flexibility for modern retail uses.
In order to understand the proportions of late 1800s commercial storefronts, precedent research is being conducted. Precedents consulted include the approved redevelopment projects currently under construction at 606-618 Yonge Street, 5-9, & 15 St. Joseph Street and 11 & 17 St. Nicholas Street and the Bay Adelaide Centre East podium at 118-132 Yonge Street, archival photographs, and observation of existing original conditions.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
No official statement of significance has been prepared for the existing buildings at 836-850 Yonge Street and 1-9 Yorkville Avenue. The following draft statement of cultural heritage value has been prepared for the purposes of this HIA and may be used to inform a future statement of significance. The structure of this draft statement forms the basis of our evaluation of the impacts of the redevelopment on the heritage resource.
The properties at 830-850 Yonge Street, constructed between the mid 1850s and 1909, possess design, historical and contextual value as an intact example of a Victorian Commercial block.
The buildings are good representative examples of late 19th and early 20th century commercial architecture, which is characterized by three storey height and brick construction, vertical emphasis in massing and proportions, flat roofs with parapets, tall windows with segmental brick arches, simple cornices, predominantly corbelled or bracketed decorative brick friezes and architraves, brick pilasters used to frame or divide the facade into regular rhythm of bays, and groupings of buildings of similar design.
Building features are relatively intact, well crafted and finely detailed.
The Yonge Street buildings form part of a larger commercial block which has resisted redevelopment and demolition since the 1880s and represents one of the only remaining examples of a complete block of this type in Toronto.
ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING CONDITION
In general, the buildings are in fair to good condition, with some areas difficult to evaluate given the presence of multiple paint coatings. No severe deterioration was seen on the exterior.
The building interiors have been modified and no original features remain.
CONSERVATION STRATEGY
The Yonge Street Buildings will be retained to a depth of approximately 6 metres and the structure beyond this line will be removed. If possible, bricks will be salvaged for repairs and conservation work on the Development Site. In the event that salvaging a sufficient number of bricks is not feasible due to deterioration or stability concerns, an appropriate replacement brick will be used.
Party walls and facades on Yonge Street will be stabilized and protected during demolition of the existing structure beyond six metres and construction of the new building. The four storey north facade of 850 Yonge Street and two storey facade at 1 Yorkville Avenue will also be stabilized and protected. The west return wall of 1 Yorkville Avenue will be rebuilt.
The existing floors within the Yonge Street buildings will be removed and replaced at similar elevations with non-combustible materials. Party walls will be braced during this process to ensure structural stability. Floor levels may be altered slightly to be consistent with adjoining buildings. This alteration is an Ontario Building Code requirement for fire safety purposes.
Existing roofs will be removed and replaced with new non-combustible materials to comply with Ontario Building Code requirements. Where existing, parapets will be protected and braced during roof replacement and construction, and the missing parapet cornice at 844 Yonge Street will be reinstated.
The decorative pediment at 850 Yonge Street will be carefully removed and stored during construction. Following completion of construction, the parapet will be reinstated.
The window openings on the second floor of 836 Yonge Street will be restored to reflect a more historically appropriate configuration. All other windows on the Yonge Street facade will be removed and sympathetic replacement windows installed within existing openings.
Painted brick facades will be stripped and cleaned where possible, and metal and wood details will be painted using traditional colour palettes. Metal details on the second and third levels of 850 Yonge Street will be reinstated based on archival photographs. Further investigation work is needed to determine the durability of the existing brick and the feasibility of stripping or cleaning the painted brick.
Elements of the Yonge Street and Yorkville Avenue facades will be restored and repaired as needed based on the condition assessment prepared as part of this report.
9.2 Storefront design strategy
As part of the proposed development, the existing storefronts on Yonge Street will be rehabilitated in a manner sensitive to the heritage character and architecture of the buildings while maintaining flexibility for modern retail uses.
In order to understand the proportions of late 1800s commercial storefronts, precedent research is being conducted. Precedents consulted include the approved redevelopment projects currently under construction at 606-618 Yonge Street, 5-9, & 15 St. Joseph Street and 11 & 17 St. Nicholas Street and the Bay Adelaide Centre East podium at 118-132 Yonge Street, archival photographs, and observation of existing original conditions.
alklay
Senior Member
The treatment of the stores on Yonge (or their facades at least), is very good news.
Mongo
Senior Member
This does seem to be an increasingly frequent strategy in Toronto. I have no objection to similar strategies being carried out in future developments where feasible, although I predict that soon enough posters to UT will be complaining about the "fake historical building" trend (they did the same thing with "facadism" after all, it was considered a great idea at the start, but within a few years had become anathema).
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buildup
Senior Member
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SP!RE
°°°°°°
Change your moniker to low-rise fabric fan. Or SPIRE-not, or uninSPIREable?
Because I don't judge a building off one rendering?
I love when people make things personal on these boards. Buildup, if you want to have a real discussion with an inspired architecture student who excels in his program, I'll gladly sit down with you and do that.
But please don't make uninformed assumptions because I don't drool like an uninformed fanboy over every new development our city can grasp its hands on.
buildup
Senior Member
Hi SPIRE, I really was alluding to our previous discussion on M-G.
In fact I'd enjoy having lunch and learning more about architecture/urban development it's my passion and I'd value knowing someone who can educate me further!
Jim
In fact I'd enjoy having lunch and learning more about architecture/urban development it's my passion and I'd value knowing someone who can educate me further!
Jim
adma
Superstar
Actually, there's one significant storefront here that contradicts the "original feature" or "late 1800s" theme being aimed at: the ex Thompson's Homeopathic, which is one of the most astonishingly intact Deco-era storefront survivors in Toronto.
If their "design strategy" means to treat Thompson's like a non sequitur "later alteration" to be blithely swept away, it's *very* deeply flawed.
androiduk
Senior Member
^ Cross your fingers on that storefront, the store was recently rented and it looks like they tore out all the original wooden shelving inside the store.
greenleaf
Senior Member
Yes, I was gong to bring this up. From the renders posted on the previous it looks like the ground floor is going to tore up and glassed, which is dreadful.