Bay Adelaide Centre West Tower (Brookfield, 50s, WZMH)

[LowPolygon]

Speaking of dorks. Scotia-dork absolutely soars beyond it's measley 900 feet, cost 600 million bucks back in the '80s, is covered with stunning red granite that hasn't aged a bit and is simply ... a great skyscraper... that no amount of erudite, head up your butt, archie-expert comments will devalue. It's a 9 out 10 even decades after completion.

worshipping something just because it is huge and expensive, or because the uh, granite hasn't aged, doesn't strike me as all that sound a defense.

no matter how you phrase it--it is simply not a great building. that upside down ziggurat is irredeemably dated, and looks increasingly lame with the passage of time.

these guys still think its cool though

 

[TKTKTK]

^^
I know you mean for them to look hopelessly dated and out of touch, but I *really* want the third from the left's jacket. Their styling is awesome!

 

[egotrippin]

Just walk in front of the multi story entrance and lobbies, or down Yonge St and you'll understand. Looking at it from the north or south makes it seem way taller than it is, with great proportions and the multiple cut-back corners. And if you don't like it from the side because of that poor rip-off it spawned, then you might as well apply that argument to much classicist and art deco architecture that has spawned many cheesy faux-historicist blights around the city.

This is off-topic though, my apologies. Go B/A!

 

[caltrane74]

The forms have been parially raised on Bay Adelaide. I guess its up to the 46th level now with 5 more floors of office and then mechanical...

 

[Redroom Studios]

from St-Even on flickr:

 

[casaguy]

Scotia rules!

I'm definitely thinking great things for BAC, but Scotia remains one of my most favourite towers in Toronto. It's one of very few that I admire from every angle and can stare at for longer than is probably healthy to stare at a skyscraper.

If you haven't seen it yet there is a thread over at SSC on Scotia Plaza with people from around the world commenting on it.

And now, back to BAC...

 

[LowPolygon]

...but Scotia remains one of my most favourite towers in Toronto. It's one of very few that I admire from every angle and can stare at for longer than is probably healthy to stare at a skyscraper.

If you haven't seen it yet there is a thread over at SSC on Scotia Plaza with people from around the world commenting on it.

ok, well whatever. i clearly underestimated the degree of attachment that some have for this thing.

let me just say, i don't think its awful. i would reserve that judgement for FCP, even when it was white.

that said, i just don't think Scotia is important or significant in any meaningful way. the basic point is that its a mediocre example of the architectural era in which it was built.

TD, Commerce Court, Royal Bank, and even arguably BCE Place are all much better examples from their respective eras.

Scotia is an mid-eighties skyscraper--nothing wrong with that. its our only one. its just that there are hundreds of these halfbaked pomo things clotting up the skyline in dozens of cities all over North America, and if it wasn't for its height it would go completely unnoticed. i think it comes from a time when Toronto was a far more provincial and pedestrian place.

if you're satisfied by saying a building 'rocks' then by all means carry on. its just that i really prefer architecture that takes a few chances--rather than playing it totally safe.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

BAC will do little or nothing more than add to the backdrop behind Scotia Plaza.

Scotia is an mid-eighties skyscraper--nothing wrong with that. its our only one. its just that there are hundreds of these halfbaked pomo things clotting up the skyline in dozens of cities all over North America, and if it wasn't for its height it would go completely unnoticed.

Yeah, but you need to change that to "if it wasn't for its height, colour, shape, and position on the skyline it would go completely unnoticed." If you feel that the upside down ziggurat being too 80s trumps everything in the previous sentence, your position is the archicritical equivalent of "this building doesn't rock."

 

[3Dementia]

You rock Khatru. TheDepends... you don't rock.

Granite good. Mirrors bad.

 

[adma]

Maybe that's the thing. To say that Scotia "rocks" is so much of the Scotia era, and not in a great way

 

[Mystery White Boy]

I'm definitely thinking great things for BAC, but Scotia remains one of my most favourite towers in Toronto. It's one of very few that I admire from every angle and can stare at for longer than is probably healthy to stare at a skyscraper.

If you haven't seen it yet there is a thread over at SSC on Scotia Plaza with people from around the world commenting on it.

And now, back to BAC...

Scotia would look cool at night if they aluminated the 'V' cut out at the top.

 

[egotrippin]

^This guy's on to something.

I'm firing off a letter to the building execs tomorrow.

 

[khris]

That would actually look really awesome.

 

[LowPolygon]

Scotia would look cool at night if they aluminated the 'V' cut out at the top.

hey man that would really rock! oh sorry the building is already rocking! i forgot. this would make it uhm, REALLY rock!
but yah, i always like it when they er, "aluminate" the tops of buildings.
maybe when they are done aluminating it they can add this:

 

[khris]

I think you mean illuminate?
Unless you mean putting aluminum all over Scotiabank.