Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

mdrejhon · Jul 2, 2015

interchange42 said:
Meanwhile, here's how the place looked a couple of hours ago…

View attachment 49627

Nice to see the clock tower finally illuminated. It's not as bright as in the photo (due to the photo long exposure doing that, as it also overexposes the other signage). The color is a mostly neutral white but warmer than the light used in the wayfinding pillars.

It is probably backlit by diffuse LED, to minimize servicing needs.

smably · Jul 2, 2015

Miscreant said:
I'm not sure why they didn't plant some trees there to warm the area up as well as provide some visual markers for drivers.

I believe that trees were planted only on the north side of Front in order to avoid blocking the historical vista. There were no trees there originally, so this reflects the original design intent for the station.

torman404 · Jul 2, 2015

the lemur said:
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but the other day some large metal UNION STATION letters were installed on the moat wall at the southeast corner of Front and York.

The letters have been added to both ends of the station, Front and Bay (below) as well as Front and York.

mdrejhon · Jul 2, 2015

torman404 said:
The letters have been added to both ends of the station, Front and Bay (below) as well as Front and York.
View attachment 49669

Nice -- glad to see it's just un-illuminated metal letters in a reasonably classic font, and only out in the corner, where it serves a useful wayfind for tourists (there's a few who won't recognize the station standing in front of it!) - rather than smack-middle of the classic facade.

(Illumination for this would be too obscene.)

gweed123 · Jul 2, 2015

mdrejhon said:
Nice -- glad to see it's just un-illuminated metal letters in a reasonably classic font, and only out in the corner, where it serves a useful wayfind for tourists (there's a few who won't recognize the station standing in front of it!) - rather than smack-middle of the classic facade.

(Illumination for this would be too obscene.)

Agreed. Anyone know if it's visible/readable from Front & Yonge? It could be very useful for tourists walking around wondering "where is Union Station?". Seeing it from that intersection, and an intersection like Front & Simcoe in the the west, would be helpful for disoriented tourists.

DSC · Jul 2, 2015

gweed123 said:
Agreed. Anyone know if it's visible/readable from Front & Yonge? It could be very useful for tourists walking around wondering "where is Union Station?". Seeing it from that intersection, and an intersection like Front & Simcoe in the the west, would be helpful for disoriented tourists.

That's a long (curved) block so if it's visible it will not be easy to read (or impossible to read.). The City intends to put up more of the new wayfinding signs in due course so I bet one will go on that corner.

mdrejhon · Jul 2, 2015

Yes, the letterings are actually big enough to be readable from Bay. The letters are almost a meter tall! But unilluminated at an oblique angle, it's mainly easily readable on a sunny day when cars aren't in the way.

Given the more complex wayfinding at Bay end (the TTC entrance), I don't think it would be appropriate to put the same thing there. I think a treatment is needed but a more subtle one that doesn't confuse Union Station proper with TTC Union Station stop.

vaas · Jul 2, 2015

Walking by yesterday and decided to get a better view of the clock. I noticed there were crews drilling a single hole into the limestone columns. Can someone enlighten me as to what was going on? IIRC, they were using the orange lifts shown in interchange42's pics.

DSC · Jul 2, 2015

vaas said:
Walking by yesterday and decided to get a better view of the clock. I noticed there were crews drilling a single hole into the limestone columns. Can someone enlighten me as to what was going on? IIRC, they were using the orange lifts shown in interchange42's pics.

There were doing it today too, looks like pigeon-proofing (or maybe that's wishful thinking!

Checked today and they seem to have been installing equipment so that they can hang banners in between the columns. Not sure I like this idea but ....

DSC · Jul 2, 2015

mdrejhon said:
Yes, the letterings are actually big enough to be readable from Bay. The letters are almost a meter tall! But unilluminated at an oblique angle, it's mainly easily readable on a sunny day when cars aren't in the way.

Given the more complex wayfinding at Bay end (the TTC entrance), I don't think it would be appropriate to put the same thing there. I think a treatment is needed but a more subtle one that doesn't confuse Union Station proper with TTC Union Station stop.

Though they have removed the huge TTC signs from the tops of the staircases I am sure that something will be back there soon. If done properly that should deal with the TTC wayfinding, at least until after the Bay concourse and the east side reopens in 2 years.(It will close in late September.)

Armour · Jul 2, 2015

Looks beautiful. Can't wait to see the illumination of the building when it is finally cleaned.

AlbertHWagstaff · Jul 2, 2015

TTC and GO signage outside the station, 1980.

Simple but effective. I think these lasted until the 1990s.

AlbertHWagstaff · Jul 2, 2015

Construction on Front St. for the expanded Union Station in 1979 (what else is new?). Note the sign only had the SUBWAY sign before the GO concourse was expanded