Toronto One Bloor East | 257.24m | 76s | Great Gulf | Hariri Pontarini

verlander said:
No doubt 1BE is still in the earliest stages of design and what we've seen so far will likely bear little-to-no resemblance to the final building.

You're right that they're pushing this design hard - given the site's recent history and the tremendous interest still shown by the public like on this forum, they want to capitalize (in every sense) on the hype. But I think they also know that people will invest in this building without certainty in the product they're buying. This is one of the few cases where people want in on the action even if they do not know what the 'action' is. Sell first, design and refine later: why wouldn't they take advantage of the tens of millions of dollars people have already once lined up to give a developer of this site? Why wouldn't they take advantage of their solid reputations as a legitimate and successful builder?
Click to expand...

The problem is what you are suggesting isn't practical from a developer perspective (substantially increases risk), and presents issues under the condo act (refer to "material change" clauses). Yes refinements occur throughout the development process. But most of the larger details in terms of design must be sorted out prior to the building going to market. The shape of the building may go through some minor adjustments, but the floor-plate must the established (not perfectly, but close to it) in order for the core services, HVAC and plumbing stacks to be sorted out and the unit layouts designed. Beyond planning requirements, without certain thresholds being met none of the units can be enroled with the Tarion Warranty Corporation meaning no sales can take place. Furthermore no developer is going to substantially redesign units and risk material changes to contracts that allow for purchasers to walk away. This would constitute very serious risks in a project of this magniture that the development partners and financers would seek to avoid at all costs. Lastly the development proponent has a very good reputation and it's not within their general business practice to jerk around their clients.

I'm not suggesting changes aren't going to be made - but I don't see anything major or substantial occuring. That said the only posted renderings have been at odd angles and very 'artistic' vs being realistic. The proposal isn't exactly clear cut in terms of what it's going to look like at this point.

verlander said:
Why would GGH feel they have anything to lose in going to market with a design far more preliminary than would be typical?
Click to expand...

Because they would never get financing for a project where all the purchasers and deposits could walk away.
 
Last edited:
^ I dunno 'bout all that. Look at Trump. sold, resold, redesigned, re-redesigned, shortened, smaller units replacing larger units, all from the first point of release to yesterday. I wouldn't be shocked if they surprised us all and added the 10 floors back in now that it's under construction.

I believe we have heard from architects in the past: They always have contingency plans worked out and more than one version of a building to put forth. Not to mention they have designs for buildings of all sizes but no where to put them just yet. Recently an architect attached to the Aura project hinted that they always have a 90 floor condo tower on the back burner just waiting for a developer.

I have faith that there is a least a possibility Number One Bloor will undergo many revisions before the final project is built.
 
^ Adding and subtracting floors doesn't necessarily impact the units themselves and therefore constitute a material change. Drastically altering the design of the tower and changing around floorplates would impact units and therefore sales. Your examples of Trump and Aura are not substantial changes in the design itself. Also Trump had wiggle room as there were a lot of unsold units (and therefore few worries about material changes to contracts) - the 'redesign' you speak of left a lot of the units intact and unaffected. Given the hype behind 1BE, GG is unlikely to have a lot of unsold supply in which major alterations in the unit layout and mix can occur.

If by many revisions you mean tweaks or changes in the number of floors (as we've seen in many projects), sure that is a possibiliy, but if you mean major changes in the floor-plates and shape of the building - that is a lot more difficult once purchase and sale agreements have been signed and typically only occurs to save a building from cancellation when few units have been absorbed.
 
I'm sure it will be any day now. Every time I go up there they've added more advertising. Today I noticed they had plastered pix of their new building all over the windows and doors of the old Bazis 1 Bloor sales office in the Zerox building.
 
I was speaking briefly with someone from Great Gulf....she told me that rollout was March 'for sure'.....that was about a week ago...
 
GG didn't roll out the carpet for me today....

dsc01274x.jpg
 
Ughh...CP24 is horrible. They were talking about One Bloor, saying there will be a press conference at the site next Thursday, and they showed the Aura model as the rendering. Then they showed the real rendering and called it a 'piano construction'. What does that even mean?
 
Media Advisory - One Bloor - Toronto - Great Gulf's newest condominium unveiled
Thursday, March 25, 2010 @ 10:30 AM

Interview Opportunity


TORONTO, March 16 /CNW/ - Members of the media are invited to an event at which the details will be released about Great Gulf's flagship condominium to be located at the crossroads of Yonge and Bloor Streets in Toronto, at the gateway to prestigious Bloor-Yorkville. The world-renowned design team includes Hariri Pontarini Architects, Cecconi Simone Inc., and Janet Rosenberg + Associates Landscape Architecture/Urban Design, with construction by Tucker Hi-Rise Construction Inc., and sales by Baker Real Estate Incorporated. One Bloor's sensuous silhouette is sculpted with piano curves and evokes a timeless modernism. The first two storeys of the podium will encompass prime retail along Yonge and Bloor, and year-round contemporary amenities will create an environment that encompasses wellness, fitness and pampering amid the ultimate urban backdrop. One Bloor, This Is Your Fantasy.


WHO: David Gerofsky, President & Chief Operating Officer, Great Gulf
Group of Companies

David Pontarini, Founding Partner, Hariri Pontarini Architects

Anna Simone, Founding Partner, Cecconi Simone Inc.

Janet Rosenberg, Founding Principal, Janet Rosenberg +
Associates Landscape Architecture/Urban Design

Barbara Lawlor, President, Baker Real Estate Incorporated

Michael McGrath, President, Tucker Hi-Rise Construction Inc.

WHAT: A SPECIAL DESIGN-FOCUSED MEDIA BRIEFING AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE
ARCHITECT, PROJECT DESIGN TEAM, CONSTRUCTION AND SALES WILL
FOLLOW PROJECT OVERVIEW REMARKS.

WHERE: ONE BLOOR PRESENTATION TENT
Southeast corner, Yonge and Bloor Streets, Toronto
ON-SITE PARKING ACCESSED THROUGH EASTERN-MOST BLOOR STREET GATE

WHEN: THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010 at 10:30 AM
 
yyzer said:
Media Advisory - One Bloor - Toronto - Great Gulf's newest condominium unveiled
Thursday, March 25, 2010 @ 10:30 AM
Click to expand...


YAWN Based on what I've seen so far, i will make a point to miss this.

Great location - Inferior building

But nothing I or we say can change any of this so change channels and watch Aura - Aura is a great building and may become even greater

1BE - history, move along.
 
Why make such a big unveil if the rendering has been on the billboard for weeks? I'm guessing that the render will be updated and the model put on the display. The base of the tower, the spire and the other 3 sides of the building are all pieces of the puzzle that we haven't seen though so I'm looking forward to seeing what is unveiled. Almost anything will look better than the previous version IMO.
 
The roof feature is supposed to help quite a bit. I was told three storeys of curtainwall, and that it was somewhat involved
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top