Monde (5 Lower Sherbourne in East Bayfront, Great Gulf, 40s, Safdie/Quadrangle)

[Automation Gallery]

Is this a 36 or 46 storey building.

Famed architect unveils plan for Queens Quay jewel

Safdie's plan calls for a 36-storey condo tower atop a 10-floor podium, mostly glass, that would face Lake Ontario.

More........http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/arti...ens-quay-jewel

[khristopher]

It's 36... so 10 storey podium with 26 storey tower on top.

[adma]

I love how Safdie's turning into General Halftrack in his old age...

[yyzhyd]

SOME family units. By SOME you mean 5%. HALF of what Adam Vaughn is setting for as a standard across downtown for all developers. You would think that WT, which claims it is creating an alternative to urban sprawl would go higher than the proposed law. What exactly is 5%? When being compared to other condos, one finds that there might be around 600-700 units in Parkside. That's around 30 units, which means a mere 30 families, in a building with more than a thousand residents! if WT wants its communities to replace suburbs, they must imitate them, at least demographically. Although its true that the percentage of the pop. in the building made up by family members will be quite a bit be higher than 5%, its not going to come close to the over 90% of households, the same number for many of the suburban communities that have been built in the last decade or two. I'm not saying that 90% is the solution, far from it since the lack of mixed incomes and households types in the burbs is the reason for the lack of families, low incomes and hollowing out of many of NA's cities and we don't want this to happen to the suburbs (i'm sure many UTers feel otherwise). But, mixed use is also not 5% family households, even 10% if you consider single parent families,and 90% non-family households.

Wow! I must have missed that it was 5%; I was under the assumption that there were going to be a lot more.

[Glen]

He wants a foundry. And a slaughterhouse.

A foundry is a good idea. Intel where are you?

Seriously, the lake front is already full of GFR. A lot of it is empty, very little of what is occupied is compelling. The Harbourfront is a bedroom community already. What is needed is not more of the same.

[taal]

A foundry is a good idea. Intel where are you?

Seriously, the lake front is already full of GFR. A lot of it is empty, very little of what is occupied is compelling. The Harbourfront is a bedroom community already. What is needed is not more of the same.

You're right Glen ...

But think of this as future potential - building it in, at least one day there might be a thriving active community. But to be honest in some ways we might be better off concentrating the retail in certain areas VS having ground floor retail everywhere.

[Urban Shocker]

I don't like the design. It looks dated and derivative to me.

Well, he's long been the ziggurat guy - that's his schtick - and an avid recycler of earlier unbuilt designs ... until they get built. Recycling is green.

This condo, unbuilt, from 1975:

http://cac.mcgill.ca/safdie/finalImages/Ms043p01.jpg

This mixed-use thing, unbuilt, from 1982:

http://cac.mcgill.ca/safdie/finalImages/Ms076p01.jpg

This hotel, unbuilt, from 1980:

http://cac.mcgill.ca/safdie/finalImages/Ms062s06.jpg

The touted "stepped gardens" are actually unconnected balconies. I doubt if the condo board gauleiters will mandate that each must house a little tree - Jack And The Beanstalk fantasy renderwraiths notwithstanding.

[thedeepend]

this thing is giving me flashbacks to the bad old days of late 80's ersatz pomo--of which Safdie was one of the worst offenders. it looks like he hasn't opened a architecture magazine in 20 years.

[interchange42]

Deep: I share your concerns about the PoMo aspects of Safdie's design, and I agree with others that it does have a so-20-years-ago feel... but I am wary of all major new buildings going up in Toronto being of the (hotly debated) 'Toronto style', implying of course glass and steel, simple lines, and minimal ornamentation.

We have had some good (Mississauga City Hall, Barbara Frum library, Lillian Smith library) but mostly bad PoMo (just about everything else) built here in the recent past, and luckily not too much of it in total. Comparing Safdie's PoMo to that sorry little office building on Queens Quay West is maybe a little harsh however: Safdie's renderings certainly envision a more engaging development than that thing!

42

[syn]

I agree with the general consensus. This isn't a project that appeals to me at all. It certainly has that dated POMO look that isn't at all appealing.

[Tewder]

This one feels lively and vibrant, and so a nice fit for the waterfront. The pomo aspects feel restrained, which works for me. I like it, at least until I'm told by others here why I shouldn't

[Automation Gallery]

This one feels lively and vibrant, and so a nice fit for the waterfront. The pomo aspects feel restrained, which works for me. I like it, at least until I'm told by others here why I shouldn't

Oh.. you will hear many yays & nays on this project, but im with you on this one Tewder.

[alklay]

I like this too.

Its hardly pomo, to begin with. Its lacking the historic references which defined much of pomo, not to mention the sometimes horrible use of colour.

I am not sure why I like it though. Maybe because its just refreshing in an era in which so many seem to be doing (over-doing?) neo-modernism.

Safdie certainly has his own style and all the power to him. We could do worse than a few buildings of his scattered across the city. (Would I want to the whole district designed by him? Probably not.)

[newuser2k9]

I totally agree. I think in 20 years time developments such as this and West Harbour City will be remembered and revered to a level not seen with all of the other glass boxes. Their differences bring texture and individuality to the skyline, whether or not you really admire their designs.

[Automation Gallery]

I totally agree. I think in 20 years time developments such as this and West Harbour City will be remembered and revered to a level not seen with all of the other glass boxes. Their differences bring texture and individuality to the skyline, whether or not you really admire their designs.

With the green roof Toronto By-Law taking effect as of May 2010, I think we will see less glass boxes and more of these eco buildings proposed and built in this city.