Indeed. For those arguments against chipped paint and stickiness, one can make counter-arguments against fingerprinted glass, hard-edged metal rails, etc...
Well, it's simply a case of which design has more surface area to clean. The original had much less surface area. Obviously, small diameter, round metal bars (mostly vertical) don't allow much to collect on them in the first place...as opposed to a large flat surface of clear glass. And the metal bars just need a wipe with a damp rag, while glass needs far more attention to keep it perfectly clear. The cleaners will have fun leaning over to clean the "other" side of the glass (or will they need sissor lifts or something to do it? ).
The other major issue with changing the railings, is that the original design is completely ubiquitous to the entire complex...both inside and outside. Are they going to change all those railings everywhere? They are on the bridges, the stairwells running up the side of the east wall of the mall (parking lot), all the balconies of the Galleria offices along the entire west wall of the mall. And they are all over the outside of the building. I can't see them doing this, so the continuity of railings will not be there.
CF have systematically been gradually ruining the entire design of the TEC for years anyway....that's why we are bitching about just "railings"...that's all that's left. It's easier to get rid of the railings when you have removed the other design elements that pulled it all together (light standards, sign posts, planters, water features, benches, garbage cans,etc). All those light standards were especially effective both design wise....and practical as well...looked great at night. The Galleria was never meant to only be lit by those giant arena lights hanging from the ceiling...it was the lamps that gave it a street feel.
Down by the "geese", there used to be this very cool set of 5 cascading "pod" like water features, full of plants (can't find any pics of it, but it can be seen in vintage youtube vids). They were one of the many elements that gave life and drama to the place. I assume they removed them because of cost reasons...at some point it probably needed new pumps, etc. It was probably a fairly complicated set up and not easy to maintain. Same with all the plants & trees...they cost money to maintain properly.
I noticed they also didn't know what to do with those tall concrete pillars that they had obviously removed whatever was originally on top of them, so they would top them with tacky displays...look at this ridiculous DIY contraption somebody actually though was a good display idea...WTF!!! Yea...let's turn it into a lame-ass "doric column". A primary school class could have done a better job of building this completely out-of-context joke.....
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The destruction of a Toronto architectural icon has meant that even Christopher Plummer will no longer get into drag to shop there....
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