Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

Here is a dangerously over-processed silhouette of Aura. Yes, I know. I'll tone it down next time:

by Jack Landau, on Flickr
 
I love the top 1/3 of Aura, especially when the sun is reflected off it. It almost looks like metal. It just looks great in the skyline.
 
Oct 19:

aura.jpg
 

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WislaHD said:
I finally had the pleasure to see Aura's underground.

Haha and what a crap-hole it is! Reminiscent of something you would see in the suburbs.
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It needs a PATH connection to the south, such as Eaton Chelsea. As a dead end on PATH it can't attract the underground businesses it needs.

Also, the fire doors need to be converted into something transparent and connection brighter to College Park. Perhaps urban art in that otherwise bland and dim utilitarian connector. It's an ugly claustrophobic PATH connection, and very easy to bypass by going outdoors.

It's the most claustrophobic PATH connection on the entire PATH network: The link between College Park and AURA.
Being between two sets of opaque fire doors in a windowless basement hall is scary late at night in a blackout! Slap in some more lights, urban art, transparent fire doors, and maybe a video billboard ad.

And also Delta Chelsa PATH link, for more through predestrian traffic, and then the potential is finally there. But it's a non-starter in its current config.

Several problems need to be fixed.
 
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Every marketplace is going to have a low-end and a high-end area. Aura is destined to be a low-end area of the PATH I feel, regardless what happens, but as you say the current situation is a non-starter.

The connection between College Park and Aura is especially awkward for a first time user (as I was that weekday).

The PATH is a big asset to the city, I feel like there needs to be a more centralized city-led vision for the PATH, rather than allowing building owners to do whatever. I want the city to actively thinking about how these paths and connections work from a user-end point of view.



(Let's see if the new 'tagging' forum feature works, @mdrejhon , no need to quote :) )
 
Aura's underground section is a lost cause. If PATH was ever to be extended northward to College, it should just bypass Aura (in any way possible) and connect with College Park. Canderel butchered that area so bad, I honestly dont know how it could be fixed and if it can it would most likely be very costly.
 
Amare said:
Aura's underground section is a lost cause. If PATH was ever to be extended northward to College, it should just bypass Aura (in any way possible) and connect with College Park. Canderel butchered that area so bad, I honestly dont know how it could be fixed and if it can it would most likely be very costly.
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If we were to take that idea of bypassing Aura completely (maybe we can add a connection to that decrepit place :p) seriously for a moment, how feasible would that be to tunnel a PATH connection under and towards College Park from the Eaton Chelsea development site? Perhaps a protected at-grade PATH connection?

What kind of obstacles are in the way?
 
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