Toronto Massey Tower Condos | 206.95m | 60s | MOD Developments | Hariri Pontarini

[vegeta_skyline]

Yeah I rather like it.

Yeah, you would. Its Casa2 with rounded corners;

Casa 2, Toronto

 

[Ramako]

Well, I like it, but it's certainly no "stunner." I really don't think that the Toronto development community knows what that word means.

 

[Tewder]

I think it's quite bold and quite handsome. I know that people want to see set-backs and a little razzle-dazzle, but maybe the simpler design will work better with the bank building at its base.

 

[ladyscraper]

Well, I like it, but it's certainly no "stunner." I really don't think that the Toronto development community knows what that word means.

It would take the omission of balconies on a residential building to make a stunner and that is really what Toronto isn't ready for.
However, even that wasn't enough for the Trump building.

 

[steveve]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I MISSED IT!

when will it officially be released?! this isn't fair!

 

[freshcutgrass]

I wish they would have kept this...

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[someMidTowner]

pretty decent

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Like - but again, the podium needs more work - wonder if they are having an above ground parking garage a la Trump?

AoD

 

[SP!RE]

I know it's probably still quite early-on, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think the podium could be really interesting with similar horizontal lines to the tower... whatever they've done in that concept rendering above is just terrible.

 

[Ramako]

I'm guessing that since the cat got out of the bag this morning, MOD decided to go ahead and release the official renderings early.

Anyway, there's no doubt that it's playing off 250 Yonge:

Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation
http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/P...o&LocationState=Ontario&LocationNation=Canada

 

[grey]

I really, really like the shape. Very '70s in a good way.

I hope the barcode on the podium makes it into the final product.

 

[Mongo]

I like the design. Its understated elegance complements the two historic buildings at its base (you do NOT want some elaborate design overwhelming those two buildings), and its design reflects 250 Yonge across the street. It's difficult to tell what's happening at street level (we need better images of the base) so I will hold off commenting on that aspect of the project.

 

[Tulse]

Its understated elegance complements the two historic buildings at its base (you do NOT want some elaborate design overwhelming those two buildings), and its design reflects 250 Yonge across the street.

I'd much prefer if it took its design cues from the buildings at its base, rather than plopping a disco-era white tower on top. I don't find that complementary at all -- in my view the very specific period of the tower design clashes rather horribly with the more timeless classically-inspired base.

But I suppose it is a matter of taste -- I have never cared for either the Eaton Centre tower or the downtown Holiday Inn, and really didn't want yet another building of that ilk in the city.

 

[Grimace]

^^Good or bad, the design of Eaton's Centre "fits the neighbourhood" far more than the old bank building does now. I think it is a low blow indeed to compare this to the downtown Hyatt, which among its design problems is also prematurely weathered. As the above comparison to Casa2 shows, this design is an ode to Eaton's Centre but done in a contemporary style.

I suspect any attempt to take design cues from the old bank tower would have ended in disaster.

 

[Mongo]

To each their own -- there must be very few tall buildings in Toronto that are liked by everybody at UT. However, the two buildings at their base, while attractive in their own right, are almost invisible at any distance, whereas 250 Yonge is much more prominent, and will inevitably be more important in determining the context of Massey Tower. Therefore, I have no problem with Hariri Pontarini deciding to take that tower as a source of design cues.

As for the buildings at the base of Massey Tower, unless it had been decided to directly adopt architectural elements from them, I think that it would be best to keep the podium fairly simple so as to avoid clashing with them.