CanadianNational
Senior Member
Alarmed architect and developer have sudden change of heart, announce a repentant reworking of existing "boxy, awful" structure:
Toronto TeaHouse 501 Yonge Condominiums | 170.98m | 52s | Lanterra | a—A
- Thread starter VoiceofReality
- Start date
This would still create more life at street level than the original Eaton Centre did...
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Big Daddy
Senior Member
ThomasJ
Active Member
Alarmed architect and developer have sudden change of heart, announce a repentant reworking of existing "boxy, awful" structure:
that is funny!
Irishmonk
Senior Member
Because it's an off-the-rack design for a critical section of our most famous street that, frankly, deserves something better.
Thanos
Active Member
How can you say it is an off-the-rack design when you don't even know what the design is???
Have people lost any patience they ever had?
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Im starting to think... that to a lot of people here, the argument is more about mass/height on Yonge street than the actual design that has yet to be released.
.. They just keep mentioning the design over and over when truthfully they want this development chopped in half.
Irishmonk
Senior Member
Given what we do know about the design--2 unimaginative 58 story glass boxes and a 7 story podium--and what we've seen so far in aA's many other repetitive glass boxes scattered about the downtown, not to mention Lanterra's track record for uninspiring mediocrity (MLS, Murano, Burano, 1 Bedford, Waterpark City, 22 Wellesley etc...) I see no reason to be optimistic about this project, or to expect anything terribly different than we've already seen in the elevation drawings.
Unless you think that aA's deft handling of details (glass balconies! random dashes of colour!) are going to turn 2 identical hulking monoliths into a breathtaking icon--or even a respectful, context friendly development like Five--I don't see how anyone can be feeling positive, let alone patient, for the outcome of this project. We already know enough about the players to draw some pretty strong conclusions.
More imaginative firms, like Teeple or Saucier Perrote would have introduced elements in the overall plan that would have suggested something besides the same old same old. The one we do have at this point is one of the least imaginative and most inappropriate proposals I have ever seen. Do you think the elevation drawings for Minto Midtown looked like the one we have here? Or L Tower? Or Absolute?
Look, if this were being built on Bay Street I wouldn't care because it's already a lost cause. But this is Canada's most famous and vibrant street and it needs all the help it can get. My fear is that we're going to get another Bay St and that would be tragic. This development sets a bad precedent and it needs to change radically or be stopped dead in its tracks.
Mongo
Senior Member
But we have heard from several people who presumably are in a position to know, that those elevations do NOT show what is actually planned for the site, and that what is actually planned is far superior and more exciting. Apparently the publicly released elevations are intended to demonstrate the maximum dimensions requested, so that if this design is approved, the actual (slightly smaller) design will automatically be covered as well. I assume that the developer has not yet finished the design/engineering work on the actual design, but does not want to waste time waiting for their actual proposal to be approved, so had submitted this utilitarian stand-in design well in advance of completing their actual design, so that when they complete the design work, they already have approval to go ahead.
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taal
Senior Member
Famous maybe, but most vibrant ? Really ? I think there several more vibrant streets in Toronto alone ... so anyway for that reason I agree it's needs as much help as it can.
Having said that I like the currently atmosphere on Yonge, but given how central this is, I think parts of it can/should change, and by that I mean gentrification.
Traynor
Senior Member
^ I truly believe that is correct, but moreover I am a conspiracy theorist who believes it was all well-choreographed and calculated machinations by Lanterra to get what they really want.
The release of the horror-show of massing-study (under the guise of actual plans for development) released for the public to see, was a move designed to circumvent the NIMPBYs. The real plan is probably much better but even it would have faced revisions and "smallening" when the NIMBYs got a hold of it, but now when they see the real deal, they will approve it right away. The real deal will be a relief compared to Condo-zilla attacking Yonge Street, they would be silly to oppose it.
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ThomasJ
Active Member
good call Traynor....the old "shock and awe" routine out of the gate followed by something more reasonable in comparison....but still hugely giant. seems like a bit of a juvenile strategy to me but whatever, i guess laterra can do what it wants at this stage.
Thanos
Active Member
You do know severall developers use this technique. This is how Donald Trump became "the donald" that he is today.
ThomasJ
Active Member
the donald? juvenile? nooooo.....haha
imperfect
Banned
501 Yonge-Lanterra-Aa
Mongo you are wrong - the 501 buildings will be just like the Aa buildings (Murano & Burano) - on Bay street.
Lanterra is a replication machine when they build alone. One Bedford (flagship, no approval without KPMB and owners of Lanterra with suites in the building) Maple Leaf Square and ICE (both in partnership with Cadillac Fairview) all have effort applied to the architecture and street resulting from partnership and approval requirements.
The others (22 Wellesley- Aa; Waterpark City - P&S; Murano-Burano - Aa; Treviso - P&S; Riverhouse - P&S) are production buildings with minimal context response and maximal profit generators. 501 Yonge will be no different from Murano and or 22 Wellesley.
The principal cost factor for 501 Yonge will be vibration attenuation from the subway. At One Bedford and 22 Wellesley this was a major cost factor leaving not much budget for - architecture - One Bedford was different owing to the sale price of up to $1100 per sq. ft. and the insistence of the community groups.
There is a new Lanterra building proposed (in partnership) at Yonge south of Lawrence - this will be designed by Hariri Pontarini.
Mongo you are wrong - the 501 buildings will be just like the Aa buildings (Murano & Burano) - on Bay street.
Lanterra is a replication machine when they build alone. One Bedford (flagship, no approval without KPMB and owners of Lanterra with suites in the building) Maple Leaf Square and ICE (both in partnership with Cadillac Fairview) all have effort applied to the architecture and street resulting from partnership and approval requirements.
The others (22 Wellesley- Aa; Waterpark City - P&S; Murano-Burano - Aa; Treviso - P&S; Riverhouse - P&S) are production buildings with minimal context response and maximal profit generators. 501 Yonge will be no different from Murano and or 22 Wellesley.
The principal cost factor for 501 Yonge will be vibration attenuation from the subway. At One Bedford and 22 Wellesley this was a major cost factor leaving not much budget for - architecture - One Bedford was different owing to the sale price of up to $1100 per sq. ft. and the insistence of the community groups.
There is a new Lanterra building proposed (in partnership) at Yonge south of Lawrence - this will be designed by Hariri Pontarini.
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