Toronto Nautilus Condos | ?m | 39s | Biddington | Graziani + Corazza

The next phase of Monarch's project @ Humber Bay Shores.

Looks to be around 39 stories.

Looks decent, and it blocks in the first phase from the west. Sweet!

Has elements of Legacy at Heron's Hill. Same architect?

The ghosted buildings... are they Monarch's first phase?
Those are some of the most hideous buildings recently constructed (if not ever). They don't fit in at all with the context (which is piss-poor to begin with) neither the Palace Pier developments, nor the chaotic remainder of the newer condos, never mind the natural/physical environment that preceeded them; are individually a horrendous mish-mash of forms; and occupy far too prominent a site for their architectural quality. I find myself wishing fervently for their demolition each time I pass by on the Gardiner, and am thus reminded of their excruciating existence.
The new phase looks positively elegant by comparison, athough so would a small steaming pile of dog turd. Please, soeone save us from the architectural wasteland that Etobicoke is fast becoming....

a condo project named after a shell line of marine lubricants?

Please, soeone save us from the architectural wasteland that Etobicoke is fast becoming....

Click to expand...

Too late.

Makes one kinda pine for a return of the motel strip.

Kinda.

I'm not sure I like it, but the "wave" that is formed by the gaps between the balconies is somewhat unique for Toronto.

Those are quite the blinding sparkles, or sunspots, or strobe effects, or explosions, or whatever those are. Point being, avoid one of those apartments if thinking of a purchase here.

The 38/39 floor height is interesting: do they have approval for it? When the Humber Bay Shores area was rezoned for all of these developments there was a height limit of 27 floors put on the tallest buildings either side of the central node, and Explorer 1 hit that mark. If Nautilus has been granted a height increase, then the shift to higher buildings that has hit the rest of the city has also hit the Etobicoke waterfront. (Too late of course to save the towers that have been built so far - they should have been somewhat taller and thinner, maintaining the density while pushing it higher into the sky, and allowing more space between the buildings - and there should have been less Graziani + Corazza of course too.)

Meanwhile, what happened to the original proposals for Phase 4? Last time this launched Monarch was calling it Breeze, and there were to be two towers - one of 16 stories, and one of 29. It wasn't a breeze selling it for some reason? It did look like another iteration of the previous 3 phases, so maybe they have decided that a little more visual distance is required for the new phases. Still, Nautilus does look like it comes from Graziani + Corazza yet again, albeit an improved G+C.

42

Looks very 90s.

Looks very much like a poorman's early 21st century Aa. With a shopping mall that area would remind me of Burnaby's Brentwood Town Centre area or maybe parts of West Van. I've got a feeling 30 years from now, the entire area will be highrise--from the Ontario Food Terminal lands to the 427 to the Lake.

I think the "wave" design on the balconies is intended to evoke the shape of a nautilus shell. The nautilus shell is an example of the Golden Section - perfect proportions that evoke visual delight - found in nature and used by artists, designers and architects throughout time.

If only those values were transferred to this building!

Argh! My eyes!
I, in a moment of insanity, proceeded to search for other examples of Graziani + Corazza architecture, in the supremely naive idea that there must be some redemption in their architectural backcatalogue. That moment will haunt me for the rest of my days. It seems that a few of their developments can be generously called "not bad" - but the volume of tripe (no... some people, Italians mostly, seem to enjoy tripe, so this would be an insult to them) is downright disgusting. Whatever austere institution deigned to credential these hoary hacks as architects should be shut down immediately, as should this horrid "architectural" practice before more blight is inflicted on our landscape.

Junglab, there are special eyedrops for your self-inflicted wounds. Of course, actually looking at their work in real life (like the base of ROCP) can cause permanent damage.

If this is indeed G + C, then it is one of their best works. Of course, that is hardly saying anything nice.

And compared to some of the other developments in the area, its not that bad.

Not tripe, no. Offal, simply offal.