TTC Station Architecture

[building babel]

Nostalgia break: Islington station was my introduction to the Toronto subway system on April 10th 1970 when, as a callow and inexperienced seventeen year old, I arrived hot off the 'plane from England. As we whooshed across town under ground I took note of the exotic station names - Ossington ... Bathurst ... Sherbourne ... Pape ... Woodbine ... until we reached Warden where we were picked up in a huge North American car by my Father's co-worker. We lived at Haileybury Drive in Scarborough for two weeks while my parents apartment-hunted.

 

[JoeyCuppa]

Awesome pics, interchange.

Now I know you're the guy who knows the answer to seemingly every "Where In Toronto?" pic.

 

[interchange42]

Joey: thanks!

In regards to Where in Toronto - you've stumped me at least once! Remember MaRS? And then there's this burger joint near Queen and Coxwell that Lex is taunting me about...

...and I never get the graffitti ones. Keep 'em coming!

42

 

[JoeyCuppa]

Ah, that MaRS one wasn't fair.

I'll have to check the group... and I bet I know the burger place.

 

[GeekyBoyTO]

interchange:

As promised, here is the citation information for the article in Toronto Life - Ashenburg, K. (2002). Motion Pictures. Toronto Life. v. 36, n. 12 (Aug. 2002), p. 102-105.

According to the article, Richard Stevens designed Downsview Station and half of all stations built within the last 15 years (prior to 2002). So I guess he must have been responsible for some of the RT ones as well.

GB

 

[interchange42]

Thanks GB!

So here's what I know so far:

DOWNSVIEW Richard Stevens
WILSON TTC General Architect
YORKDALE Arthur Erickson
LAWRENCE WEST Dunlop Farrow Aitken
GLENCAIRN Adamson Associates
EGLINTON WEST Arthur Erickson
ST CLAIR WEST TTC General Architect
DUPONT Dunlop Farrow Aitken
SPADINA (Spadina Line) Adamson Associates

DON MILLS Richard Stevens
LESLIE Moriyama & Teshima
BESSARION Cole, Sherman & Associates
BAYVIEW Richard Stevens
YONGE NORR Ltd

So Richard Stevens designed half the stations from the 15 previous years to 2002? Hmm - the only stations to open in that time were North York Centre, Queens Quay on the Harbourfront LRT line, Downsview, and the Spadina Streetcar line including the underground platform at the B-D subway. The SRT opened in 1985 - 17 years earlier - maybe he did those too...

Meanwhile, I've got Islington up now. Only one grungy shot.
www.flickr.com/photos/cas...t-1169190/

42

 

[interchange42]

That's why I was surprised to see that the same architect who designed Downsview also designed Don Mills and Bayview. Not that the latter are terrible, they just fon't exhibit the extravagance that the former does. It's possible that the SRT's budget was squeezed similar to the Sheppard line's.

42

 

[GeekyBoyTO]

interchange:

According to the article in TO Life, aesthetic "frills" like columnless platform constitute 10% of the station cost - the provincial gov't had a problem with that and chopped the budget for Sheppard accordingly.

And it shows.

GB

 

[wyliepoon]

Given how cheap and pre-fab much of the SRT looks, I would have to question whether an architect was even hired to design the SRT stations. They look like engineers' designs!

 

[interchange42]

It does. The bare concrete walls beside the tracks look awful, for example. Thank goodness the art (other than at Leslie) rescues the Sheppard line stations from being forgotten. Bayview really is an incredible station thanks to Panya Clark Espinal's 2D/3D doodles.

42

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Bare concrete usually looks fine in almost every case as long as it's still quite new...when it gets discoloured and disintegrated, it invariably starts looking bad.

 

[wyliepoon]

Just look at the tracks on the Yonge or Bloor-Danforth subways to see how concrete uncleaned for decades looks like. It's disgusting, and the subway rats appear to blend in quite well with it. I hope Sheppard subway concrete won't turn out like that.

Interestingly, Hong Kong's MTR stations have island platforms with bare concrete walls on the other side of the tracks. The walls are intentionally kept dark and grimy so that they can contrast with the advertising lightboards that are put on them.

 

[ganjavih]

Bare concrete usually looks fine in almost every case as long as it's still quite new...when it gets discoloured and disintegrated, it invariably starts looking bad.

Which is why a lot of the modern architecture done in the 60s and 70s probably looked great at the time but looks like shite now.

 

[interchange42]

I gave Richard Stevens Architect Ltd a call this morning and asked (his receptionist) which stations he had created. Her answer when she returned to the phone: "his list, off the top of his head, is Eglinton, Kipling (the new automated entrances at each only), Bayview, Don Mills, and Downsview".

So that's it apparently. Toronto Life, it seems, overestimated his work with the TTC back in 2002.

Still, his spaces + Arlene Stamp's tile work at Downsview = my favourite station.

42

 

[jayomatic]

Downsview is my favourite as well.

My biggest beef with the TTC is how they don't seem to adhere to any style guidelines. Use the TTC Font for all station names! It was invented for you. USE IT!

Its one of my favourite typefaces around. I hope in the future they use it. Whoever was involved in the station signage for the Sheppard line should be fired. What a shame. Especially Yonge and Sheppard Station. Just goes to show how cheap the ttc is. Just cover the old station name with the new one with a piece of plywood and use a standard windows font. Ohhh. That takes some skill I tell ya.