Toronto U of T: New Harbord Residence | 30.19m | 9s | U of T | Michael Maltzan

P23 said:
Interesting brick work, the windows are nice, but it looks like it sucks on the street level. Hard to tell from lack of a render, but it looks like yet another boring glass wall, and a monolithic overhang above. At least extend the fancy brick work to the ground floor like King/Portland did. It looks nice at first glance, but in terms of massing and pedestrian experience I'm not impressed.
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I'd be so bold as to say that it looks like a step backwards from what's there at the moment. The Victorian houses aren't in good shape, but they have architectural features that are enjoyable to see as you walk by like polychromatic brickwork, bay windows, and porches. You see 6 facades where in the future there will merely be a wall of glass. Plus, the lush trees that are there are better than the token street trees in the rendering. I always enjoyed walking by these houses as a student.

The building has numerous interesting details, but it still looks cold and institutional in some ways. It lacks the proportions of an inviting residential building.
 
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I thought pomo was widely hated around here as one the worst architectural movements in history...
 
PoMo is fantastic for its skyline-enhancing skyscrapers (compare the 70s skylines of any American city with those after the 80s), less so for anything else (I have yet to see a PoMo midrise that hasn't become dated-looking).

It's ultimately a style that celebrated the return of ornament for the briefest of times, before becoming formulaic or self-indulgent.
 
junctionist said:
I'd be so bold as to say that it looks like a step backwards from what's there at the moment. The Victorian houses aren't in good shape, but they have architectural features that are enjoyable to see as you walk by like polychromatic brickwork, bay windows, and porches. You see 6 facades where in the future there will merely be a wall of glass. Plus, the lush trees that are there are better than the token street trees in the rendering. I always enjoyed walking by these houses as a student.
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I agree with you there, although the houses further to the West are not amazing architecturally, and they are indeed all run down. This is one thing I really like about Mirvish Village: they not only preserved the original homes but are dividing the new facades into distinct sections along the street. It makes for a much more interesting pedestrian experience for sure. Plus I think our classic bay & gable housing stock is one of the greatest values the city has, and it should be capitalized on and not demolished.
 
jje1000 said:
PoMo is fantastic for its skyline-enhancing skyscrapers (compare the 70s skylines of any American city with those after the 80s), less so for anything else (I have yet to see a PoMo midrise that hasn't become dated-looking).
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I mean, to each their own, but not even Lillian H. Smith?
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(pic via TOBuilt)
 
smably said:
I mean, to each their own, but not even Lillian H. Smith?
LillianHSmith2.jpg

(pic via TOBuilt)
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jje1000 said:
Fine, maybe the Lillian Smith, but only for its exterior!
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Which seems even nicer when compared with the very bad PoMo of the Barbara Frum Library near Bathurst and Lawrence. Lots of similarities but a total lack of execution:
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I'll take Barbara Frum over the constant green/grey spandrel glassed projects we're constantly getting today. The Maltzan project is a breath of fresh air.
 
Students need to be cloistered in flak towers and toil endlessly illuminating manuscripts by candle-light in dark monastic dungeons. So we’re all good here ;)
 
TrickyRicky said:
Students need to be cloistered in flak towers and toil endlessly illuminating manuscripts by candle-light in dark monastic dungeons. So we’re all good here ;)
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I recall something similar was said by one of the architectural critics re: the Morphosis/Teeple Grad House.

AoD
 
I am guessing UofT is making a deal (with planning and neighbourhood association) by not touching buildings on Washington, Sussex, and Glen Morris in exchange for building this. There are plenty of buildings like these old ones on those three other streets. Hoskin is well suited for a building like this.
 
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