Toronto The One | 328.4m | 91s | Mizrahi Developments | Foster + Partners

[ksun]

Sure it's important. Who isn't happy to see this town getting some positive attention? But yes, predicating the city's success on the height of our tallest buildings is a just a bit suspect. I'd love to see more striking statements in terms of Toronto architecture but height is only one factor among many to consider. Hell, at this stage I'd be happy were The One and Mervish/Gehry to simply get built - not to mention the tall stuff we're waiting on for the foot of Yonge. Baby steps.

except a 341m tower will receive no more "positive attention" than a 304m tower whatsoever. Actually, nobody will pay any attention to a 341m tower because of its height (for other reasons, yes). If tomorrow Toronto decides to increase this tower to 441m, I am sure no newspaper outside Canada will mention it. So why not focus on other factors of this building instead of the paltry height? We should stop thinking 300m is going to impress anyone.

 

[Orson]

Exactly. We should concentrate on satisfying our own interests before we worry about impressing people who have little to do with the use of our city.

 

[Lenser]

except a 341m tower will receive no more "positive attention" than a 304m tower whatsoever.

False. The existence of this very forum, and its many passionate adherents of tall towers - this very thread alone! - is the proof. It may be a geek's niche segment, but it's a segment nonetheless. Pretending that there aren't people concerned about the loss of several meters' height for this particular project is disingenuous on your part.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I don't know that a comparison like that is really worth while. Each of those cities have vastly different municipal and building guidelines/strategies/legislation/histories. Each has their own rationale within their own framework. What matters, I think, is if our own rationale adds up to our own goals properly, however those goals rate height, expression, impact etc. relative to each other.

Exactly - which is why the argument "those other cities does it" as the only path to "greatness" is a poor one. Approval or denial of supertalls (if not tall buildings in general) is ultimately an issue of local context that is not indicative of much. My negative comparison is to illustrate the futility of using building height as a proxy to the success or failure of a city.

AoD

 

[Orson]

I was hoping that this thread was filled more with architecture and urban planning enthusiasts, and not just "passionate adherents of tall towers".

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I was hoping that this thread was filled more with architecture and urban planning enthusiasts, and not just "passionate adherents of tall towers".

You will find tensions here between the two camps (and indeed, you can be adherents of both).

AoD

 

[Lenser]

Yep, and it is.

 

[ksun]

False. The existence of this very forum, and its many passionate adherents of tall towers - this very thread alone! - is the proof. It may be a geek's niche segment, but it's a segment nonetheless. Pretending that there aren't people concerned about the loss of several meters' height for this particular project is disingenuous on your part.

I wouldn't call that "positive attention" if these people can't come up with a logic explanation why 341m is superior to a 304m one. It is more like a negative obsession.
And trust me, I do like impressively tall buildings but the 37m difference involved here makes close to zero difference. People should really get over it.

 

[Orson]

But why the tension?
One would think that if a height reduction could be justified and be made to work from a planning/architectural sense, the arguments for height would be satisfied, except of course if those arguments boil down to only liking tall things.

 

[LNahid2000]

except a 341m tower will receive no more "positive attention" than a 304m tower whatsoever. Actually, nobody will pay any attention to a 341m tower because of its height (for other reasons, yes). If tomorrow Toronto decides to increase this tower to 441m, I am sure no newspaper outside Canada will mention it. So why not focus on other factors of this building instead of the paltry height? We should stop thinking 300m is going to impress anyone.

Why do only newspapers outside of Canada matter so much to you?

 

[Lenser]

I wouldn't call that "positive attention" if these people can't come up with a logic explanation why 341m is superior to a 304m one. It is more like a negative obsession.
And trust me, I do like impressively tall buildings but the 37m difference involved here makes close to zero difference. People should really get over it.

But of course, you ought to know about negative obsession - it apparently drives most of your posts. And yet you can't get over telling others to get over themselves - see how funny that is? I do.

 

[ksun]

Why do only newspapers outside of Canada matter so much to you?

I know people like to play this "Toronto is Toronto, we don't care what the rest of the world thinks of us" game. Cliché, phony indeed because we all know it is not true.
Additionally, when I said nobody outside Canada, actually outside Toronto would care precisely because in the grand scheme of things, this tiny height difference some of us are so disappointed about, is truly insignificant. It doesn't make Toronto any better or worse. It is like a girl being obsessed with her nose being 2 millimetres "too long" as if that's the end of the world, when absolutely nobody is looking or notices. That's exactly how I feel about this height reduction.

But of course, you ought to know about negative obsession - it apparently drives most of your posts. And yet you can't get over telling others to get over themselves - see how funny that is? I do.

We are not here to talk about me, so I will not respond to that. I can handle well the fact my presence here annoys many.

 

[Lenser]

We are not here to talk about me, so I will not respond to that.

Ummmm.... you just did. And you talk about yourself constantly in here. I'm shocked you would attempt to deny that. Shocked, I tell you!

 

[AndreaPalladio]

except a 341m tower will receive no more "positive attention" than a 304m tower whatsoever. Actually, nobody will pay any attention to a 341m tower because of its height (for other reasons, yes). If tomorrow Toronto decides to increase this tower to 441m, I am sure no newspaper outside Canada will mention it. So why not focus on other factors of this building instead of the paltry height? We should stop thinking 300m is going to impress anyone.

Why would any newspaper outside Toronto mention it? "Another apartment building to go up in big city" isn't exactly a gripping headline. It hardly qualifies as news.

 

[LNahid2000]

I know people like to play this "Toronto is Toronto, we don't care what the rest of the world thinks of us" game. Cliché, phony indeed because we all know it is not true.
Additionally, when I said nobody outside Canada, actually outside Toronto would care precisely because in the grand scheme of things, this tiny height difference some of us are so disappointed about, is truly insignificant. It doesn't make Toronto any better or worse. It is like a girl being obsessed with her nose being 2 millimetres "too long" as if that's the end of the world, when absolutely nobody is looking or notices. That's exactly how I feel about this height reduction.

I don't think people outside of Canada would care even if we built a 600m building. Building heights aren't that important anymore.