Toronto L-Tower | 204.82m | 58s | Cityzen | Daniel Libeskind

These "hideous corrugated walls" are the bane of all the big new condos. Sidewalk killers. Ugly, they collect dirt and spew hot air and dust.

I stand to be corrected but I THINK that the corrugated wall at corner of Scott and The Esplanade is temporary and was put there to accommodate the Sony Centre back-stage stuff while the L-Tower was built. I hope I am right because it DOES look ghastly and is a sidewalk-killer.
 
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I notice on the penthouse they are starting to install a horizontal bar outside dividing the approximate 20 foot ceiling on the south side into 2 sets of ten. Does anyone know if the cladding will be consistent across the penthouse. I guess this will be same across the entire south side. Also I notice the scaffolding is starting to disappear on the west side as well.
 
There was so much urban renewal in the 1960s and 1970s that St. Lawrence lost a lot of its historical character. Even today, facadectomy condos like King Plus Condos are still being built. The collection of heritage landmarks is impeccable, but so much of the urban fabric that's key to historical character is gone. The brick and stone streets are also gone. (Jarvis, for instance, was brick and the Esplanade was stone.) Nonetheless, it's still one of the best and most beautiful neighbourhoods in the city.
 
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I wish there was a little more drawing the area together as a historic district, i.e. distinct signage or pavings or historical markers. Don't get me wrong the area is great by Toronto standards, but it could still be more.
 
They should restore the area's historic brick and stone streets, and enhance the public realm in general like on Market Street by St. Lawrence Market.
They are working on The Esplanade 'as we speak', Front Street was fixed up last summer and Lower Sherbourne fixing (similar to Front) will start in the summer. I doubt that cobblestone or brick (main) streets will ever return due to maintenance costs but ...
 
Glazing is going in on the penthouse level on the west side. It does match the rest the of the glazing. I was too far away to get a decent pic with my cellphone.
 
They are working on The Esplanade 'as we speak', Front Street was fixed up last summer and Lower Sherbourne fixing (similar to Front) will start in the summer. I doubt that cobblestone or brick (main) streets will ever return due to maintenance costs but ...

Cities all over the world are restoring their brick and stone streets. We're seeing modern pavers used for street paving in certain projects in Toronto like on the waterfront and in Regent Park. It can happen. Our urban designers are starting to realize the placemaking value of such paving. They still need some public and BIA encouragement, though.
 

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