Toronto Clear Spirit | 131.36m | 40s | Cityscape | a—A

[Urban Shocker]

No, the idea isn't a joke. In addition to discussing design issues and what something will look like in the abstract sense, online, it is clearly worthwhile to consider them right where the buildings are going up, to see and experience the spatial relationships between them and consider how the arrangement of forms, materials, colours, textures and shapes will affect people emotionally when they're built, when people are living in them, and when others are visiting the Distillery District. We can meet to do all of this, of course we can.

 

[Hydrogen]

Suggestion:
Why don't we have a UT Forum meet on site and discuss the buildings as we walk around them? Visit the sales office and look at the model and meet someone from Cityscape's offices if they're available too?

If we could summon Clewes or the developer to account for themselves at the same time it would be useful.

We're not chopped liver ... we're UT. Hear us roar!

I like this suggestion. If I may, allow me to suggest that we await the first phase to be fully clad. That way no one will have to hear me comment on uncovered garages.

Beyond that, one can then get a little more clear impression of what the other buildings may be like in terms of their massing and proximity.

 

[adma]

LOL. I like your analysis. Though like US, I wouldn't call it "nowhere" but I agree, why do the towers stick out here compared to what's planned for the east and west.

And I like tall pointy objects too, especially well-designed tall pointy objects. Depite my "preservationist" leanings on this debate, I have to admit Clear Spirit is certainly a well-designed tall pointy object. I also agree that tacky faux architecture would be an even worse solution than a tall pointy moderninst object.

Well, there could also have been a "HafenCity" approach to the entire area; that is, neither tacky/faux nor martyr to tall/pointy, and a logical-yet-contemporary continuation of the St. Lawrence Development. And which needn't necessarily even involve too much tampering w/G&W proper--it'd all be in the reflexive urbanism of what's without, rather than some forced urbanism of what's within.

Nice pix: We should be thankful it's an Aa building; imagine a tridel clunker here

And to reverse the metaphor, may I reiterate: were the new Penn Station and MSG by Mies rather than Charles Luckman, there might have been reason to be "thankful", too. (Cynically speaking. Or not.)

It'd be interesting to see the torque some positions on this thread would have taken should Robert A.M. Stern designed it

Likewise, imagine if Stern/Peterson Littenberg/whomever were assigned to redevelop the present-day Penn Station/MSG into something more "urban traditionalist". There'd be almost as much "failure of imagination in our time" outcry in some quarters as what it'd replace inspired back in the 1960s...

 

[3Dementia]

The Star describes Clear Spirit phase 1 as a "30 storey" tower (already 65% sold) rather than the 39 storey tower reported elsewhere (I think UT calls it 40 storeys). Phase 2 is described as a 49 storey tower in various media stories.

The Clear Spirit website shows floorplans up to the 29th storey which would jive with the 30 storey report (unless upper floors haven't been released).

Can anyone shed some light on this? Is phase 1 shorter than originally reported?

 

[3Dementia]

Actually the rendering appears to be around 39 storeys so I'll answer my own question... the Star got it wrong.

Mind you the 65% sold is very impressive, if accurate. Hope the ribbon building is part of the first phase of construction.

 

[Tewder]

Looking at it from the east.

This picture, and some other ones posted recently, demonstrates perfectly what I like about how the Distillery is developing, and i hope it continues to develop in this way. This district feels very unique to Toronto and almost more 'Montreal' in character, in that one cannot deny the strong presence of the heritage, yet the dense urban backdrop/context adds rich, dynamic layers that, to me, are the essence of traditional patterns of urban development to begin with.

Love the idea of a field trip, by the way!

 

[Hydrogen]

I doubt one could propose jamming up a forty storey building in Old Montreal and get away with it.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

On a vacant/parking lot? Or would part of a national historic site need to be demolished?

 

[syn]

I doubt one could propose jamming up a forty storey building in Old Montreal and get away with it.

That's what I was thinking as I read Tewder's remarks.

He does a good job of describing exactly why we shouldn't be dropping 40 and 50 storey condos in the middle of it.

 

[Andrew3D]

This picture, and some other ones posted recently, demonstrates perfectly what I like about how the Distillery is developing, and i hope it continues to develop in this way. This district feels very unique to Toronto and almost more 'Montreal' in character, in that one cannot deny the strong presence of the heritage, yet the dense urban backdrop/context adds rich, dynamic layers that, to me, are the essence of traditional patterns of urban development to begin with.

This is what I and others have been saying, and Ed's picture shows how great this is turning out.

 

[allabootmatt]

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere, but where, exactly, are these structures going? I understand Rackhouse M is one of the southernmost buildings on the site, but whis project will also be covering up the parking lot which abuts the railway berm, correct?

 

[Martinsizon]

Is clear spirit suppose to be 30 floors?

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/250820
3. CLEAR SPIRIT CONDOMINIUMS: South of Mill St., west of Cherry St. Builder: Cityscape Development Corp. and Dundee Realty. A 30-storey glass tower with 274 units and a brick podium. Prices: from $231,900 for 538 sq. ft. to $549,900 for 1,070 sq. ft. Fees: 48 cents per sq. ft., plus hydro. Amenities: outdoor pool, outdoor hot tub, exercise studio, exercise deck, guest suites, boardroom, library, 24-hour concierge, outdoor terrace. Sales: 65 per cent sold. Status: construction not started. Occupancy: June 2010. Sales centre: southeast corner of Mill St. and Parliament St., building No. 51, 416-361-1322; www.clearspiritliving.com.

14. PURE SPIRIT: Southeast corner of Mill and Parliament Sts., south of Front St. Builder: Cityscape Development Corp. and Dundee Realty. A 32-storey glass point tower and a five- and eight-storey brick podium with 378 units in total. Prices: from $289,900 for 764 sq. ft. to $789,900 for 1,628 sq. ft. Fees: 42 cents per sq. ft., plus hydro. Amenities: outdoor pool, outdoor hot tub, exercise room, party room, saunas, guest suite, media room with large-screen TV, games room, 24-hour concierge and outdoor terrace. Sales: over 90 per cent sold. Status: under construction. Occupancy: spring 2008. Sales centre: on-site, building No. 51, 416-361-1322; purespiritliving.com.

 

[adma]

I doubt one could propose jamming up a forty storey building in Old Montreal and get away with it.

Then again, there might be some revisionist thinking these days--at least, among starchitect-bedazzled skyscraper and development geeks who post on message boards...

 

[alklay]

The best thing that can be said about that picture is that the 'Spirit' building is far, far away from the buildings in the forefront of the picture...which is the way some of us wish those buildings to remain.

The picture would not be quite as good if taken closer to the Spirit building, or if the Spirit building was right up against the Young Centre...which is how that particular Spirit building, and the newer proposed ones are 'integrated' with the District. If the photo, or the building, was taken from another angle or perspective, you would see it for what it is: a building that is disrespectfully totally out of scale with, and dominates over, its surroundings.

 

[Hydrogen]

One of the new buildings may actually result in the demolition of at least one of the older buildings in the foreground.

The photo is somewhat wide angle, so the impression provided by the photograph is that the Spirit building looks somewhat further away than it is.