Toronto Forma | 308m | 84s | Great Gulf | Gehry Partners

greenleaf said:
I don't recall this being posted in the muck and mire of the thread, but for those wondering about the timeline on this, an OMB prehearing will be on March 28, and then a 10 day hearing will commence in June: http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/e-decisions/pl130629-Jan-14-2014.pdf
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Thanks! The working group has until March 20 to report to city council, but they are also required to hold at least one public meeting before then. There should be some new news in the very near future.

It's possible that Mirvish Ghery could be approved on March 20 if the working group successfully reaches a compromise.

If no deal can be negotiated, looks like the OMB is moving at a decent clip.
 
I have a hard time seeing the OMB approving a project so far off the precedent path.

I think if the city et al can't be convinced of the positives of this project (like FCP was in its day) then I don’t see Mirvish going ahead with something mundane – as prescribed by city planners.

I too would rather see nothing built here if the city simply wants another bland bank of “City Place”, non descript, glass midrise.

Conversely,

I think Mirvish might do well to reconsider the destination of his philanthropy. He would get a huge welcome from New York with such a project - providing he can find a suitable site.

If I had a great collection of art and wanted to basically give it to an educated, enthusiastic audience, I’d build it in New York where there is a more cultured, appreciative population. Hog Town can’t get its head out of its arse long enough to see what they stand to lose.

I guess though on a positive note, we would still have a wonderful warehouse.
 
+1. Well said. This is by far my favourite tall proposal I've ever seen for Toronto. I love this city, but knowing it will most likely not go up is extremely depressing.


Big Daddy said:
I have a hard time seeing the OMB approving a project so far off the precedent path.

I think if the city et al can't be convinced of the positives of this project (like FCP was in its day) then I don’t see Mirvish going ahead with something mundane – as prescribed by city planners.

I too would rather see nothing built here if the city simply wants another bland bank of “City Place”, non descript, glass midrise.

Conversely,

I think Mirvish might do well to reconsider the destination of his philanthropy. He would get a huge welcome from New York with such a project - providing he can find a suitable site.

If I had a great collection of art and wanted to basically give it to an educated, enthusiastic audience, I’d build it in New York where there is a more cultured, appreciative population. Hog Town can’t get its head out of its arse long enough to see what they stand to lose.

I guess though on a positive note, we would still have a wonderful warehouse.
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Lol ... New York has binding zoning and heritage policies unlike here so, yeah, finding a suitable site is more paramount than here.
 
maestro said:
Lol ... New York has binding zoning and heritage policies unlike here so, yeah, finding a suitable site is more paramount than here.
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Except in New York the zoning rules allow for the construction of a 1000 or 2000 foot building. The area in and around Hudson Yards is one such location.

In Toronto there is no such location. It can only be done through the rezoning process. I'll point to UrbanToronto's interview with Kyle Rae, which proves an excellent overview of Toronto's sorry state of its zoning bylaws.
 
Big Daddy said:
I have a hard time seeing the OMB approving a project so far off the precedent path.

I think if the city et al can't be convinced of the positives of this project (like FCP was in its day) then I don’t see Mirvish going ahead with something mundane – as prescribed by city planners.
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The fact that you referenced FCP rather than the TD Centre or Commerce Court proves your historical and stylistic illiteracy regarding such matters in Toronto. Among judges of architectural merit (as opposed to big-penis development geeks) TD and Commerce (and even WZMH-homegrown Royal Bank Plaza for "breaking the box") were hailed as exemplars of their type. FCP, OTOH, tended to be regarded as tone-deaf Carrara-marble blockbuster kitsch, there goes Ed Stone again showing off for the arrivistes, etc. Rightly or wrongly, it was regarded as much an eye-roller in its time as Trump is in our time: the turkey of the bunch...
 
Big Daddy said:
I think Mirvish might do well to reconsider the destination of his philanthropy. He would get a huge welcome from New York with such a project - providing he can find a suitable site.

If I had a great collection of art and wanted to basically give it to an educated, enthusiastic audience, I’d build it in New York where there is a more cultured, appreciative population. Hog Town can’t get its head out of its arse long enough to see what they stand to lose.

I guess though on a positive note, we would still have a wonderful warehouse.
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+1.

Regarding maestro

"Lol ... New York has binding zoning and heritage policies unlike here so, yeah, finding a suitable site is more paramount than here."

If NY is out then Chicago, Miami, Boston or Calgary. Calgary would love it and would sacrifice any one of their amazingly spectacular and fantastically orgasmic warehouses.
 
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While rolling up the rim to lose the other day I started wondering what would happen if the architect was inspired by
9Y4QbV7.jpg
 
I don't understand one thing that how the heritage is heritage anymore when it is destroyed and a new replica is built? if this project is given approval and build it can itself become a landmark and heritage after 60-80 years.
 
adma said:
The fact that you referenced FCP rather than the TD Centre or Commerce Court proves your historical and stylistic illiteracy regarding such matters in Toronto. Among judges of architectural merit (as opposed to big-penis development geeks) TD and Commerce (and even WZMH-homegrown Royal Bank Plaza for "breaking the box") were hailed as exemplars of their type. FCP, OTOH, tended to be regarded as tone-deaf Carrara-marble blockbuster kitsch, there goes Ed Stone again showing off for the arrivistes, etc. Rightly or wrongly, it was regarded as much an eye-roller in its time as Trump is in our time: the turkey of the bunch...
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As per usual, you can't miss an opportunity to insult someone or try to demonstrate your narcissistic tendency.

I was referencing the height of FCP - which in the early 70's would have seemed even more monstrous that the Gehry proposal does to us today. FCP is now an icon in this city making a bold statement about the city being a powerhouse in banking. (At least in Canada). Imagine, the 6th tallest building in the world in 1975 - right here in T.O. What statement would it have made had it been cut back to forty floors?

Look at how many buildings taller than 300 m are either proposed or under construction. In New York, One57, the current tallest condo building in North America at 306 m, will soon be supplanted by 432 Park Avenue (426 m) dwarfing the Tallest Gehry building at 289 m. While we wring our hands about 80 story condos, the world is building tall buildings like never before.

Had FCP been only 40 floors I doubt it would have made any statement at all, at least not of a positive nature. If Gehry's project is chopped, it likewise will make no statement of any significance.
 
adma said:
The fact that you referenced FCP rather than the TD Centre or Commerce Court proves your historical and stylistic illiteracy regarding such matters in Toronto. Among judges of architectural merit (as opposed to big-penis development geeks) TD and Commerce (and even WZMH-homegrown Royal Bank Plaza for "breaking the box") were hailed as exemplars of their type. FCP, OTOH, tended to be regarded as tone-deaf Carrara-marble blockbuster kitsch, there goes Ed Stone again showing off for the arrivistes, etc. Rightly or wrongly, it was regarded as much an eye-roller in its time as Trump is in our time: the turkey of the bunch...
Click to expand...

Can't you reply without insulting people?
 
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