alklay
Senior Member
Many thanks for the great pics.
AKS
Senior Member
I don't get the point of the bobbers even while I was there. I was expecting the bobbers to spray water from the top. Instead the water was spraying from the ground.
Oh well, having a park is better than no park. It's not a special park but it's usable. You can use it to do yoga outside or play soccer. Or you can use it for taichi, whatever suits people. I still think the mound should have been made of astroturf. I can't stand messiness. The top of the mound is mowed, but the sides of the mound isn't cut and untidy.Messy uncut grass
The highlight of the park I like is the water spraying from the ground.
There's a drinking fountain I didn't notice from my apartment.
Water fountain feature.
Different types of benches and lamps
GrinTO
Active Member
Cityplace park
I didn't bother listening to the speeches. Is it open now or do we continue having to sneak in ;-)
I didn't bother listening to the speeches. Is it open now or do we continue having to sneak in ;-)
jmays
New Member
Chicago gets Millennium Park.
Toronto gets fishing bobbers and lawn sprinklers in concrete and a few stubby trees.
Toronto gets fishing bobbers and lawn sprinklers in concrete and a few stubby trees.
AKS
Senior Member
The park is closed after 4:30 I think.
Riverdale Rink Rat
Senior Member
Member Bio
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2008
- Messages
- 2,775
- Reaction score
- 273
- Location
- Back to East York... Alas!
Millenium Park wasn't all it's now before...
... construction was finished on it, either.
Walked down and took in the park. A few comments and replies to above:
1. Wait until things have a chance to grow in a bit before getting too worked up about the plantings. Sheesh.
2. The beaver dam and bobbers are pretty funny. That'll be a great kids' splash pad in the summer.
3. The second sports field (as designated on the maps) is the natural grass where the tents were pitched. So, all those looking for a natural grass field will have one of two. Lots of grass to lie around on on the canoe hill as well.
4. The gritty black paths are going to be a mess sooner rather than later, and the Terry Fox run is mostly cement -- kind of hard on the knees!
Overall, I was quite impressed. It'll be a great park.
For b-ball courts, etc., I'll bet that'll be built with the TCHC build-out. The amendment billboard stated there will be a 40+ story tower, 2 schools, a community centre, and a couple of other buildings.
Lastly -- City Place, from inside the park or along that part of Bremner, looks great. It's got sweep, lots of room for cars/buildings/walking/stores/cafes at street level, connects nicely to the waterfront on Dan Leckie. However, it is definitely an urban island in a way as well, as the Gardiner and the GO trains are incessant.
... construction was finished on it, either.
Walked down and took in the park. A few comments and replies to above:
1. Wait until things have a chance to grow in a bit before getting too worked up about the plantings. Sheesh.
2. The beaver dam and bobbers are pretty funny. That'll be a great kids' splash pad in the summer.
3. The second sports field (as designated on the maps) is the natural grass where the tents were pitched. So, all those looking for a natural grass field will have one of two. Lots of grass to lie around on on the canoe hill as well.
4. The gritty black paths are going to be a mess sooner rather than later, and the Terry Fox run is mostly cement -- kind of hard on the knees!
Overall, I was quite impressed. It'll be a great park.
For b-ball courts, etc., I'll bet that'll be built with the TCHC build-out. The amendment billboard stated there will be a 40+ story tower, 2 schools, a community centre, and a couple of other buildings.
Lastly -- City Place, from inside the park or along that part of Bremner, looks great. It's got sweep, lots of room for cars/buildings/walking/stores/cafes at street level, connects nicely to the waterfront on Dan Leckie. However, it is definitely an urban island in a way as well, as the Gardiner and the GO trains are incessant.
Tewder
Senior Member
Millenium Park looks like something I would want to go out of my way to visit, at least if I was in Chicago. I was hoping City Place Park would be something similar. I do like the canoe and the bobber things. They are visually very strong, but the rest of the park just doesn't seem to live up to the same standard. Perhaps the original design in its entirety and its integrity would have been grander and more alluring. Who knows? The finished product does seem somewhat tainted with the disappointing air of an all too familiar in Toronto 'wasted opportunity' given such a prominent and spectacular location.
Whoaccio
Senior Member
I haven't been here yet, so I am reluctant to judge, but from photo impressions:
I can't help but feel contemporary architects suck at designing parks. They all seem over thought and impractical. I mean, is there one swing set or slide in this entire park? Maybe a tennis court? Baseball diamond? Why not?
I've got the same beef with most of the waterfront parks, for the most part they seem totally unnatural. The weird mound hills at Ht0 come to mind, with a totally unnecessary grid of concrete paths. I don't get what was wrong with conventional park design (i.e. Eglinton Park, Christie Pitts, June Rowlands Park, ect...) that we had to go to these Ikea-esque parks.
Yes, Millennium Park in Chicago is pretty nice, but that cost like half a billion dollars. It isn't really half a billion dollars nice. Architects should get away from relying on modern design features (i.e. art installations) to make their parks enjoyable and revert to more natural displays and community facilities (i.e. games fields).
I can't help but feel contemporary architects suck at designing parks. They all seem over thought and impractical. I mean, is there one swing set or slide in this entire park? Maybe a tennis court? Baseball diamond? Why not?
