Toronto 88 Scott Street | 203.9m | 58s | Concert | P + S / IBI

I suspect that the "grand gesture" rather than blending in with the neighbours - was the conversion of the stepped "crown" (addressing all sides) with a sharper "prow" that has a front and back and tends to be more contemporary.
 
so, dumbed down = contemporary. ya, I guess you're right in this age of big box stores and strip malls.

As for the old design still running in current ads... of course, why not use the more attractive image to sell the thing and then surprise 'em with the bait and switch when it's time to move in.
 
I'll have to see a rendering based on the new design but the one for the old design looked great as far as I'm concerned. Loved all the setbacks and the sculpted feel of it -- felt like more of a respectful nod to a classic, pre-glass box era of skyscrapers. With the revised design, it seems that a significant amount of the building's character has been stripped away - looks more generic now.
 
Whew!! Thank the good Lord for our high paid planning staff! Imagine if they hadn't caught that roof top thingy and made them change the setback jobbies – I mean - just imagine the horror!

We were in danger of a roof top not in keeping with existing rooftops! Thankfully, once again, our planners have stepped in and we’ve been saved.

You know, in retrospect, I don’t think we pay these people nearly enough.


58Scott.jpg
 
That is a misreading of what has happened. It's not Planning Department staff that requested the change, it was the Design Review Panel. First submission to the panel was on October 18th. Is there a chance that these revisions will go back to the DRP on February 13th for further comment? Maybe there is the possibility to undo the mistake happening here.

This is not normally my kind of architecture, but the skyline plan which at one point had a point, now looks like it was designed by an accountant, not an architect, and definitely not as influenced by a panel of the city's most respected.
 
It's clear that the developer has built its entire marketing plan on the original design. There has been no alteration to the rendering in any of the promotions anywhere.

Did this design change request come so late in the game?
 
I thought the whole point of the Design Review Panel was to help improve a design, not to make it worse.
 
^ It's true. The before was a modern homage to art deco skyscraper construction (despite being a bit watered down)
The after is a thoughtlessly modified PoMo disaster.
Without that symmetrical crown the limestone podium will look like an awkward afterthought....
I was really excited about 88 Scott, now i feel slightly deflated.
 
someMidTowner said:
^ It's true. The before was a modern homage to art deco skyscraper construction (despite being a bit watered down)
The after is a thoughtlessly modified PoMo disaster.
Without that symmetrical crown the limestone podium will look like an awkward afterthought....
I was really excited about 88 Scott, now i feel slightly deflated.
Click to expand...

Exact words that were going through my head since they released the revised render.
Why would they make something less beautiful?
 
DC83 said:
Exact words that were going through my head since they released the revised render.
Why would they make something less beautiful?
Click to expand...

They would make something less beautiful so that it would fit in better with Toronto's urbanscape. If too many attractive buildings and public spaces congregate together in 'the big smoke', locals will get confused and think they're somewhere else. It would go against Toronto's world-class identity.

It all starts with asking/requesting/hoping for attractive buildings. It's a down (up?) ward spiral. Next thing you know, people will start demanding proper sidewalks, street furniture, smooth roads, improved transit, etc. One has to draw the line somewhere. In Toronto's case, nothing more than a few nice things here and there (but not everywhere) shall keep our urbanscape intact!

Now repeat after me, "I heart Tronna."
 
Just a thought, but does the new design of the top give more floor area to the upper floors?

I did read the Planning Board report, but I do not recall seeing whether that was any part of the rationale for the change.
 
They would make something less beautiful so that it would fit in better with Toronto's urbanscape. If too many attractive buildings and public spaces congregate together in 'the big smoke', locals will get confused and think they're somewhere else. It would go against Toronto's world-class identity.

It all starts with asking/requesting/hoping for attractive buildings. It's a down (up?) ward spiral. Next thing you know, people will start demanding proper sidewalks, street furniture, smooth roads, improved transit, etc. One has to draw the line somewhere. In Toronto's case, nothing more than a few nice things here and there (but not everywhere) shall keep our urbanscape intact!

Now repeat after me, "I heart Tronna."
Click to expand...

I think it's time for someone to move.
 
someMidTowner said:
^ It's true. The before was a modern homage to art deco skyscraper construction (despite being a bit watered down)
The after is a thoughtlessly modified PoMo disaster.
Without that symmetrical crown the limestone podium will look like an awkward afterthought....
I was really excited about 88 Scott, now i feel slightly deflated.
Click to expand...


wtf ... why did they line up the southern facade !?!

i agree with the old design, it was reminescent of those iconic art deco buildings of chicago and NYC.
 
Sad, as this was one of my favourite building designs to be proposed for Toronto in recent years :( New design is really not that bad. If it had been proposed that way, I would've liked it, but the "what could've been" mentality kills the new design since the old one was so much better :(
 
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