Toronto East Harbour Transit Hub | 14.35m | 1s | Metrolinx

[ComptoirGeneral]

I know that the first renderings were a complete pipe dream, but this is perhaps the biggest delta from concept to reality I've ever seen, other than the Pickering Casino catfish (there were no final renderings until construction was half-way)

What a complete piece of shit.

Original article from UT: https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2017/01/east-harbour-transit-hub-making-toronto.24658

Some early renders:

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Jesus they value engineered the value engineered concept. At least the wavy roof was mildly interesting. This new rending looks like complete crap and the only way I'll be satisfied is if they really do plan to integrate the entrance into a future tower. That future tower better be 300+ meters and an architectural landmark

 

[ComptoirGeneral]

Upon taking a closer look at these on my desktop, it does really look like this is designed for integration into a building on the adjacent plot at some point in the future.

You can see the other entrance building in the render looks much more refined and more in line with OL arch standards.

I get the sense that this is an interim condition that will be rebuilt into an entrance through a CF building.

Good catch

 

[Amare]

This is the first time I can recall AtkinsRealis getting a Metrolinx contract - anyone else recall them getting work in the GTA in general in the last decade?

They were involved in the Crosstown project consortium as part of Crosslinx when they were known as SNC-Lavalin.

They can change their name and try to disguise all their past corruption/bungles all they want, i'll always let it be known that they are still the same company with a different name.

 

[Adjei]

This has to be a placeholder. What a joke.

 

[kotsy]

This has to be a placeholder. What a joke.

That's what I'm thinking but I fear I'm being naive

 

[torontologist]

This has to be a placeholder. What a joke.

Seeing as East Harbour is probably going to be sitting empty for a decade or two, a placeholder makes sense.

It can always be redone in 10-15 years or integrated into a new building. If the commercial hub envisioned here ever comes to fruition, they won't want something this pedestrian as the entry point.

I do worry that if the facilities are handed over from CF to Metrolinx after they are built we'd be stuck with this for a long time.

 

[rdaner]

^CF is already pivoting to residential so there may be a project here sooner than a decade.

 

[reinventingthewheel]

Once we get some architectural plans available on the AIC we’ll know if/where they’ve decided to place knockout walls for future development.

 

[felix123]

Jesus they value engineered the value engineered concept. At least the wavy roof was mildly interesting. This new rending looks like complete crap and the only way I'll be satisfied is if they really do plan to integrate the entrance into a future tower. That future tower better be 300+ meters and an architectural landmark

Yeah these East Harbour renders look like total dog$#!%

 

[urbancog]

The 60% design drawings included these "North Exterior Facade Fins", which were perhaps included as a nod to the early barrel vault renders. While they added interest, I suspect they would become nesting places for lake birds and a hygiene problem for humans.

 

[Aplus23]

Are there any good looking go stations? All new/renovated go stations follow this theme no?

 

[goodcitywhenfinished]

Are there any good looking go stations? All new/renovated go stations follow this theme no?

The Stouffville Line renewals by Architecture49 are pretty good. Agincourt is my favorite

 

[AlexBozikovic]

This site must be cursed.

The idea of creating a second downtown (while strangling growth in the actual downtown) never made any sense, and the results have gotten worse at every step.

Hyperdensity with a bad public realm and garbage public buildings, on a site whose interesting history has been obliterated.

We’ll see what the resubmission looks like, but at this point, this thing is an utter failure of planning, economic analysis, urban design, and architecture.

 

[Northern Light]

This site must be cursed.

Or just subject to an incredibly greedy owner, combined with a myopic initial planning concept, and then subject to provincial interference on top of that.

Oh, right, you said, cursed, my apologies, we agree.

The idea of creating a second downtown (while strangling growth in the actual downtown) never made any sense, and the results have gotten worse at every step.

I'll disagree completely on the 'strangling downtown' reference. No downtown on the continent has added more housing units and office space in the last decade.

Hyperdensity with a bad public realm and garbage public buildings, on a site whose interesting history has been obliterated.

On this we agree completely.

We’ll see what the resubmission looks like, but at this point, this thing is an utter failure of planning, economic analysis, urban design, and architecture.

Also agreed.

 

[Amare]

This site must be cursed.

The idea of creating a second downtown (while strangling growth in the actual downtown) never made any sense, and the results have gotten worse at every step.

Hyperdensity with a bad public realm and garbage public buildings, on a site whose interesting history has been obliterated.

We’ll see what the resubmission looks like, but at this point, this thing is an utter failure of planning, economic analysis, urban design, and architecture.

To be fair, the economics of the whole project shifted dramatically after the pandemic (not that i'm passing the blame from Cadillac Fairview, they're the ones that thought it was a bright idea and decided to pay that boat load of cash to First Gulf and take it from their hands).

But with respect to everything else (planning, urban design, architecture), yes i'd say this project and concept is a complete and utter failure from all parties involved. Whatever ambitious plan that was envisioned when it was first conceived is gone. This project is nothing more than a sterilized and bastardized, half-baked and cooked idea which is going to be nothing more than a typical Toronto condo neighborhood with an office tower or two sprinkled in if we're lucky.

This thing is not going to be anywhere close to a "second downtown", and i'll even go as far as saying North York City Centre will be a more bustling section of the city than this sterile planned area ever will be.

Metrolinx grand plans to make East Harbour Station a "second Union Station" which can "accommodate up to 100,000" daily riders is also laughable, and DOA.