Toronto 415 Yonge | 231m | 66s | Marwest | Kirkor Architects

A great deal of the problem is not wishing to pay for it. Full stop. A workaday expediency seems to be deemed sufficient. For that matter, striking architectural statements don't tend to come cheap.

The worst is when you have a combination of wanting design flourish (anything! without regard to whether it is appropriate) but not wanting to pay for it to be done well. The outcome is inevitably horrendous (so many examples in this town to draw from).

AoD
 
The worst is when you have a combination of wanting design flourish (anything! without regard to whether it is appropriate) but not wanting to pay for it to be done well. The outcome is inevitably horrendous (so many examples in this town to draw from).

AoD
Too true, AoD. Design flourishes realized from an impoverished notion of "value engineering" is a prescription for ugliness.
 
Developers in Vancouver have upped their game so much and then there is Toronto. look at this new proposal by BOSA properties, designed by Heatherwick. puts Toronto to shame. is it really that hard to be creative?
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Barnacles on dock stilts?
 
There is no doubt some of that - Toronto is design conservative (think the draining of colour from say The Hub - by a firm renowed for using colour); but how much of it is preference for a restrained aesthetic, and how much of it is simply not wanting to pay for it?

AoD
In the end, it's kind depressing when you think about it too much. /sigh
 
Even if I prefered the former version, I still think that it could turn out to be beautiful if it's well executed and if the developer uses high quality materials.

The developer has still not applied to have its site plan application, so some changes could still happen.

Honestly, I still think it has a better look than 95% of proposed and recently built buildings in Toronto.

We need a better architecture.
 
What's the harm about talking about this stuff? Most of us are under no illusions that we hold the keys to making Toronto a better city, simply for having the temerity to voice an opinion. Otherwise, methinks this would be a deadly-dull forum.

That said, it would be nice if the collective voices on this forum were able to impart some degree of influence...
 

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