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Burka Architects has Shut Down

It's nice to see firms that do crappy work stop getting business. Hopefully Page+Steele and Kirkor will be next.
 
Phoebe is an elegant and disciplined historicist block with varied facades creating an interesting streetscape, while Gates of Guildwood has a sculptural modern look that reminds me of icebergs in Lawren Harris' paintings.
 
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I wish more architects and developers would take a page from Phoebe: instead of one long and monotonous facade, use multiple smaller facades with different materials and scales. It can be done in a contemporary style, if you like. Check out these street views: a, b, c. The project integrates beautifully with the Victorian urban fabric of the neighbourhood. The red and yellow brick is wonderful.

The reason why it works is that Toronto's traditional urban fabric always consisted of a variety of smaller facades, not the long glass and precast podiums we see today. That variety is more interesting to walk by. Phoebe is one of the city's best midrise infill projects of the past 20 years. Burka designed many banal pomo towers while in business, but this project was an important contribution to contemporary architecture in the city.
 
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junctionist said:
I wish more architects and developers would take a page from Phoebe: instead of one long and monotonous facade, use multiple smaller facades with different materials and scales. It can be done in a contemporary style, if you like. Check out these street views: a, b, c. The project integrates beautifully with the Victorian urban fabric of the neighbourhood. The red and yellow brick is wonderful.

The reason why it works is that Toronto's traditional urban fabric always consisted of a variety of smaller facades, not the long glass and precast podiums we see today. That variety is more interesting to walk by. Phoebe is one of the city's best midrise infill projects of the past 20 years. Burka designed many banal pomo towers while in business, but this project was an important contribution to contemporary architecture in the city.
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Agreed. I have always loved that building. They did it with London on the Esplanade too. I think a lot of developers are just into the glass box style right now. Seems to be a hot seller and it's pretty easy. Phoebe would take a lot more work and probably $$$. I
 
The problem with 'Phoebe' is that the architectural narrative of several of its multiple facades is all wrong. It tries to be 'historicky' without actually borrowing from local or otherwise relevant architectural history.

It ends up expressing itself like the contemporary copy of the cartoon of what Victorian architecture was perceived to be like by big box retail developers.
 
RC8 said:
The problem with 'Phoebe' is that the architectural narrative of several of its multiple facades is all wrong. It tries to be 'historicky' without actually borrowing from local or otherwise relevant architectural history.
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It does reference Bay and Gables and local warehouses, but also fuses some Chicago School references. It's postmodern as opposed to historicist. The terraced building facing Shaw Street is particularly likable. It was a great postmodern project.
 
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