Westin Harbour Castle (?, ?, ?)

[Automation Gallery]

There's only room for one tower on the convention centre site. It's simply not enough.

Are you sure??...to me it looks as big or bigger than the space where Menkes is building 2x60+ storey condo towers

 

[adma]

Hotel space is apparently in very short supply currently, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot of new stock come online in the next few years. There is a lot coming down the pipeline right now, too.

Mid range hotels are on the way out, but they are a dying breed globally from my understanding, at least in big cities. The problem is that the finances for mid range pricing in the downtown core just doesn't work anymore.. Its too bad we aren't seeing new mid range construction on subway lines that still gives easy access to the core.

Also, there isn't much left of the traditional families/middle-class-budget travelling demographic anymore. Same reason there's no longer a CAA Travel Centre downtown...

 

[ADRM]

This gives a pretty good sense of scale (at least on an order of magnitude basis) and a fairly cogent approach to site planning (setting aside more specificity with respect to details like grade activation, urban design, mix of uses in each tower, and whether any part of any of the extant structures would be kept).

 

[smably]

Tower 1 would definitely be a welcome change for the east side of the Harbour Castle, which reminds me vaguely of the sarcophagus at Chernobyl (and I say that even as a fan of brutalism).

Exhibit A:

(via)

Exhibit B:

 

[Edward Skira]

Just no green glass tower here. Have it be somewhat sympatetic to the existing complex.

 

[LUVIT!]

The podium really is 70’s ghastly! I do agree with the previous comment please no green glass box.

 

[junctionist]

I'd love for the hotel to be replaced by lushly landscaped parkland one day with beautiful arts and culture pavilions by designed leading architects.

 

[DSCToronto]

I'd love for the hotel to be replaced by lushly landscaped parkland one day with beautiful arts and culture pavilions by designed leading architects.

You are aware that this site is in Toronto? (Also the site they are talking about a new lease for is the conference centre not the hotel.) (That said, the hotel is an ugly carbuncle and really should be redeveloped to open up the site and provide public access to more of lake front.

 

[maestro]

How many places can afford to demolish a 700 suites hotel for park and cultural facilities? Squeezing another tower on the podium and everyone rejoicing except those that find it too short is very Toronto.

 

[Lenser]

Now that I think about it, every time I see that podium it reminds me of a parking garage.

 

[Northern Light]

I agree, the current hotel site should simply be vacated for waterfront parkland.

The value of the site for that purpose exceeds any other, in terms of quality of life, and tourism.

Matter of fact, I'd go further and gladly abandon the rail deck park idea if we included the adjacent York Quay condos in the park.

On a dollar-cost basis, assuming we traded the hotel owners ownership of the current convention ctr site..........

I think this would end up cheaper than the rail deck park and far more popular.

 

[Lenser]

Being on the waterfront, perhaps you're right. But the rail deck park plan has the potential to be truly spectacular - a lush swath of greenery right in the core.

 

[DSCToronto]

Now that I think about it, every time I see that podium it reminds me of a parking garage.

The eastern part of the hotel podium IS a car park.

 

[TonyV]

I'd love for the hotel to be replaced by lushly landscaped parkland one day with beautiful arts and culture pavilions by designed leading architects.

Thinking Singapore?

 

[Lenser]

LOL! So it makes sense now.

[slinks away in utter humiliation]