Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR
Willybru21
Active Member
There’s 10 places that sell coffee in Union.
Willybru21
Active Member
Obviously there’s a height restriction in the VIA Concourse, however I think VIA should’ve scrapped all the “heritage ” idea and did something similar to Winnipeg Union Station’s VIA Concourse:
trtcttc
Active Member
is there a logistical reason why GO and VIA need separate concourses? Maybe if they resurrect the baggage service but otherwise why did they not design an expanded concourse for all trains? it would also make the VIA concourse more open than the cramped feel it is now
EnviroTO
Senior Member
If you took away the column lighting and put a bunch of fluorescent tube lighting in two rows running down that hall... what would it look like?
Richard White
Senior Member
The Departures and Arrivals area were designed this way back in 1927, not much you can do about it now. Keep in mind that Union Station served a very different purpose back then. Some tracks were used for mail while others for passenger services.
That said, originally GO and VIA did share a concourse. The arrivals area was also the GO concourse prior to the original Bay Concourse being opened.
Northern Light
Superstar
There's a general consensus here at UT the the VIA Concourse came up well short (polite version).
What to do about that is a different question. For me, the lighting is the singular awful thing; the rest is less than ideal, but the lighting is dreadful. Given the height restrictions, I would vote for recessed LED lights if possible, and elsewise, very low profile fixtures of that type.
The space would really benefit from some colour, the washed-out white of the tile w/Union stone, a grey floor and a white ceiling really is a bit much. Since none of us are exceptionally fond of the floor that might be a good place to find some colour with either nice terrazzo or maybe some mosaic tile in-laid down the centre ailse.
Furnishing correctly would also help.
What to do about that is a different question. For me, the lighting is the singular awful thing; the rest is less than ideal, but the lighting is dreadful. Given the height restrictions, I would vote for recessed LED lights if possible, and elsewise, very low profile fixtures of that type.
The space would really benefit from some colour, the washed-out white of the tile w/Union stone, a grey floor and a white ceiling really is a bit much. Since none of us are exceptionally fond of the floor that might be a good place to find some colour with either nice terrazzo or maybe some mosaic tile in-laid down the centre ailse.
Furnishing correctly would also help.
Willybru21
Active Member
You bring up a good point, it would be very easy to change the current one and improve it significantly with column lighting and a less brown looking area.
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Honestly, boarding for VIA trains usually creates long queues as passengers are checked for tickets. Adding a few hundred GO passengers would create a worse bottleneck.
There's also value in segregating passenger rail from commuter rail, i.e. in the unlikely event that Union were to ever get CBSA pre clearance.
Willybru21
Active Member
GO actually only used the VIA Concourse for boarding trains, the real concourse that GO used was the Front Street Promenade:
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Northern Light
Superstar
Permit Issued:
Today.
Today.
christiesplits
Senior Member
Amare
Senior Member
In my opinion their marketing department actually does great work.
And to be honest if it's bloated, that's the area that probably needs that bloat since they'd be the ones who would have to cover up how inept the organization is at project/construction management.
DSC
Superstar
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This is presumably the bridge going to CIBC Mark II.
| Request for Proposal | 
| Solicitation number: | Doc3951063187 | |
| Commodity: | Construction Services, | |||
| Description: | Request for Tenders for Union Station East Bridge Interior Connection Project Request for Tenders for Union Station East Bridge Interior Connection Project | |||
| Issue date: | April 28, 2023 |
| Closing date: | May 20, 2023 at 12:00 Noon |
| Notes: | Attachment
| |||
| Pre-bid meeting: | Suppliers are required to attend a mandatory site meeting to familiarize themselves with the Project and ascertain the full extent of the Work required. The mandatory site meeting will take place at Union Station local time on May 8, 2023 at 10:00 AM, Toronto. Union Station – Great Hall, 65 Front Street, Toronto, ON. Site meetings will not be available at any other times. Suppliers must sign the attendance sheet at the mandatory site meeting during the designated date and time for their Bid to be considered. Bids submitted by Suppliers that do not attend the mandatory site meeting or fail to sign the attendance sheet shall be declared noncompliant. |
jje1000
Senior Member
Comparison with the space before the renovations...agreed that I am curious about how this space originally looked like.when originally completed, and what lighting was used before the arrival of florescent lights.
The good move was changing the column capitals, thus visually raising the ceiling, but the new lights have always been too cold and harsh, and the linearity of the fixtures only acts to make the space feel squat- I agree that cove lighting the higher parts of the ceiling would be better, but I think there are some opportunities to add warm-toned ceiling-mounted spot lighting around the column in the lower sections.
Maybe like this, but with pot lights instead of the recessed lighting:
Alternatively, I wonder if there was a a missed opportunity to add a colar with upwards-pointing throw lighting at the column capitals? The terrazzo floor is also probably historic, but I think it's too plain, and count have been compartmentalized some more by extending the black terrazzo in some areas between the columns, making it feel less amorphous.