University Avenue Triangle

[CanadianNational]

October 9, 2008


Well, the results are not overwhelming. Pleasant, sortof, for a small effort. But....better than it was. Now if they had done something about the street alignment and parking ramp orientation, that would have been something! As it is, the ramps' awkward positions still present a lot of utilitarian concrete and asphalt to the pedestrian, still isolating and dominating the triangle. All the low-rise greenery and landscape work here don't really lessen it's barren impact. Still, it is an improvement.

A real railcar might have been nice. As it stands, I like UrbanShocker's suggestion of having it up on tracks, beetling about, roller-coaster style. I hope that's not graffiti I see!

The paving is nice. The three harp-like looking thangs in the background are actually trellises for growing vines. A small vertical element, most welcome.

All this is not without a (un?)healthy dollop of advertising, though - note the plaques on the granite rise.

Concrete and curves. And flowers.

 

[grey]

Great. All the city needs to do is maintain that garden and this triangle will look spiffy.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Does anybody know how tall those trees will grow? I think they should have gone for something more substantial - larger trees could have provided shade and absorbed some of the noise and/or pollution.

 

[Urban Shocker]

If they'd played to the strengths of this jagged little site - gash of underground ramp and all - the result would've been more effective than this rather lame attemt at disguising its true nature and prettifying it. There are three ( count 'em ) plaques telling us how important the hotel chain is. Unlike Sobeys - who are happy to lend their name to a contemporary art award that courts controversy - this corporation plays it safe.

 

[nicetommy]

I went by there yesterday, and it found it quite underwhelming. However, a lot of people were actually using the benches and it does look better than what used to be there.

btw, great pics CN. Your pictures make it look nicer and more expansive than it actually is.

 

[taal]

I've seen in a few times in person now.

1) From a far it doesn't look like much.
- I think some large trees would have helped here as some suggested.
2) From a close it's actually nice (well not bad I should say). I for one like the plaques they used although clearly there's not trying to be modest about the matter.
3) It was well used every time I saw it.

I think if they can somehow introduce a coupe large trees in the long run that or a large sculpture / water feature it will be perfect.

But not bad overall...

 

[grey]

I don't know why people insist on planting baby stick trees all over town. They take a long time to grow, and I'd say a good 1/3rd of them don't survive infancy due to weather or damage from vandalism, and a sad dying stick tree is worse than if no tree had been planted at all.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Here's a reminder of what Gord Rayner's jazzy, six storey 1971 mural used to look like. It overlooked the site for many years and enlivened it in just the sort of way I think the jagged little island should have been enlivened, but hasn't been: ( go to "1971 wall mural" on the menu )

http://www.ccca.ca/artists/work_detail.html?languagePref=en&mkey=19530&link_id=243

 

[Hydrogen]

I like it. It's nice, but it is tiny.

 

[Urban Shocker]

( Also worthy of note is that Rayner's mural, which rapidly faded and cracked because of the weather, was ready to be restored at a cost of $20,000 six years later. These things happen - Derek Besant's mural on the back of the Flatiron building overlooking Berczy Park is already undergoing its second renovation for similar reasons, at a cost of $75,000 ).

 

[Tewder]

Wow, thanks for the reminder US. That is gorgeous. Sad how corporate and banal street art has become, and I agree with you that the make-over is underwhelming. The fact that something so mediocre has generated so much publicity is telling. The fact that the space is already being used would seem to indicate that Torontonians are hungering for these more accessible public space gestures. They deserve better.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Tewder:

Actually, the only publicity are some run of the mill news releases and photo-ops and extended discussions on UT - the rest of the universe didn't pay half a second of attention.

AoD

 

[Tewder]

'Publicity' was probably the wrong word, more like fanfare. Wasn't the Mayor there to cut a ribbon or something?