Recent content by Doppleganger

Though this is essentially a brand-new structure, what a jewel they've created! The team responsible clearly had a passion for this project, and it's reflected in practically every square inch of it. I realise it's just wishful thinking on my part, but instead of the 62-story tower proposed to...

I'm in complete agreement with your assessment of 522 University Ave. As for facadism in general, though it occurs just about everywhere in North America, Toronto seems to excel at the practice of saving one or two walls of a heritage structure and brazenly passing it off as preservation. Though...

I'm pretty certain that what United's developers are spending today will be fairly well reimbursed when their units are all sold. Regardless of how much money a developer might spend, when we designate a building and then allow only a few external walls to be preserved, we lose any historical or...

Now this is much more like it! Kudos to all involved! Rather than saving 60% of the original building, they could easily have gone the standard route of facadism(similar to the United Building). At any rate, it's certainly a terrific example of how the DRP process need not be adversarial. Here's...

Admittedly, this one looks interesting from a distance...I just wish I could say the same for up close. The almost non-existent window setbacks only reinforce the reality that the cladding on this one is 'tissue-thin' and cheap. It reminds me of the stuff they use to clad those immense...

I know this is getting way off-topic but I distinctly remember visiting my dad in 1970 after my parents separated that year, and going with him to a record shop on Yonge St.. I'm guessing it was either A&A or Sam's because at the time he lived in a second-floor apartment in a dilapidated old...

I know it's a bit off topic, but that one Apple Maps view sure shows what a prime waste of space the Harbour Castle Conference Centre has become.

Why is it that corporate sponsorship of the arts in this country always seems to come down to a very small cadre of the 'usual suspects'(Bell, Telus, Rogers, Air Canada)? In a country as large, wealthy and diverse as ours, surely there are more than just a handful of individuals and corporate...

The city can rightly impose height/shadowing restrictions on buildings proposed near parks, schools and hospitals. Similarly, it should also be able to demand much higher design standards for buildings fronting its most important public spaces. Why it doesn't, or can't, goes a long way to...

If by 'iconic' we mean an ensemble of buildings that, by virtue of their siting and having remained little changed over the decades, in other words, we have simply gotten used to their being there, then sure, I'll go with 'iconic'. But aside from the Allen Lambert Galleria, and based on design...

I'm all for preserving the very best buildings representative of our architectural heritage, but is this one really in that category? Rather than starting with a blank slate and building something truly spectacular at one of the city's premiere intersections, we're instead dropping a mediocre...

I have a big issue with poured concrete sidewalks. Aside from the obvious one, that they are soon dug up by the city for utility work and then just patched with asphalt, over time they become cracked and chipped and in general, even if they somehow miraculously don't get dug up, just look plain...

Bravo to the developer for increasing densification while at the same time showing exceptional sensitivity to the existing heritage structure! As for the design itself, well, it is a glass box. Hmmm...now where have I seen that before??

If there was any project that I thought would never see the light of day, it was this one. The Harbour Commission Building has been lonely for a long time...be it residential or office, here's hoping it gets its 'soul mate' someday soon!

This house is being beautifully restored but it does have a considerable setback from the street. I can see it being moved much closer to Wellington St. someday to free up more space in the rear for a more significant future development.