Toronto Cinema Tower | 142.64m | 43s | Daniels | Kirkor Architects

Jasonzed said:
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This is a great shot that makes me wonder about a serious question: do Toronto Hydro executives ever travel to other cities? Even to, say, Montreal or Vancouver, let alone London or Paris? Where did they get the idea that scenes like the above are acceptable anywhere, let alone in an otherwise ery attractive historic district? The mind reels.
 
allabootmatt said:
This is a great shot that makes me wonder about a serious question: do Toronto Hydro executives ever travel to other cities? Even to, say, Montreal or Vancouver, let alone London or Paris? Where did they get the idea that scenes like the above are acceptable anywhere, let alone in an otherwise ery attractive historic district? The mind reels.
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No kidding! How the hell do they get away with it?
 
^^Isn't most of that mess streetcar not Hydro? Lots of Hydro on the sides but streetcar is everything in the middle.

And not to defend Toronto Hydro, but Hydro's recent attempts to increase rates for infrastructure improvements have been knocked down at the OEB and suspect that any initiative to bury more wires would as well without sufficient political backing.
 
At the risk of getting too far off-topic, aside from big junctions (like the one pictured) streetcar wires are pretty unobtrusive, and plenty of historic European cities manage to keep them looking fantastic. I was referring the the rotting tree trunks festooned with crap that line one side of the street--a street that, by the way, was dug up down to the dirt for track replacement a few years ago, without Hydro bothering to bury its wires at the time.

I understand the OEB is a big obstacle here and Hydro has finite resources, but when they don't take the opportunities that do present themselves to reduce their huge aesthetic impact on the city, and bring its standards remotely in line with other places, I get pretty steamed.
 
Towered said:
They're not going to replace those damaged panels on the podium, are they?
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The plan is to try to match the tone by reapplying the stain. If that doesn't work the plan is to replace the damaged panels. Apparently they were sandblasted when the stain was still wet and it took too much off.

42
 
I do like the podium. Makes me wish we had more actual Cor-Ten in the city ( though this is a decnt imitation). Suits Toronto's industrial aesthetic well.
 
Grimace said:
^^Isn't most of that mess streetcar not Hydro? Lots of Hydro on the sides but streetcar is everything in the middle.

And not to defend Toronto Hydro, but Hydro's recent attempts to increase rates for infrastructure improvements have been knocked down at the OEB and suspect that any initiative to bury more wires would as well without sufficient political backing.
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The power lines that feed the streetcar network run on the sides of the streets. In fact, many downtown neighbourhoods (Little Italy, CBD) have their hydro buried with the TTC power cable continuing to ruin the view. (well, in addition to the lopped off wooden poles and thin wire for street lighting)
 
Balcony glass on this one is very reserved, looks fantastic. Let's hope the finished podium and roof treatment keep it as one of the better towers in the Entertainment District, (for now).
 
The west elevation really bothers me (because of the arrangement of window vs. spandrel) but I'm actually very impressed with the tower from other angles.
 
Yeah, I must say the Cinema Tower looks really dreary in the skyline view on the Dundas streetcar when entering downtown from the west.
 
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