ptbotrmpfn
Senior Member
Moving on.
Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza
flonicky
Active Member
There should be a thread where everyone postx five examples of buildings that represent their tastes so we can refer to it to see where people are coming from style-wise.
Ramako
Moderator
More Friday Night Shots by me
Aura looks amazing in that photo. Notice how the two tones of blue in the window wall of the tower (created by the combination of spandrel glass and clear glass) effectively mirror the two tones of blue in the curtain wall of the podium (created by light and shadow). If this was done deliberately, I'd be very impressed.
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someMidTowner
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I agree ramako, but some (arrogant) people around here think its alright to crucify us for having that opinion
Gphorce
Active Member
I've mentioned this before I think, but those blue stripes in the curtainwall won't be there when it's finished. The covering on the mullions are blue. I think they are silver underneath. It looks like they peel away. Hope this clears things up for some people.
condovo
Senior Member
They failed.
SP!RE
°°°°°°
But he wasn't talking about what is enough to make YOU hate a building, he was speaking to why HE takes issue with it. He stated his reasons (and I agree with many points even though I've chosen to remain positive as much as I can because whether I like it or not, Aura is happening and I'd may as well focus on its positive points) because people put him on the defensive by criticizing those who take issue with this building.
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My "middle ground" argument between the people who hate this project and those who like/love it:
At the end of the day, let's all try to be polite and POSITIVE. Even if you don't like this building, there's no need to be negative and shit all over the situation and make it worse than it already is for you. That 1) doesn't make the building any better and 2) ticks off the people who are being positive about this project.
Ramako
Moderator
It seems unlikely to me that the architect would make such a design choice for no apparent reason.
Yonge Street slopes gently downward from College to Gerrard. As a result, you'll notice that the heights of the store fronts along Ross and Macdonald's College Park gradually step down as you move south along Yonge:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/04/a_visual_history_of_toronto_taxicabs/
It seems pretty obvious to me that store fronts along Aura's podium is an attempt to echo that effect:
By: rdaner
SP!RE
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While that's true, I think what troubles some of us is that they would try to use that approach on a modern design where all the other horizontals stay constant/parallel across the entire Yonge Street facade.
The old College Park also has expanses of stone above the storefront windows which give "breathing room" for the change in grade and the change in the store-front heights as they move down the slope. Aura's podium has very stressed horizontal lines in its glass all around its storefronts, so it makes the change in alignment of those silver strips a strange sight.
Disclaimer: Everything I have just said is nothing but my opinion at the end of the day, as it is a subjective comment about design and has nothing to do with the quality, or functionality of this building. I am not trying to foist my opinion on others, but rather engage in a civil exchange of ideas and viewpoints. There, I covered my ass.
The old College Park also has expanses of stone above the storefront windows which give "breathing room" for the change in grade and the change in the store-front heights as they move down the slope. Aura's podium has very stressed horizontal lines in its glass all around its storefronts, so it makes the change in alignment of those silver strips a strange sight.
Disclaimer: Everything I have just said is nothing but my opinion at the end of the day, as it is a subjective comment about design and has nothing to do with the quality, or functionality of this building. I am not trying to foist my opinion on others, but rather engage in a civil exchange of ideas and viewpoints. There, I covered my ass.
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Ramako
Moderator
I'll admit that this building is no masterpiece. Some might say it's even mediocre or subpar. What bothers me are the posters who insist that it is an utter and total "disaster". What hyperbole.
What's worse is that it's often accompanied by large doses of self-righteousness and indignation, not to mention the constant snark that those who can appreciate this building only do so because of its height. How pompous. It leads me to believe that some of these posters go out of their way to amplify the derision for this tower precisely because it is so big, as if to make a statement about their supposedly superior and nuanced sensibilities.
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Miscreant
Senior Member
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Awesome shot, caltrane. Your constant updates, to echo another member here, are so appreciated.
SP!RE
°°°°°°
Well at the end of the day, their pretentiousness and attitudes of being superior only reflects poorly on them and their personalities outside of these message boards and in the real world.
If they want to make everything about height, let them. I think for most of us, like I said in my post which you quoted, Ramako, it's a matter of trying to look at the glass half full. After all, Aura is going up whether we like it or not. Best to have a civil discussion about its pros and cons instead of posts like "They failed" or "Oh yeah, you guys just like it because it's tall!". Some people are "fanboys" and just like height. But there are many of us here who are VERY critical about architecture, yet we still know how to entertain civil conversation with other human beings most of the time.
If anyone wants to join me in having more of these civil discussions around here, that would be great. I'm not going to become bitter or pretentious because I like the great discussion that can happen when we are all respectful.
Anyways, back on topic!
If they want to make everything about height, let them. I think for most of us, like I said in my post which you quoted, Ramako, it's a matter of trying to look at the glass half full. After all, Aura is going up whether we like it or not. Best to have a civil discussion about its pros and cons instead of posts like "They failed" or "Oh yeah, you guys just like it because it's tall!". Some people are "fanboys" and just like height. But there are many of us here who are VERY critical about architecture, yet we still know how to entertain civil conversation with other human beings most of the time.
If anyone wants to join me in having more of these civil discussions around here, that would be great. I'm not going to become bitter or pretentious because I like the great discussion that can happen when we are all respectful.
Anyways, back on topic!
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Ramako
Moderator
I agree with your comments in that I don't think Aura does a particularly good job at properly connecting with the language of College Park vis-a-vis the store fronts. Nonetheless I think it's clear that that's what they were attempting. Some here seem to be promoting the idea that the design choice was completely arbitrary and thoughtless, and I think that's off base and unfair.
SP!RE
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Well of course there is some rationale behind it. 
I think people here forget that every aspect of architecture is deliberate by nature of being a manmade design. All of these things (as those of us who are in, going in to, or leaving architecture school will know) are considered at least briefly, before making it into a design. Whether it's a good decision or not is always the question, but of course everything that you see is the result of some decision-making process, whether it was a 30-second process of a 30-week process.
<<< I SUPPORT CIVIL, POSITIVE DISCUSSION ON URBANTORONTO >>>
I think people here forget that every aspect of architecture is deliberate by nature of being a manmade design. All of these things (as those of us who are in, going in to, or leaving architecture school will know) are considered at least briefly, before making it into a design. Whether it's a good decision or not is always the question, but of course everything that you see is the result of some decision-making process, whether it was a 30-second process of a 30-week process. <<< I SUPPORT CIVIL, POSITIVE DISCUSSION ON URBANTORONTO >>>
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Ramako
Moderator
Agreed wholeheartedly.