Toronto Ontario Square and Canada Square | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

This design is very sad! As a matter of fact, I'd rather keep the place as is than build this. At least the pond/fountain thing that's there looks attractive.
 
Necessary Evil said:
Yes, once again...another small, boring statement. Considering the crowds the waterfront attracts it needs bigger space to accommodate these crowds; this does nothing. And how long does it take to pave over a surface parking lot and call it a 'square'???? And this is the best they can do?? What the waterfront needs is something like Federation Square in Melbourne.
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I agree entirely. This "square" could be anywhere. I think we need something distinct and I would really prefer some historical references to the city/country within the square as well. I would love to see some sort of melding between Fed Square and Trafalgar in London. I think early renderings had a "Nelson's Column" topped with Simcoe sitting in front of a pool. What was wrong with that? Simcoe was an important figure in Toronto history and such a space would have at least symbolized that. Even without the pool, at least it would give people a sense of place, rather than just an area to congregate.

I know a lot of people here think it's absurd that we include statues of past figures in public spaces because they feel that they're no longer relevant to the average person, but I'd argue that the public finds historical figures irrelevant because they aren't exposed to their importance and impact on the modern landscape. If they fail to do this here, I sincerely hope that they try and create another public space at Rees and Queens Quay where we can give the public not just some space, but a sense of place.
 
^ignore the all the smartie pants comments that will follow.

Your point is a good one. If I see another "clever", meaningless, "could be anywhere but who cares anyway" space designed by clever folks who don't believe that this city is anything but a blank cheque with no history... a blank wank canvas... I will buy a "rocket launcher".

I'd love to see a new "dumb" statue referencing our our "non-existent" history.

I'd love it.
 
I would also love to see some sort of nod to Canadian history at Canada Square, and also a nod to the present and future.
It just seems like some sort of bland place for people to sit and do nothing in those renders.
 
a 10 foot tall statue of the mighty pork chop would be prefectly suited as a reflection to the square's former past life.
 
or we could start making some money off of this and sell ad space on the waterfront.

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How about just stacking all the remaining Mel's moose into a column, missing antlers and all
 
Of those 4000+ posts, have you actually contributed anything useful? Seriously, quality over quantity is never a bad thing.


In all fairness, Millennium Park in Chicago is a tasteful way of combining private companies with public spaces. I asked my friends while we were in Millennium Park if they knew who sponsored the Cloud Gate portion, and they had no clue, yet Ameritech (later AT&T) paid a good penny ($3million) to have their name attached to the Park. I have no problem with this type of private contribution. Whether we like it or not, some companies are ingrained in the Toronto landscape and would probably jump at the opportunity to be a part of something great, especially considering the location and possible benefits that could stem from the square.

I think we need to be realistic, and if we're going to get something sub-par from a public entity, why would we stick our nose up to private help if it's going to be beneficial for everyone?
 
Hmm, we already have Mel's Rockpile up by Yonge and Empress though, and that's enough of a reminder of him as far as I'm concerned.

What about Uncle Bobby Square?

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The renderings look fine to me.

Perhaps because we've all known this space as a big parking lot ( for soooo many years ... ) we've come to expect Canada Square to follow the simple-parks-for-simple-people model of wide open space with some sort of loud, heroic, Big Whammy Thumb-Sucking statement stuck in the middle of it.

What we're going to get, however, looks like a more modest approach, including a piazza surrounded by low-rise buildings of various sizes and shapes. It builds on the approach taken by the adjacent Harbourfront complex, which accommodates a variety of uses and works quite nicely as an extension of the city towards the lake.
 
Open space, with a monunument to some local grandee standing in the middle of it, clearly doesn't build on the success of the adjacent Harbourfront arts complex though - which consists of art galleries, performance spaces and craft studios. That's the model we're seeing adopted by Canada Square, the village-like space that Alvin refers to, expanding the existing context rather than working against it.
 
Urban Shocker said:
What we're going to get, however, looks like a more modest approach, including a piazza surrounded by low-rise buildings of various sizes and shapes. It builds on the approach taken by the adjacent Harbourfront complex, which accommodates a variety of uses and works quite nicely as an extension of the city towards the lake.
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I agree with you completely and this render excites me a lot more than just another wide open space with some statues and an over-the-top water feature. That sort of space would remain windswept and empty in the winter, whereas this proposal promises an all-year destination. It creates an intimate space where the big city meets the big lake without isolating itself from either.

As for it living up to its name, I think this is a great symbol for what it means to be Canadian. We cherish interaction between each other - we cherish community - over giant displays of patriotism. We consciously avoid the "my square is bigger than yours," "my fountain shoots higher than yours," "my sculptures cost more than yours" mentality. The square invites us - the people - to become the attraction, to become living pieces of art.

Plus with the vibrant colours and emphasis on the lake as an attraction in and of itself, it seems to me like an urban take on the East Cost fishing village.

Hopefully they open up a nice ice cream shop in one of those buildings. It would really draw people down there on hot summer days.
 
It's "Canada Square", a new public space in the biggest city of a grand and beautiful country. Modeling our public squares, especially given how few there are, after the most humble villages is odd and inappropriate.

Monumental spaces inspire community on a national level. How glorious it would be if we could build spaces that would make all Canadians proud and bolster a collective identity, one that is explicit, rather than implicit, hidden in the proportions of a village, which at first glance seems insignificant. Few people will ever realize that kind of symbolism. It's just not enough to make an impact.
 
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