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

I always think of launch as shovels in the ground - but to each their own. The layouts are probably pretty consistent floor to floor - the buildings are both pretty rectangular - the 'shimmer' in the building might add/subtract a meter or two to each unit - but that's probably not what's slowing it down. Even if each unit needed to be done by hand - Gehry could have a few interns done with them inside a (very long) week. 90 to 1, this is moving at a snail's pace due to financial constraints.
 
No idea - though I imagine a weak canadian dollar and an economy that's turning towards recession can't be helping matters. Plus Mirvish is probably pretty cautious after the whole One King West debacle with Stinson.
 
I have a pic of 8 Spruce St/Beekman Tower as my phone's screensaver. I want to change it to these towers one day. It will be on an iPhone 16 by that point though.
 
Don't see any rush to launch. You would think these properties are free and clear. It costs a fair bit of money. Pretty much committed to building when you do launch. I would guess the financing is still being worked on.
 
Looks like, from the architect's perspective, they are ready....

"And according to Gehry, the project is all set to go, after a revised, scaled-down proposal was completed in response to issues raised by Toronto city planner Jennifer Keesmaat.

“We’ve finished the design,” says Gehry. And the pricing and budget have been done."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen...ry-is-thinking-of-coming-back-to-toronto.html
 
Unlike Martin Knelman, I wouldn't suggest the Ontario Science Centre as the most obvious place for a Gehry exhibition barring the AGO. The Design Exchange instead maybe? The ROM? Somewhere Downtown would be better, but the AGO does feel like the obvious place for it.

This launch is taking so long, I found myself wondering if Knelman's reference to a "revised, scaled-down proposal" was about yet another cut to the project. I know it's not, but the rather out-of-kilter economy these days makes you wonder.
 
Didn't the AGO already have a Gehry exhibition about 3-4 years ago? I recall seeing some of Los Angeles and Harvard buildings and scale models.
 
the weak Loonie should help launch this project given their efforts so far to sell it internationally. Buyers from around the world could buy a Gehry at quite a discount. I would think the additional construction costs could be mitigated by using more Canadian materials.
 
buildup said:
Didn't the AGO already have a Gehry exhibition about 3-4 years ago? I recall seeing some of Los Angeles and Harvard buildings and scale models.
Click to expand...

Yes. The AGO had a big Frank Gehry exhibit around 2008 i think.
 
The Martin Knelman piece is brutal.

1) This opening paragraph is horribly written: Frank Gehry, who turns 87 on Feb. 28 and is widely regarded as the greatest living architect in the world, was born in Toronto. But if you didn’t happen to visit the retrospective in the Pompidou Centre in Paris that ended last year, and you can’t get to the spectacular museum exhibition of his career highlights currently wowing visitors to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art until March 20, then you will miss it.

2) His fawning over Gehry is so provincially Toronto, "OMG maybe world famous architect may move back here!!!! EEEKKKKK. SQUEEEE."

Of all the Star columnists who have overstayed their welcome... Knelman is long overdue for a retirement party.
 
And why does he think we are right to claim him as our own? He made his mark in LA, not here. He left Toronto around the end of high school. He's really more of an American than he is a Canadian.
 
I imagine Gehry knowing that he's in the twilight of his life wants to return to where he was born. If we get Gehry for a decade, he could no doubt put a significant mark on Toronto.

Besides the King Street Mirvish towers, other good candidates could be:

- A Ryerson University building as they continue to aggressively expand, having shown a penchant for interesting architecture.

- A signature waterfront building at the foot of Yonge Street or in the yet vague Portlands plans. Perhaps a transformation of the Hearn into a museum or alternatively the silos at the foot of Bathurst.

- The Nathan Phillips Square relief line subway station or one of the many transit projects that we're going to build over the next 15 years.

- Maybe another building in the entertainment district which with the AGO at the top and Mirvish coming next, John Street is becoming a sort of Gehry architectural corridor. At the end of that corridor lies the site of the failed casino proposal which is expected to be redeveloped.

- Perhaps a smaller contribution like a waterfront park. Something similar to the Barcelona fish can be done relatively quickly and through a private donation.

- Under Gardiner is ripe for creative architecture and just begging for someone like Gehry to imprint his mark on this blank canvas.

I love Gehry's work and I find it a damn shame that his hometown has very little to show of its legendary son. The AGO is far from his best work and the financial complexities of building the Mirvish condos leaves me uneasy that we might have to just settle for his "so so" contribution on Dundas & Beverly.

Toronto is getting a lot of worldwide buzz in these last few years and I think that Gehry realizes that this is no small town anymore. We're kind of a big deal. I hope that — even for selfish reasons — he decides that he wants in on the spotlight that Toronto is experiencing.
 
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