Toronto Eaton Centre (Ongoing Renewal) | ?m | ?s | Cadillac Fairview | Zeidler

[TonyV]

We just finished the Service Desk... Notice how it is incorporated (part of) the railing.

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Haters can cut the design to pieces if you wish.

The workmanship is flawless

The "service desk" design could easily be mistaken for a Miele mock-up.

Bland and common as all hell.

 

[Edward Skira]

PPL's traffic patterns in relation to the orientation of the mall ensure that there really is no reason to head over the street (Old Thyme facades or modern facades) wouldn't have helped that situation.

Or they could have ensured that all the retail outlets on Yonge only had access via Yonge Street

 

[GrinTO]

The renovations make the Eaton Centre look like a generic airline terminal anywhere.

 

[pw20]

Or they could have ensured that all the retail outlets on Yonge only had access via Yonge Street

Yes and no. Again - think about traffic patterns and traffic flow. The Eaton Centre is a street - and it has animation on both sides of the street. Even if every retail establishment had a working door to Yonge Street - the lack of animation on the East Side of the street prohibits ppl from having a "choice" of street to amble on.

The Eaton Centre in Toronto makes pedestrians not have to leave Eaton Centre Street to go anywhere. In Montreal its actually easiest to get from the Centre Eaton to PMT via St Catharines Street. (unless you're going underground)...

Imagine the Eaton Centre as Queen street versus Richmond or Adelaide. If you had a choice between a completely animated street versus a street that has patchwork retail - which street are you going to walk on?

 

[snyberTO]

Clearly there are more people in the mall than outside on that stretch of Yonge, but still, there are plenty of people on the street - like me when i want to avoid the chaos of shoppers.

Even without changes to the ECs inside/outside connections, there is major room for improvement here. The current facades only have one purpose - too look "nice" - how about a green facade or one that captures energy, or refracts light or is home to a major art commission. Or, if it has to be advertising - then give me some razzle dazzle.

 

[Mississauga Slim]

That may be true, but those of a historical bent would have been even more upset if EC had gone for a radical redesign. I thought the goal was, in part, to not look particularly different from the earlier design.

I think it depends on what you mean by "earlier." If you mean how the EC looked immediately prior to the current renovations, then the redesign may not appear too radical. But if you compare to how the EC looked when it opened in 1976, then the current design bears practically no resemblance at all. All that remains now is the general form of the structure, and elements that are too big to change, like the galleria ceiling glass.

The reason it may be hard to see this is that there has been so much incremental hacking away at the building over the years. With each change the original esthetic gets a little weaker. But no single change seems like a big deal on its own. Ultimately though, you get to the point where we are now where, despite the fact that no actual demolition occured, it's essentially a different building that happens to occupy the same spot.

The Yorkdale renovation Solaris mentions is more successful, I think, because more consideration was given to what was already there, whereas each modification in the entire history of changes to the EC has given no consideration at all to what was already there.

 

[drum118]

June 19
This place is turning out nicely and too much flashback to get inside shots. It has an upstair bar or something where the front door are. The place is only weeks away from opening as everything is in place with the large TV screens working.

The flower beds are complete, but are different from the ones that open up last year, which still need fixing. Don't why they did not remove the dead trees before planting the new stuff.

From the looks of things, no outside eating/drinking area. If there is, it will be on the west side, since there more room there and less traffic. Seen a number of these soup up cars in the area these days.

 

[MetroMan]

Thanks for the update Drum. Hopefully they do put a patio on the West side. This stretch of Dundas could use as much activity as it can get.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Thanks for the update Drum. Hopefully they do put a patio on the West side. This stretch of Dundas could use as much activity as it can get.

Definitely, though Joey's finally completes retail along this stretch and the new planters serve to really enhance the experience of walking along here.

 

[DC83]

Great addition! I'll have to check it out, though I haven't had many great experiences at Y&D Square restos in the Past :s
Too bad there's no patio!

 

[caltrane74]

Great !

Now we know what drum looks like!

 

[Uncle Teddy]

^ We do? I certainly can't tell from that picture. Thanks for the update on this drum118.

 

[Joe]

A friend of mine will have a job here, and according to her, a big patio IS planned.

 

[TOfan696]

June 19
This place is turning out nicely and too much flashback to get inside shots. It has an upstair bar or something where the front door are. The place is only weeks away from opening as everything is in place with the large TV screens working.

The flower beds are complete, but are different from the ones that open up last year, which still need fixing. Don't why they did not remove the dead trees before planting the new stuff.

From the looks of things, no outside eating/drinking area.

All of the windows along Dundas St. West are operable and open like garage doors, so Dundas Street will be very animated with a "pseudo" patio experience, will be great for the area.

 

[officedweller]

It would make sense to still have the patio on the west side - because in TO's summer humidity, you wouldn't want to kill the benefit of offering air conditioned comfort to your customers by opening the garage windows on those days.