Toronto Corus Quay | ?m | 8s | Waterfront Toronto | Diamond Schmitt

I rather that the land sit empty for another few years than to let that thing be built. The lighthouse is so cheesy.

Glad I didn't make the trip downtown tonight to see that piece of shit.

Louroz
 
Am I alone in thinking it's ok? Granted it may not make the cover of any architecture magazines, but so what? Does every project on or near the waterfront have to be held to that impossible standard?
 
Canuck:

Yes and no. If this project is tucked into some other block in the precinct, then yes it's okay (even then it's a mediocre piece, similiar to some of the buildings in St. Lawrence). But this particular spot is singled out as one of the focal point for the district for a wide variety of reasons - what is proposed just doesn't cut it. If they can't match the needs of this site, there are other ones to be had in the area.

AoD
 
omg it looks horrible...

not everything has to live up to an impossible standard but this seems so sub-par
 
Did this project go through reviews by the TWRC's design review panel (which apparently includes Schmitt)? Should it?

I would assume that any well-composed design panel would reject this design outright, or at least ask for the design to be re-submitted with significant changes.

I think if this design was proposed 20-30 years ago it would have been seen as a great building. Now that so much of our city is made up of buildings from the 70s and 80s, a building that looks like this can only be described as "uninspiring".
 
The project is quite timid in design. My pics didn't turn out great, but the basic idea is that the building will have an atrium facing the harbour, with two midium sized buildings (looked like 6-8 floors on both sides, and a taller, 10 floor or so tall wing facing north to a lane that will be parallel with Queen's Quay.

A positive aspect is that this will be a LEED-Gold building, including energy efficiency, green roofs and an interior greenwall.

Public space will be on the slip and harbour sides, greenery and hard surface. A "glow in the dark" tower (in Diamond's words) is proposed on the west side, almost as a view terminus

they are still very tight lipped about the tenant, except that it will be "knowledge" workers, young people. The lead tenant will have 1100 workers - will not use all the space. Some room for retail, including ground floor undetermined space and a cafe.

Clues abound that this will be Globemedia. Public interaction with the atrium and south side, but Diamond and TEDCO refused any further comment on that. It is a publicly traded company - the Board of Directors still has to approve, we were told, before the tenant will be made public. Someone asked about where the jobs will come from - Mississauga? The reply was "all over", several locations. Globemedia, of course, has several sites such at the Globe and Mail on Front and CFTO Agincourt.

Construction is supposed to start as soon as July.
 
Is this a joke?

Project Symphony?
Or is this The true Star Of Downtown?
 
I am trying hard to like it but its just not happening.

I echo the 'office park in Markham' critiques and I do not think we have to set our standards so low that we can't expect architecture that truly inspires. It surely can't be 'impossible'.
 
definite thumbs down..........:(

edit: actually, the more I look at this, the more angry I get...we are so lucky that so many architects have bought into the idea, that Toronto is a special place that needs and deserves 1st class architecture...and many of these folks are delivering....just look at all the amazing projects underway throughout the city....but not Diamond and Schmitt ....they screwed up the Opera House, and now they are screwing up what should be a jewel - our waterfront....

Time to call a spade a spade..Diamond and Schmitt are hacks...and the sooner we are rid of Jack Diamond and his ilk, the better.....

yyzer
 
The more i see it the more angry i get because i know there is nothing that can be done. We know that Tedco will get this thing built no matter the reaction from the public.

Diamond is a hack. If we want to keep it local couldn't we have gone with some great architects like AA or Pontarini
 
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