Toronto MaRS Centre Phase 2 | 112.77m | 20s | Alexandria | B+H

[alklay]

I like some of Diamond's work but I won't apologize for the mediocre. And Diamond certainly did not invent the glass box as a room.

Those renderings are very, very nice and thanks for the post. The building certainly has some nice neo-modernist dynamism and will serve the corner, and the street as a whole, well. Its nice to see an office building at an important corner, not look like an office building in Markham (and sadly the eastern tower did kind of look like a suburban building. It reminds me of the now ING building on Steeles between the 404 and Victoria Park). I am looking forward to this going up. I was looking forward to the older version going up only to see an empty lot fill up with something that was not terrible.

Does it make the Foster building across the street, seem a little less...uh, 'special'? Discuss among yourselves.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"Foster"'s Pharmacy building is special only in how bad it looks in daylight and, yes, this proposal does make Pharmacy seem even uglier by comparison.

I guess they'll be closing the subway entrance on the corner and building a new one farther inside. Either that or planting trees on top of it.

 

[Blixtein]

I like it... Not mind-blowing, but a very fine addition. I don't know why would someone dislike it.

 

[canarob]

the potential market for research-oriented offices in that district - five minutes from the hospitals in one direction, five minutes from the university in the other - is as much as 10-million square feet, according to city economic-development officer Kyle Benham.

The last photo makes me wonder where you would build any of this. There are those few lots on Bay south of Gerrard, but isn't Sick Kids already planning something for one of them?

Unless the idea is to replace some of the residential in the southwest of the map below, although that seems unlikely.

 

[officedweller]

Thanks for the pics.

Anyone think it should have responded to the Hydro Building (is it still hydro?) across the street as a "gateway" to University Ave? The assymetry of the streetwall is jarring. Or will the plaza at the hydro building be eventually filled in?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Unless the idea is to replace some of the residential in the southwest of the map below, although that seems unlikely.

There are a few projects in the pipeline - like the 10+s addition to/extension of the Toronto Phenogenomics Centre; the planned Women's College Hospital buildings; plus Banting and Best is in U of T's potential redevelopment list. That adds up to a few million sq. ft.

AoD

 

[Filip]

Gorgeous building - it really impacts the area. I'm glad it's not a clone of the East tower, since I prefer more organic looking complexes anyway

 

[Hipster Duck]

Alvin,

I agree totally. They have wasted an opportunity to frame University avenue with an Ontario Hydro twin.

 

[maestro]

The last photo makes me wonder where you would build any of this.

up and hopefully a few more hospital parkades (Womens). Also, CAMH's site which they probably will be vacating could support another MARs type complex

 

[canarob]

But what about private sector space? I assume that's what the economic development staff is more concerned with.

 

[Spoonman]

It's reminiscent of what would happen if the east building were assimilated by a funky, more modern Borg.

 

[Edward Skira]

Two things:

1. The building looks great.

2. More importantly it looks like MaRS is going to be a success. This is huge for the city. 10 million square feet of new space that isn't targeted to the financial sector is a massive addition to the city.

 

[Hydrogen]

I agree, the building looks good.

More importantly it looks like MaRS is going to be a success. This is huge for the city. 10 million square feet of new space that isn't targeted to the financial sector is a massive addition to the city.

This is the major story, here.

 

[Mongo]

I am wondering just how much of a jump in capacity 10 million square feet more would be for the biomedical sector in the area. There is already a lot in the area -- MaRS I and II is what? 1.6 million square feet by itself? Plus all the other firms in other buildings, plus the U of T presence, not to mention the R&D being done at the hospitals. If the full 10 million square foot potential is built, where would Toronto stand in relation to other large North American cities?

Bill

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Re: space to fit 10 million sq.ft, it may depend on their definition of how far "five minutes" is, especially considering the university and hospitals mentioned as "five minutes" away are actually right next to each other. They also don't specifically say 10 million sq.ft of new construction, so much of it may just be biotech firms moving into the area over time. RoCP, Murano, etc., have just eaten up a lot of potentially easy expansion sites.