Toronto Brant Park | 35.36m | 11s | Lamb Dev Corp | a—A

Wow...that building is very striking. While I know that that style of architecture isn't the most urbanistically sound and I'm not usually a fan of buildings that take up entire blocks, I'm willing to let this one slide on those counts. It's a pretty quiet street there anyway, so it's not like we're imposing an urban dead zone in a vibrant area. That's a very interesting building if it turns out anything like the renderings.
 
metroTO said:
I think those renderings are purely conceptual.
A mechanical penthouse and parapets are missing.
In real life they will never look like that.
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Architects do themselves no favours by playing make-believe about mechanical requirements. It's a bizarre kind of denial that is really common. By not integrating mechanical into the design from the outset the mechanical becomes an afterthought that usually takes the shape of a trailer dropped on the roof. Do they think no one will notice?
 
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Does anyone have any information on the timing of construction?
 
Architects do themselves no favours by playing make-believe about mechanical requirements. It's a bizarre kind of denial that is really common. By not integrating mechanical into the design from the outset the mechanical becomes an afterthought that usually takes the shape of a trailer dropped on the roof. Do they think no one will notice?
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aA's projects typically put a lot of thought into the roof element and integration of mechanical. Is it not possible the mechanical is somehow integrated in the top floor?
 
/\ I suppose it's possible, though the mechanical penthouse is not typically subject to the same height restrictions as occupied floor space so it would be unlikely that a sizeable chunk of the most valuable floor space would be given over to mechanical.
 
Blue Bird Building

How sad the Blue Bird Building will be demolished for this derivative condo. The problem with this building - and similar proposed condo developments in this area – is the complete disregard of the neighbourhood and its rich history. Looking at the rendering it’s obvious there is no attempt at context whatsoever, a stark modernist box that dominates the entire block and turns its back on the neighbourhood. The design is a carbon copy from a bygone era that illustrates a complete lack of imagination from the architect and the developers. The City design review panel should reject this.
 
The architect who attended the community meeting, Peter Clewes, indicated that the design was intended to reference the old brick warehouse buildings in the area. The cladding would be more contemporary.

From what I recall, the building received a positive response at that meeting.
 
^ It sounds like Peter Clewes was paying lip service at the community meeting - I don't see how a replica of a mid-20th century modernist apartment slab dominating an entire block references the neighbouring warehouse buildings? The proposed condo is really out of character with its surroundings. The removal of these warehouse buildings displace a vibrant sector of creative small industries. If the Blue Bird Building must be demolished I'd rather see a development similar to the new condo buildings on Wellington west of Spadina, where the scale, form and use of brick blends in with the streetscape.
 
The new UofT residence, Casa's base, 501 Yonge, 154 Front east, Glas, 60 Colborne, 18 Yorkville (which I found awful to walk past on Yonge every day), I don't find Pure Spirit fits with the Distillery District, this, etc.

Luckily Southcore doesn't require any context since nothing was there, else all of 90 Harbour would be on there too, and probably Ice's base.

Market Wharf, Tip Top, Burano and Clear Spirit are rare hits.
 
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Most of those cases you've mentioned will be just as - if not more non-contextual handled by other firms, and the scale of these projects (which is dictated by the client) meant that you can only be so contextual regardless of design. Clearly your initial judgement of Clewes "was never one for context" is overstated at best.

Now let me tell you what is really not contextual - Aura and RoCP.

AoD
 
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