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

[nfitz]

We have been through this before. The City has said that the Great Hall lighting will be replaced in 2022 and they will also finish repairing the floor. The fixing up of the proposed restaurant on the north side is a matter for Osmington - the 'head leasee' - I assume it is currently not easy to rent out the space.

I think might've replied to the wrong post. I wasn't referring to lighting or the floor finish. Or future fast food.

I think the great hall has always looked fantastic, as it does in that (older) photo - which doesn't show the floor! I can only assume it will look slightly better once (if!) the reno is all done. I can't wait to see what the east wing looks like as a public space!

 

[Admiral Beez]

We have been through this before. The City has said that the Great Hall lighting will be replaced in 2022 and they will also finish repairing the floor.

The Great Hall is not the VIA departure hall, that’s off to the side down the ramp. Is that the final piece of the Union Station revitalization that began in 2003? Nearly 20 years is a stretch.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Why would anyone wait in Union for 3.5 hours if making a transfer from London-Toronto to Toronto-Montreal?

Why? On the VIA website the layover between the two trains is up to 3.5 hours. If you time it right you can get it tighter, but no everyone can/will.

 

[DSC]

Why? On the VIA website the layover between the two trains is up to 3.5 hours. If you time it right you can get it tighter, but no everyone can/will.

My point was that IF one had 3.5 hours to spend (in normal times) you would leave luggage in left luggage and go explore OR sit in VIA 1 Lounge. Of course, the first train will be late so you will have less time!

 

[superelevation]

I think you make the common mistake of thinking of 'heritage' as (only) "old". Heritage things MAY be old but there is a good reason to maintain things that are examples of 1920/1930 architecture too and the VIA concourse is an example of that era.

It's also ok to remove ugly old stuff

 

[trtcttc]

It's also ok to remove ugly old stuff

I think they need to test their design choices with real people. I’m still amazed the union subway artwork got through all the levels of approval and everyone said “yes, we want to have creepy ghost like sketches welcome our TTC riders”

 

[nfitz]

I like the Union Station art. Doesn't seem ghost-like to me at all.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I think they need to test their design choices with real people. I’m still amazed the union subway artwork got through all the levels of approval and everyone said “yes, we want to have creepy ghost like sketches welcome our TTC riders”

There are non-real people? /s Anyways, I know what you mean - though really, it should have been evident to experts and layman alike that this might have been an issue. It seems that fundamentally there are some issues with their assessment groups - between the blunder that Pioneer Village, this and the utterly underwhelming York U installation.

AoD

 

[kotsy]

I like the Union Station art. Doesn't seem ghost-like to me at all.

I like it too. Not all art is sunshine and rainbows. Moody tones/themes are very powerful too.

 

[junctionist]

I like the Union Station art. Doesn't seem ghost-like to me at all.

What's refreshing is that the art doesn't feel "designed by committee", where everything that could possibly offend anyone at all has been removed, leaving something that is 100% unremarkable and ignorable.

I don't think that makes it immune from criticism, though. Public art in a subway station should make the station look good, and it shouldn't be depressing.

 

[nfitz]

Public art in a subway station should make the station look good, and it shouldn't be depressing.

Do most people find the art at Union depressing? I don't.

I find the insides of stations at most GO stations depressing. The early views of the Eglinton Line platforms look very depressing with zero colour. Perhaps the art is still to come?

 

[Admiral Beez]

My favourite metropolitan train stations are those where the platforms are at street level, like Paddington.

 

[trtcttc]

Do most people find the art at Union depressing? I don't.

I find the insides of stations at most GO stations depressing. The early views of the Eglinton Line platforms look very depressing with zero colour. Perhaps the art is still to come?

I was specifically referring to the subway platforms. The rest of Union is fine, although the new 6 large LED screens above the Subway entrance showing ads is a little much. I mean everybody’s preference is different but I don’t think sketches like this is what I’d put in such a high visibilty public area.

 

[ndawgg]

100% agree. When people are commuting in a dark underground to go to their jobs day in and day out, the last thing you want to see is something so depressing and ghastly. I despise it.

(Edited because I rethought my wording)

 

[nfitz]

100% agree. When people are commuting in a dark underground to go to their jobs day in and day out, the last thing you want to see is something so depressing and ghastly. I despise it.

I guess I find the drawings neither depressing nor ghastly. I love them!

The station itself isn't dark. With the wall between the tracks, you don't get the same dark feel to the station. Combined with the new lighting, and light finishes, the station is very well lit.