The Atrium's always been problematic. It goes across the flow of Yonge Street, so foot traffic has always been wanting. The Bay Street end has always been anticlimactic, with little by way of a destination (bus terminal notwithstanding), and the steps and moat there didn't help the building's cause much, either. Although it's futuristic, 'interior city' aims were laudable, it didn't seem to quite translate into an interesting place to visit. A bit too much of a slightly-bland thing. The exterior, despite concerted efforts to improve it, has always been too thoroughly undistinguished to be enjoyable.
My friends and I were wondering if a connection to the Eaton Centre above grade could be made - and if perhaps a department store in one of the Atrium'd towers might help. I don't know if the city would be big on another above-ground walkway, though, and the ceilings in the office tower look too low to be converted to enjoyable retail use.
The complex has, basically, three towers, plus a lead-up 'stub' tower from Yonge. I could see a new tower and entrance going there. Being low, it would be the easiest to remove - (well, maybe not once you get down to the subway) - but it would yield the most dramatic improvement. A new base and tower here would butt up fairly closely to the existing tower in the complex, but it could be done. Impressive point towers are being put up on far smaller footprints.
New construction here would allow new uses and retail scale to be introduced that could do wonders. A new department store? New Theatres? New connections to Metropolis? An end to that dreadful advertising tower and incorporation of the corner bank?
New construction at the Bay End would allow the street-level access to be remedied. (Sorry, '70's moat!). The idea of a new tower here is improbable, partly for the scale needed to make a new tower viable. Maybe just heavy renovations of the base of the existing tower would help? Or maybe a residential height addition to the existing building?
Anyway -
Glad to hear the Edward Street side is being eyed for a makeover. I hope it's substantial.
The notion of building atop one of the towers is interesting. If it's clad the same way, I wonder if it will make the complex more distinguished or just make it more of the same-old, reflective same-old?