I've got the same beef with most of the waterfront parks, for the most part they seem totally unnatural. The weird mound hills at Ht0 come to mind, with a totally unnecessary grid of concrete paths. I don't get what was wrong with conventional park design (i.e. Eglinton Park, Christie Pitts, June Rowlands Park, ect...) that we had to go to these Ikea-esque parks.
Yes, Millennium Park in Chicago is pretty nice, but that cost like half a billion dollars. It isn't really half a billion dollars nice. Architects should get away from relying on modern design features (i.e. art installations) to make their parks enjoyable and revert to more natural displays and community facilities (i.e. games fields).
Torontovibe
Senior Member
Where is that big tobogganing hill I have read about?
Marcanadian
Moderator
^^ I think that's it in AKS first 3 photos. I could be wrong though.
yyzer
Senior Member
I am pretty sure the tobogganing hill has been cancelled.....
Silence&Motion
Senior Member
I can't stand messiness. The top of the mound is mowed, but the sides of the mound isn't cut and untidy.
Messy uncut grass
Actually, I really hope they let the sides of the hills grow naturally. I'd love to see goldenrod and sumac, just like how they're growing along the sides of the empty lots that surround the park. The lot between Parade and Bathurst St. is a perfect example. It has steep inclines that are covered in natural vegetation. The picture below is the best I can find, but it doesn't really capture the look:
I stopped by the park today and overall I think it is a success. If you were expecting a landmark, you'll be disappointed. But it should be a great recreational area for the surrounding neighbourhoods.
I found the different elevations in the park to be a striking design feature. You can't really experience them from the pictures.
khris
Senior Member
I was expecting a landmark park, and that is not what we got at all. The only thing that makes me want to go there is to see the canoe. And I'm not going to go out of my way to see that. I'll just go there when I go there, not in any rush, that's for sure.
ProjectEnd
Superstar
/\ What in the original design would have fostered that sort of enthusiasm? I'm not saying the park wasn't compromised - far from it - but simply: what was so inspiring about the initial gesture?
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Coupland park project opens
Giant canoe now a piece of ‘urban furniture,' Vancouver author says
The goal was to bring soul to this sterile corner of Toronto's condo-land.
To accomplish it, the developers of Concord CityPlace on Spadina Avenue approached Douglas Coupland, the Vancouver author, artist and sculptor who has recently put his quirky stamp on two other public art projects in Toronto.
On Wednesday, the park Mr. Coupland helped design – the first new public park to open downtown in decades – held its grand opening. The 3.2-hectare park features a pathway dedicated to Terry Fox, a canoe large enough for people to stand in and see the Gardiner and a colourful display of fishing bobbers fit to catch a whale.
“The red canoe out there, that's a piece of urban furniture,†Mr. Coupland said. “That's a way of saying you know what, the Gardiner exists.†Mr. Coupland said he can't wait to see the relationship that will develop between the person standing in the canoe and the person driving on the expressway. “Are they going to wave or are they going to be indifferent?†he said. “We will see how that goes.â€
Describing the space as “urbane,†Alan Vihant, developer of the park and vice-president of Concord Adex Inc. said the park is a monument to city living. “You cannot appreciate it until you walk through it,†he said.
The park, which cost roughly $8-million to build, will serve as leisure space for tenants of the condominiums in the area. Bridget Mak, who lives across the street from the park, make sure to attend the grand opening to see what Mr. Coupland, her favourite author, had created.
Watching a yoga class on a square of artificial turf in the centre of the park, Ms. Mak said, “it's nice to have this piece of greenery and come out and meet my neighbours.â€
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/coupland-park-project-opens/article1281513/
Giant canoe now a piece of ‘urban furniture,' Vancouver author says
The goal was to bring soul to this sterile corner of Toronto's condo-land.
To accomplish it, the developers of Concord CityPlace on Spadina Avenue approached Douglas Coupland, the Vancouver author, artist and sculptor who has recently put his quirky stamp on two other public art projects in Toronto.
On Wednesday, the park Mr. Coupland helped design – the first new public park to open downtown in decades – held its grand opening. The 3.2-hectare park features a pathway dedicated to Terry Fox, a canoe large enough for people to stand in and see the Gardiner and a colourful display of fishing bobbers fit to catch a whale.
“The red canoe out there, that's a piece of urban furniture,†Mr. Coupland said. “That's a way of saying you know what, the Gardiner exists.†Mr. Coupland said he can't wait to see the relationship that will develop between the person standing in the canoe and the person driving on the expressway. “Are they going to wave or are they going to be indifferent?†he said. “We will see how that goes.â€
Describing the space as “urbane,†Alan Vihant, developer of the park and vice-president of Concord Adex Inc. said the park is a monument to city living. “You cannot appreciate it until you walk through it,†he said.
The park, which cost roughly $8-million to build, will serve as leisure space for tenants of the condominiums in the area. Bridget Mak, who lives across the street from the park, make sure to attend the grand opening to see what Mr. Coupland, her favourite author, had created.
Watching a yoga class on a square of artificial turf in the centre of the park, Ms. Mak said, “it's nice to have this piece of greenery and come out and meet my neighbours.â€
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/coupland-park-project-opens/article1281513/