Toronto RBC WaterPark Place III | 140.2m | 30s | Oxford Properties | WZMH

Some proposals that are adventurous, but also containing some elements that wouldn't put them out of place in 'Conservative' Toronto.
From Jean Nouvel, MVRDV and Zaha Hadid:

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Some of those renderings are ancient. Be interesting how many will ever be realized.

I'd hate to see anything thread spamming with "what could have been". It is what it is and for what it is , it really isn't that bad; certainly a major upgrade from a parking lot. Would you prefer the bank setup shop in the 905 or be on the verge of collapse without a major step towards nationalism? In this day , corporations have to be conservative minded. I don't particularily find the Nouvel designs which offer some semblance of an efficient, usable floorplate all that attractive either.
 
I'd rather see the bank put up something beautiful and noteworthy that we can be proud of, than put up something we'll have to merely put up with. I don't think conservatism and 'on the cheap' have to be analogous. I don't think one has to feel grateful to a higher power for what dull, on-spec crumbs drop from their investment table.

"It's better than nothing" and "It'll do for now" are two prevalent attitudes towards architecture in Toronto that I find really vexing.

Is it really better than nothing? Especially since it being built will cancel out all other possibilities for the site. At least a parking lot has space to dream of alternatives in.
Of course we can demolish this planned building for more progress in the future, when we don't like it anymore. But that kind of consideration is a wholly cynical view to base architecture on.

A city whose architecture is just the fodder and excretions of economics is no city at all. Just what is this place we're trying to get to - or escape from - that demands the hasty building of these provisional, professional reassurances?
 
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CanadianNational said:
I'd rather see the bank put up something beautiful and noteworthy that we can be proud of, than put up something we'll have to merely put up with. I don't think conservatism and 'on the cheap' have to be analogous. I don't think one has to feel grateful to a higher power for what dull, on-spec crumbs drop from their investment table.

"It's better than nothing" and "It'll do for now" are two prevalent attitudes towards architecture in Toronto that I find really vexing.

Is it really better than nothing? Especially since it being built will cancel out all other possibilities for the site. At least a parking lot has space to dream of alternatives in.
Of course we can demolish this planned building for more progress in the future, when we don't like it anymore. But that kind of consideration is a wholly cynical view to base architecture on.

A city whose architecture is just the fodder and excretions of economics is no city at all. Just what is this place we're trying to get to - or escape from - that demands the hasty building of these provisional, professional reassurances?
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I couldn't agree more! architecture is supposed to be the artistic expression of living or working space. In Toronto, we are so conservative we put up with "just adequate" and "barely sufficient". Whenever we are fortunate enough to get a better than average building (the Ritz, Aura, 40 Scott) we get excited because it is so rare. We see a rendering of 501 Yonge and it enrages us because the opportunity appears to ripped away from us yet again. Many of us think "hey, it's better than nothing" because we have become so conditioned to believe we don't deserve any better - but we do. We have to stop accepting mediocrity and letting developers know we want/demand better.
 
Can't believe we're getting another office building downtown. Ten years ago all of these jobs were going 905. Quite the change.
 
Big Daddy said:
I couldn't agree more! architecture is supposed to be the artistic expression of living or working space. In Toronto, we are so conservative we put up with "just adequate" and "barely sufficient". Whenever we are fortunate enough to get a better than average building (the Ritz, Aura, 40 Scott) we get excited because it is so rare. We see a rendering of 501 Yonge and it enrages us because the opportunity appears to ripped away from us yet again. Many of us think "hey, it's better than nothing" because we have become so conditioned to believe we don't deserve any better - but we do. We have to stop accepting mediocrity and letting developers know we want/demand better.
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I'm not going to start this again, but you haven't seen a rendering of 501 Yonge and are thus needlessly 'enraged.'
 
ProjectEnd said:
I'm not going to start this again, but you haven't seen a rendering of 501 Yonge and are thus needlessly 'enraged.'
Click to expand...

I've seen enough to prompt me to express my displeasure with what I saw. 501 represents a tremendous opportunity and historically those types of sites have been used for less than stellar buildings - Waterpark III is such an example. With all thats going on, don't you just ache to see something spectacular? Whenever I drive past CityPlace I see a group of nearly identical buildings, all covered with the same glass. What an opportunity they had to create something outstanding - instead they went cheap. I hope 501 does not end up the same way but I have serious doubts.
 
maestro said:
Some of those renderings are ancient. Be interesting how many will ever be realized.

I'd hate to see anything thread spamming with "what could have been". It is what it is and for what it is , it really isn't that bad; certainly a major upgrade from a parking lot. Would you prefer the bank setup shop in the 905 or be on the verge of collapse without a major step towards nationalism? In this day , corporations have to be conservative minded. I don't particularily find the Nouvel designs which offer some semblance of an efficient, usable floorplate all that attractive either.
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i believe the jean nouvel IAC building in new york actually ahs been built.
 
John, if you ever meet up with Frank Gehry, don't call it Jean Nouvel's IAC New York. It's Frank's!

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