Toronto Pinnacle One Yonge | 345.5m | 105s | Pinnacle | Hariri Pontarini

[maestro]

A general question that arises from AoD's post: which is a better predictor of the eventual result, good, bad or indifferent, the developer or the architect?

The developer hires the architect.

 

[smably]

Honestly, I think my favourite building in this submission is the shortest one, east of the existing Star building. Don't tell the height cultists!

 

[salsa]

 

[A Torontonian Now]

To be honest - and I don't expect people to agree. But I think the tallest tower in this development is more attractive than the one anyways.

I do quite like the tallest tower here, but you're right, I disagree and prefer The One.

The reason is the exoskeleton (and before people jump on me saying the exoskeleton is gone in the new design, remember that a hanger-style exoskeleton is still an exoskeleton). It is unique to Toronto, and rare even worldwide.

 

[enrigue8]

What a beauty.I hope they will not change the design again.

 

[GenerationLee]

I'm really liking this. They did remove another building, but it's still keeping their original plan of really revitalizing the area. I'm hoping we won't lose any more buildings, becuase I like the orientaton rn. It'll be wild to see these under construction, if and when they will be.

 

[maestro]

The south block seems like a whole lot of office space. I see this going back in five years for more residential and less office unless a major commercial developer will pick up the site. Could be as the hotel is gone for more office.

 

[torontologist]

Who honestly would want a balcony above the 40th floor? The wind is insane (apart from the vertigo). Why do developers insist on having them on every.single.unit?

I'll never understand.

 

[ProjectEnd]

I could do without The Star building being Pac-Man'd by some bland wall of glass but at least the building is being retained(ish). Loving the density here but the 'design' itself doesn't really do much for me.

 

[interchange42]

Our front page article has the whole story on the of the latest submission for the site here.

In the meantime, our dataBase file has been updated with the new building storey-count and the heights, but the images remain those from earlier submissions. We await sexy new renderings with bated breath.

42

 

[Towered]

I'll reserve my excitement or scorn for after the next DRP review and value engineering phase.

 

[maestro]

Here I thought you get excited through scorn.

There's retail being proposed at street level but, it still seems the focus of developments in this neighbourhood is to encourage pedestrians into the hermetically sealed Plus 15 network. Of course my impression is underground is an entirely different thing from above the street. No one really wants to be underground afterall.

 

[modernizt]

I am shocked that this is my reaction to a Hariri Pontarini project but looking at that latest iteration: "Yikes."

Perhaps it's just at that awkward midpoint a project can find itself through the iterative process. Through further design development and refinement hopefully it will "find its way home" and will all come together at the end.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Really my only concern with this project is how the towers meet the ground, and the pedestrian environment at grade.

 

[old boy]

Really my only concern with this project is how the towers meet the ground, and the pedestrian environment at grade.

I quite agree. This is a chance to do something wonderful near the waterfront in the public sphere. The trick is to keep the striking elevations, which are tantalizing, and do it right at street level. Maybe this is Toronto's opportunity to create something memorable and pleasing, dare I say it, aesthetic, in this balancing act.