Toronto Living Shangri-La Toronto | 214.57m | 66s | Westbank | James Cheng

Winner

Looks fantastic. really nice , love the east side, and the west side is looking better now with that box!! :eek:
At night lit up, she will be pretty, the blue strip running up the side,is what I am waiting for :)!!!!
 
I think both have their attributes. East view and even West view(I know some don't like it) in Toronto are I believe nicer than Vancouver. However, the Vancouver building appears a bit sleaker. That said, I would have to vote for TO but only marginally.
I suspect when finished despite a bit of jumbling as pointed out on Adelaide by others this SL in Toronto will be quite spectacular.

I only wish we could be splitting hair like this about a number of other projects in TO which don't hold a candle to either of the 2 SL projects. The City would be an even nicer place if the debate was between 2 such projects as the norm.
 
Unique exterior designs aside, the Shangri-La Toronto (Branded as SLTO from corporate) has several advantages over SLV that hinge on the overall functionality of the development. While the North (West Georgia Street) and East (Thurlow Street) sides of SLV look incredible, the Alberni Street line-segment that connects said angles is less aesthetic than the design of SLTO. The hotel/residence/estate entrance of SLV is located on Alberni Street and difficult to navigate for first-time guests, but the privacy that their lower lobby entrance offers is second to none and would be ideal at SLTO during the Film Festival. The fine dining restaurants in Toronto will be highlighted in an unheard of fashion once completed (For those in Vancouver, think the 2nd level of Black+Blue with an exterior impact second to none) and while both Market by Jean Georges and the Xi Shi restaurants in Vancouver are very well received, SLTO will set a unique standard for dining in Toronto (August, 2012). The outdoor pool at SLV isn’t comparable to the grandeur of Toronto’s offering, but both feature a private club atmosphere with exercise facilities boasting more than 6,000sq-ft of space. With regards to location, the elevation moratorium in Vancouver allows SLV to have a more commanding presence in the skyline that will be unrivaled until Holborn launches their 67s development at 1151 West Georgia Street and SLTO is elegantly situated on Toronto’s grand boulevard between both the financial and entertainment districts. None the less, both buildings break the mainstream ‘square box’ designs and much can be said about the distinctive nature of the new Four Seasons Hotel and the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto.
 
The differences between the Vancouver and Toronto Shangri-Las may come down to the pervasive architectural ideas in both cities. In Toronto, the style in vogue has been the well-detailed and clad box, dominated by right angles. In Vancouver, there seems to be a fear of such a creature, with every effort made to break up the Modern box with curves, balcony sections, and more diverse angles. However, in both cities the design philosophy is pervasive to the point of banality. The Vancouver Shangri-La is too busy architecturally to be attractive; its best side is the simplest side.
 
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A woman friend of mine was approached after her first public speaking engagement by an elderly lady who shook her hand and said encouragingly, "My dear, you do look so nice from a distance!"

Speaking as a Vancouver resident, I think SLV is a very fine structure indeed but, like my friend, especially so from a distance. In the first place, any decently designed building looks very fine, with the North Shore Mountains, the Burrard Inlet, the dark forest of Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge in the background. But more can be said than that. There are views over the downtown area and the West End, from various places in West Point Grey or Queen Elizabeth Park in which SLV appears, quite literally, outstanding. The tall and slender overall proportions of the building and, above all, its considerable height difference, compared to the other towers of the core, make it the central feature of urban Vancouver. Up close, however, it is not so outstanding. There is nothing disfunctional, awkward or ugly about the way it meets the street, but likewise there is noting special or noteworthy about it at street level.

SLT will obviously not stand out in the same way in the Toronto Skyline. Though it is pleasingly designed, it is already but one of many tall towers. By contrast, it appears to me that it will present a very striking streetscape, with its incorporation of the Bishops Block and the striking glass podium. The buildings play different roles in the urban landscape of the two cities and both play those roles well, at least in my preliminary opinion.
 
I disagree. I think this location calls for an astonishing design. Instead we get a building that looks like it belong on a side street. For starters, an all red brick podium to tie into BB would have been a good move. As it stands, it looks like a theme park meets a big box outlet.
 
The massing of SLV was largely shaped by the view cones (forcing a triangular floorplate).

For the pics that have been posted here, it appears that the SLTO has more reflective glass (although we won't be able to tell until the window coverings are installed). If that's true, then SLTO would likely have a more cohesive look when the sun is shining on it.

Both have the same fin structures at the top (i.e. same gentle curve with triangular bracing), although Vancouver's fins may be a tad taller. SLV also has an irritating window washing crane visible at all times on the roof. Hopefully TO will be spared the same.

As to the podiums, I like SLTO's better, including the variety of materials used (and the contrasts which allow the Bishop Block to "pop". On the Thurlow side, SLV's podium is clad in the same glass as the tower, which doesn't "anchor" it well. The Ki restaurant and the Urban Fare grocery store present largely blank facades to Georgia Street. The Urban Fare's entrance is on the other side of the block facing Alberni St. One nice touch at SLV is the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibit space fronting Georgia St. which hosts changing displays of large scale pieces.

If SLTO gets a logo up top, it'll finish the tower nicely. SLV isn't allowed to have one.
 
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Since moving to Vancouver I can appreciate SLV more now that I can look at it in person and from many angles. I like it the most when looking east from Georgia and seeing the Georgia and Alberni sides nearly come together. I'd give SLV a B for how it meets the street, but I will agree with officedweller re: the Art Gallery.

I still prefer SLTO design overall with its smoother lines over SLV's sharp points and, shall I say, add-ons. I don't like comparing the two because the context in which they are in are different. SLV stands out a lot more given its height, design, and location.

I don't have the best view from my West End apartment, but I am happy that I can still see SLV:

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@officedweller: point taken re: the window washing crane
 
urbandreamer said:
I disagree. I think this location calls for an astonishing design. Instead we get a building that looks like it belong on a side street. For starters, an all red brick podium to tie into BB would have been a good move. As it stands, it looks like a theme park meets a big box outlet.
Click to expand...

By "astonishing" can one assume you want a building that stands out? If so, then why would you argue for a building that would blend with a much smaller structure?
 
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