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Yonge-Dundas Square/Sankofa Square (Brown + Storey Architects)

Yeh I can see the visual appeal, especially from a 21st century perspective with all the vintage signage. Most of us loved the SAM's sign afterall. One difference is historically Piccadilly grew over time in a rather silly and outrageous way- ours was contrived to be the way it is.
 
A few archival photos that show its progression and reversion. There is little signage in the late 19th century, with the first illuminated signage apparently appearing as early as 1908:

1895
Piccadilly-Circus-Photochrom-c.1895-2.jpg

(flashbak.com)

1911
4.-Postcard-of-Piccadilly-and-Shaftesbury-Avenue-1911-1280x809.jpg

(Flahbak.com)

1920's
piccadilly-circus-london-uk-circa-1920-the-london-pavilion-is-showing-CYHN25.jpg


1930's
6a00e5506f08e88834014e8974aaa8970d-pi


1949
Piccadilly-1949.jpg

flashbak.com

1960's
Piccadilly-1960-Harold-Slatore-2-copy-1-1280x874.jpg

flashbak.com

70's
Piccadilly-Circus-1973-1030x1024.jpg

flashbak.com
Piccadilly-Circus-1974-Peter-Krumme-copy-1280x801.jpg


90's (Some of us will remember this one- signage was minimal again)
1024px-Piccadilly_circus_1992_07.jpg

Matthias Prinke

Present day
1920px-Piccadilly_Circus_Dawn_BLS.jpg

Benh LIEU SONG
 
IDK, if you want to have screens, you need to go all out. It's equally tacky to have just a few screens in a square with otherwise completely barren classic architecture.

Personally I like Dundas Sq, approaching it from the north on Yonge just shows how much life it injects into the cityscape.

It is immature though, with time hopefully it'll improve.
 
A few archival photos that show its progression and reversion. There is little signage in the late 19th century, with the first illuminated signage apparently appearing as early as 1908:

1895
Piccadilly-Circus-Photochrom-c.1895-2.jpg

(flashbak.com)

1911
4.-Postcard-of-Piccadilly-and-Shaftesbury-Avenue-1911-1280x809.jpg

(Flahbak.com)

1920's
piccadilly-circus-london-uk-circa-1920-the-london-pavilion-is-showing-CYHN25.jpg


1930's
6a00e5506f08e88834014e8974aaa8970d-pi


1949
Piccadilly-1949.jpg

flashbak.com

1960's
Piccadilly-1960-Harold-Slatore-2-copy-1-1280x874.jpg

flashbak.com

70's
Piccadilly-Circus-1973-1030x1024.jpg

flashbak.com
Piccadilly-Circus-1974-Peter-Krumme-copy-1280x801.jpg


90's (Some of us will remember this one- signage was minimal again)
1024px-Piccadilly_circus_1992_07.jpg

Matthias Prinke

Present day
1920px-Piccadilly_Circus_Dawn_BLS.jpg

Benh LIEU SONG

Nicely cleaned up - almost back to the lovely 1800's version.
 
The architecture probably never looked that pretty, Victorian London was notoriously dirty and the buildings covered in grime and soot. Lots of horse ordure about too :)
 
As the building is owned by Rogers, you'd think they would advertise their other media and communication businesses on that supposedly prime spot. Right now, all I see are non-stop ads for CBC's Workin' Moms.

Let's face it, that complex is an excellent ad for how low CityTV has fallen.

AoD
 

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