Toronto Hotel X (was Hotel in the Garden) | ?m | 27s | Exhibition Place | NORR

I don't really get the excessive push-back here. It's an auditorium/conference centre behind the blank walls. Almost buildings of this type have them. Has anyone noticed the east and south sides of the Four Seasons Performing Arts centre lately? They are completely blank facing downtown streets. South and west sides of Koerner hall, yeah blank. Sony Centre? Yeah its imposing but the site is still under construction with no-landscaping, trees, people, etc. Could the complex be more adventurous? yes, but it's not the disaster everyone seems to be labeling it.
 
Calling it "not a complete disaster" and liking it are two different things. Are there some good parts, yeah I kind of like the punched windows on the tower with the articulated window frames. Your condescension is kind of unflattering, I kind of know what I'm talking about.
 
Look, it's an opinion you've got. Hello, I've got one too. I'm not even going to touch "I kind of know what I'm talking about." To me, you sound like an apologist for a structure which should never have been built.

If you like it, bully for you - by all means, defend it to your heart's content.
 
Maybe, just maybe there is a grey area somewhere between killing people and loving the building. I might fall somewhere in that area.
 
All I was trying to say originally was that it's normal for a building of this typology to have blank walls. Just as condos have balconies and airports have long corridors, we may not love them but sometimes we have to live with them. I'm not saying I approve of all the design choices though. If that makes me an apologist, sure. That's usually just called architectural critique.
 
Nastapoka said:
I don't really get the excessive push-back here. It's an auditorium/conference centre behind the blank walls. Almost buildings of this type have them. Has anyone noticed the east and south sides of the Four Seasons Performing Arts centre lately? They are completely blank facing downtown streets. South and west sides of Koerner hall, yeah blank. Sony Centre? Yeah its imposing but the site is still under construction with no-landscaping, trees, people, etc. Could the complex be more adventurous? yes, but it's not the disaster everyone seems to be labeling it.
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Not quite - the Four Seasons Richmond facade, while not great, is not entirely blank, nor is the southern facade of Koerner Hall (which is far more articulated than what we've seen here - and Varsity Arena helps). Plus there are material differences (brick vs. concrete) and context - unlike the forementioned, highly restrictive sites - space isn't nearly as much an issue, and the blank walls in this case will basically be facing the Stanley barracks. That sounds pretty incredibly rude to me.

Besides, blank walls due to auditoriums/theatres doesn't have to be awful - think KPMB's TIFF Lightbox.

AoD
 
I agree, but I don't think it's possible to judge the final effect until the site isn't a construction wasteland. There is extensive landscaping to be done, much more so than in any of those urban sites.
 
Nastapoka said:
I agree, but I don't think it's possible to judge the final effect until the site isn't a construction wasteland. There is extensive landscaping to be done, much more so than in any of those urban sites.
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Take a look at the renderings - unless they are hiring some ne plus ultra in landscape architecture (which, considering their choice of architect, not likely), the final effect is going to be fairly predictable. Attempts to disguise the 3s bulk with trees here and there isn't going to work. If they want something that would, cover it with ivy.

At the end of the day though, the problem is not just the blank wall itself - but how the ensemble is ponderous/70s hotel anonymous without much regard beyond a perfunctory nod to the context - one that is not flattering to mishandling. It's a waste of potential and that's hugely disappointing.

AoD
 
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Yeah revit trees and revit grass are possbily the most depressing things on the planet. I hope they don't plan on using them in real life.
 
Nastapoka said:
Yeah revit trees and revit grass are possbily the most depressing things on the planet. I hope they don't plan on using them in real life.
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I can't think of all that many hotels in Toronto doing a good job at landscaping, period. If only we are lucky enough to have render trees and grass...

AoD
 
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