Toronto Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts | ?m | 5s | COC | Diamond Schmitt

Too bad Diamond didn't give the rest of the building as much -- or even a fraction -- of the attention he gave the City Room.
 
Tewder said:
Agreed, I love that side but the rest is banal.
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At least the sound inside is world-class. Unfortunately many people justify the banality of the exterior with this fact. As Canada's first opera house, it should have been on the same level of visual impact as the AGO.
 
Interesting issue of culture - the Four Seasons is Canada's first fully dedicated opera house. Where does that stack globally? No value judgement implied in question.





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I'd rather have something bland that will age well than something that will look like [censored] in twenty years. It could have turned out so much worse than it did.
 
I don't think the University facade is bland at all. In fact I think it's rather glam, and it fits well contextually. Like others here I'm just not in love with the other three sides. Unfortunately they're all visible. At the end of the day though the accoustics are the thing and overall I'm happy with the finishings etc.

I do think that the AGO and the FSC should be looking at what RCM-Telus has done with its surroundings. It has set the bar high and looks gorgeous because of it...
 
Tewder said:
I don't think the University facade is bland at all. In fact I think it's rather glam, and it fits well contextually. Like others here I'm just not in love with the other three sides. Unfortunately they're all visible. At the end of the day though the accoustics are the thing and overall I'm happy with the finishings etc.

I do think that the AGO and the FSC should be looking at what RCM-Telus has done with its surroundings. It has set the bar high and looks gorgeous because of it...
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I don't think anyone would disagree that the auditorium, acoustics and City Room are brilliant and the University side looks great.
 
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Funny how I should revive this thread at this time to complain about the Queen St. sidewalk presence and their years old "Welcome Home" window covering.

They were replacing the vinyl covering today:

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It looks like it will remain closed off for the foreseeable future.

Some details on the lack of infrastructure to support a food/beverage commercial establishment:
- No piping for water, hence no ability to build a kitchen or washroom
- No drainage system. Again no kitchen or washroom
- Insufficient power to support an industrial stove

It's basically an empty space. The only immediate and cheap use that it could support would be a COC gift shop.
 
That's a shame that the rentable space is so limited.
Those panels being installed appear to be much more engaging than what has been there for so long. This may brighten up this stretch a bit.
 
^ It's limited because they ran out of budget so they nixed this space and the one on the roof. The 4SC will need to pipe in some water and build the hydro and drainage facilities before it can rent it out for anything lucrative. I'm sure a restaurant would do very well here but they need the basic infrastructure to set up.

In the meantime, I don't see why they can't turn it into a gift shop for the COC. Running basic electrical wiring shouldn't be expensive or difficult to install for lighting and wall sockets for the cash registers.
 
MetroMan said:
^ It's limited because they ran out of budget so they nixed this space and the one on the roof. The 4SC will need to pipe in some water and build the hydro and drainage facilities before it can rent it out for anything lucrative. I'm sure a restaurant would do very well here but they need the basic infrastructure to set up.
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That's a sad outcome. Nota Bene could/should have been here and not at the bottom of an office building. It could have had a patio for the summer like Reds does.
 
Roy G Biv said:
At least the sound inside is world-class. Unfortunately many people justify the banality of the exterior with this fact. As Canada's first opera house, it should have been on the same level of visual impact as the AGO.
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The Four Seasons Centre is not Canada's first opera house (although possibly the first since 1927). The Grand Opera House on Adelaide was built in 1874 (and demolished in 1927), and it was an actual Opera house (not just a theatre with a pompous name).
 
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