Toronto Bellefair Kew Beach Residences | ?m | 5s | Reserve Properties | RAW Design

[GraceCondos]

Will there be any of the old church elements in the interior? If not, what a waste. Look at Abbey Lofts to see how it should be done.

http://www.torontolofts.ca/toronto_lofts_press_4.html

Unfortunately, there won't be. Still an amazing location - across from Kew Gardens.

 

[interchange42]

42

 

[condovo]

Turned out quite well. A net gain.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Removal of some of the original windows (esp. at the corner tower) is regrettable.

AoD

 

[junctionist]

It doesn't look like a church anymore, though the original building probably wasn't very imposing or architectural.

 

[Skeezix]

I can't speak to the loss of the interiors, which I'd never seen, but from the perspective of the exterior this is a mediocre result. The treatment of the historic facade is underwhelming. The new windows, and the view of the additional floors from Queen, are clumsy. I think of much better church conversion projects, like the old Presbyterian church at Pape and Harcourt, and think that this one was a wasted opportunity. Here they basically ruined a nice, historic building - it didn't have to be this way.

 

[interchange42]

The sun was not in a particularly good spot for these, and these are just from my cellphone, but here are some shots from around the side of the building (Condovo and I were out for a bike ride).

42

 

[Skeezix]

Wow - the Bellefair facade is even worse than the Queen St facade (that's saying something). What is that they built on top of the historic facade - a warehouse? And that ugly doorway (fire door?) framed with the mismatched brick replaces two lovely old church doors. What a friggin' mess of a building. This is a not a net gain for the neighbourhood.

 

[interchange42]

There's no way to match the older bricks exactly; this is fairly close. The question becomes then, is it better not try to match, and find something complementary instead.

The warehousey look to some of it is the back of the Shoppers Drug Mart as best as I can tell. I'm hoping for vines on that someday.

Personally, I feel this building looks better in person than it turned out in our photos.

42

 

[Stupidandshallow]

There's no way to match the older bricks exactly; this is fairly close. The question becomes then, is it better not try to match, and find something complementary instead.

The warehousey look to some of it is the back of the Shoppers Drug Mart as best as I can tell. I'm hoping for vines on that someday.

Personally, I feel this building looks better in person than it turned out in our photos.

42

I dunno... that mortar looks like a mess, which says to me that little effort was made to match what's existing.

 

[Skeezix]

42, I'll take a look at it in person. Because you're right that one really has to actually see it to truly "see it". But in the meantime:

1) The brick matching is not really close at all, at least in the photos. Somehow other developers manage to do much better. I get that from a heritage perspective, one doesn't necessarily want the old bricks and the new bricks to look too much alike, and I don't mind the way that the bricks in the new addition at the rear distinguish it from the historic facades towards the street. But the brick surround for the door is just jarring. I'll reserve judgment until I've seen it in person, but from the photos it looks like a poor replacement for what was there. Such a clumsy change.

2) When you say that the warehousey look appears to be the back of Shoppers, are you referring to the door to the loading bay? (Interesting, I don't mind that as much - it's in the new addition and is kind of unavoidable) I was referring to the new residential storeys above the facade, closer to Queen Street. Poorly executed.

 

[TheKingEast]

 

[AlbertC]

 

[Lyphe]

This is a really odd project in photos.
It does not show well at all in images, but looks solid in person.

 

[41stfloor]

I agree. It looks quite solid and substantial in person and has really helped to animate this corner. Streetlife was pretty lacklustre before other than the occasional folding table book sale. This is now arguably the busiest corner in the Beach.