Toronto 77 Charles West | 65.83m | 16s | Aspen Ridge | HOK

[building babel]

Re: scan

They are clearly aiming for a complimentary design-opposite to all the brick and stone buildings nearbye - the U of T campus, the McKinsey building and Isabel Bader Theatre, gruesome faux towers such as the Windsor Arms, and the valiant but failed One St.Thomas, for instance.

 

[Bogtrotter]

Re: scan

Despite the Hallmark card appearance it's nice that it's a winter scene and that they've actually provided some context for the building. The design itself looks pretty sharp to me. I'd like to see a more sober rendering though- I'm expecting to see santa's sleigh pull up at any minute in this one.

 

[Mike in TO]

Re: scan

we're talking developers and marketers here. Look, at least there's other buildings in the rendering, it doesn't look like something in the middle of a field.

The full rendering in the Globe also includes One St. Thomas and a number of other buildings - it is a fairly realistic depiction of the urban context. I love the winter rendering, don't think I can recall ever seeing that for condo marketing.

 

[buildup]

Re: scan

...and the valiant but failed One St.Thomas, for instance.

There is nothing so achingly tragic yet epically heroic as a project which just fails to match our undefined, unassailable standards. You're good Stern, real good, but not ready for prime time in Toronto.

NEXT!!

 

[adma]

Re: scan

It'll probably wind up winning (sorta) in the long run, anyway--like a lot of "retrograde" design from the 50s has.

Though I still think the TTC HQ is an ungainly reactionary limestone cube; but, hey.

 

[building babel]

Re: scan

There is an ad for this thing ( a summertime view ) in the latest ROM magazine. The architect worked on the Louvre pyramid - and the ad includes a few images of it lest we forget.

 

[andreapalladio]

Re: scan

Hmmm...is this condo the next resting place of Mary Magdalene?

 

[Mystery Man TO]

Re: scan

^funny you should say that, the site is owned by Opus Dei

 

[tudararms]

Re: scan

They should revise the rendering and market it specifically to Templars. Unit upgrades could include ogee vaulting and gothic arches, and hidden vaults to hide priceless treasure ("sang real" anybody?).

 

[building babel]

Re: scan

It was designed by HOK's Yann Weymouth. Mitterand kissed him on both cheeks ... and pinned a medal on him in 1994.

 

[andreapalladio]

Re: scan

Weymouth only supervised the project, before leaving for Skidmore, and then Architectonica. Pei designed it. He also gave some pretty Chanel dresses to the Met.

 

[building babel]

Re: scan

I meant 77 Charles.

 

[allabootmatt]

Re: scan

I have to admit that I love finally seeing an ad depicting a winter scene...it's amazing how much of Toronto's depiction of itself, and urban planning, pretends that the city is in southern California. (For comfirmation of this, see Dundas Square, HtO, and pretty much every condo ad ever). It would be nice to get to a place where, like dare-I-say-it Montreal, we can embrace winter, too.

That said, don't mind the building but it's nothing spectacular. I am more excited on Charles for Hariri Pontarini's McKinsey part deux. Any word on the progress of that one?

 

[building babel]

Re: scan

The "complimentary design-opposite" approach I mentioned earlier parallels the approach taken at the Louvre.

 

[buildup]

Re: scan

This corner which will be occupied by 1 St Thomas, 77 Charles, and the University Avenue project by Minto will be a fascinating little spot in a few years. No one would dispute that...