ptbotrmpfn
Senior Member
beautiful glass. very reflective.
Toronto Pan Am Village in the West Don Lands | ?m | ?s | DundeeKilmer | KPMB
- Thread starter Mike in TO
- Start date
RiverCity1
Active Member
Wow...looks great! Thanks for the pics 
I did read somewhere awhile back (sorry, I can't recall where...but it may have been Design Review Panel minutes) that GB was not going to have any colour stripes, like the blue or the orange ones that we saw in previous renderings for the upper portion. The lower portion here looks just like the renderings with grey, black, and white panels.
I believe it was going to be just white glass panels on the upper portion rather than coloured. I was a bit disappointed with that news. But I now think that it may look awesome with no colour stripes. Time will tell! Nonetheless, very excited that it's taking shape and being enclosed now.
I did read somewhere awhile back (sorry, I can't recall where...but it may have been Design Review Panel minutes) that GB was not going to have any colour stripes, like the blue or the orange ones that we saw in previous renderings for the upper portion. The lower portion here looks just like the renderings with grey, black, and white panels.
I believe it was going to be just white glass panels on the upper portion rather than coloured. I was a bit disappointed with that news. But I now think that it may look awesome with no colour stripes. Time will tell! Nonetheless, very excited that it's taking shape and being enclosed now.
SP!RE
°°°°°°
I love the contrast between that glazing and the old brick building on the corner. Mm mm good.
FNTS
Active Member
You're right, I just went through the WT DRP minutes and it says they've decided to go with a "neutral-coloured white spandrel on the façade of their residence project in the West Don Lands rather than the previously approved orange-coloured spandrel". I wonder where the blue spandrel renderings came from then, and why they're still on the WT website gallery. Anyway, even if it's white it'll still look good I think.
RiverCity1
Active Member
I think it will look great in white, too.
p.s. love that the storage place is dwarfed by the new buildings here. It used to stick out; being one of the taller buildings.
p.s. love that the storage place is dwarfed by the new buildings here. It used to stick out; being one of the taller buildings.
DSC
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Now there are laying pavers on the roadway at the junctions of Front and Cherry and Mill and Cherry so there will be pavers there and on the sidewalks of Cherry.
rdaner
Senior Member
Photos taken 18 May 2013
Curbs going in on Old Eastern Avenue.
Lawren Harris Square
Curbs going in on Old Eastern Avenue.
Lawren Harris Square
Riverdale Rink Rat
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They kind of missed an opportunity w/ LHS, as it's a little too sloped for bocce/petanque!
Torontovibe
Senior Member
^^^ Another square, another pathetic excuse to do very little. The design of LHS is about as minimal as it gets. It does nothing to animate the area or even encourage people to interact. The seating is wrong and over-all, a disappointment for me. Of course, there will be people who say it's too early to judge but it's pretty much finished at this point and I don't see anything here that will make me want to sit in this square.
Why is it that Europeans can create fantastic squares that I love, yet Toronto keeps building the same bland, minimalist crap, time after time? There is not a damned fountain, monument or piece of art to be found anywhere. Oh well, at least we get a few trees and benches, just like all the other squares, parks and parkettes.YAY!
Why is it that Europeans can create fantastic squares that I love, yet Toronto keeps building the same bland, minimalist crap, time after time? There is not a damned fountain, monument or piece of art to be found anywhere. Oh well, at least we get a few trees and benches, just like all the other squares, parks and parkettes.YAY!
RiverCity1
Active Member
Such a cool square! The view of the downtown core from the northern benches is amazing looking down Eastern Av. Cannot wait until all the streets are open. Love that WT plants such decent trees, too. This will certainly be well used when the fences come down thats for sure. Underpass park is so busy on weekends and in the evening. Great to see so many people loving and using the new parks. Thanks for the pics
taal
Senior Member
Have you even been to Europe ? I'm doubting that now ...
Yes there are many great squares with grand fountains and statues ... but there are many many more squares that are much simpler in nature, similar to the one above at that ..
<edit>
I retract my comment a little ... not the fact Europe has many such simple squares ... but looking at the picture, I agree the placement of the seating seems off and hinders the ability program the square ... maybe they are removable ?
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Canadian Chocho
Active Member
I can see it fit for small children to play in and their parents monitoring them. I think it's very important to cater to children to truly create a a sense of place in this area. It shouldn't be too difficult either, children interact with spaces very intimately and can turn almost any sort of space into a playground.
Silence&Motion
Senior Member
I was actually just thinking that LHS reminds me of Paris, which has many linear parks with gravel and that are lined with trees and benches.
Keep in mind two things: 1. It acts as a gateway to the larger Don River Park. 2. It serves as a blank canvas and a potential location for some future sculpture that might have some meaning beyond just ornamentation.
CanadianNational
Senior Member
It looks as though it wouldn't be too hard to change it's contents in the future: add fountains or water features, or have it host a sculpture garden. I'm a so-so of the 'gravel park' look that's popping up around, though heaven knows it's economical where maintenance is concerned, and great for dog owners for cleaning up after their pooch. I hope it doesn't become too widespread a trend, though. I'd rather see colour and craft on the ground than mere gravel. If there must be gravel, greenery nearby is always a good thing. (Here with Don River Park, thankfully).
Torontovibe
Senior Member
I lived in Europe for a year and I've spent time in every major city in Europe. I love Europe and Paris is my favourite city! (with London a very close second) When I go on vacation to places like Europe, I don't go for 2 weeks. I stay for 2 months minimum. I like long vacations, where I can get a better understanding of the city and how real people live, so I think I have a pretty good overview of most places I visit. I'm not one who sticks to tourist attractions or lounges on a beach.
From what I've seen in Europe, especially places like Paris, they get the details right. They seem to design parks to encourage people to mix and mingle. Even their smaller public squares feel very animated and lively. I don't see that in Toronto. I think a lot of that has to do with the design and seating placement. A square also needs a focal point, which is usually a fountain, art, a gazebo or a garden of some sort. People need a focal point to gather around and encourage them to interact.
That square just seems to have nothing to distinguish it from any other. It needs a focal point and some animation. I really don't like the way Toronto separates seating, to discourage people from interacting. Go to Montreal, New York or Paris and watch how differently people interact with each other and compare it to a typical Toronto park or square. I notice a real difference and I believe it's partly due to the design of the park and especially the seating areas.
Hopefully, a coffee shop or restaurant will front onto the square in one of the condos. That will at least help to animate it.