Toronto Spectra at Concord CityPlace | 123.13m | 39s | Concord Adex | RAW Design

i like really really like it!
the building has this harder/rougher look than the typical concord buildings
 
Definitely one of the better towers in the neighbourhood, but it's going to add another huge wall of choppy spandrel grid. Is a clean curtain wall too much to ask for?

On the other hand, I think the monotony of these windows might reach critical mass to the point where it actually looks good (on all the buildings as a whole).
 
Concord Adex has been very clear that they are heading for a 50-50 Window-Spandrel mix in new construction to meet insulation targets.

42
 
ProjectEnd said:
...because there are no other ways to cover walls except for cheap windows and even cheaper spandrel panels, obviously.
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Their windows are actually pretty good. I face the rail line, 8th floor and barely notice the trains. The spandrel just looks cheap though... and it looks cheap anywhere it gets used.
 
interchange42 said:
Concord Adex has been very clear that they are heading for a 50-50 Window-Spandrel mix in new construction to meet insulation targets.

42
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Could you please clarify that 42...

Does that mean that by area they plan to cover their buildings with 50% spandrel and 50% glass? That seems like a lot of spandrel considering that individual pieces of spandrel cover such a small surface area compared to a pane of glass.

Edit: Looking at the model of Spectra, it does look like approx 50/50 Glass/spandrel. That is surprising to me.
 
Pic taken Sept 21, 2011


nuAqo.jpg
 
This building is nothing but a cash grab from a developer that doesn’t even live here. No architectural content at all - simply adding a few coloured panes of glass to an otherwise plain glass covered box should tell you what this developer thinks of Toronto.
 
Big Daddy said:
This building is nothing but a cash grab from a developer that doesn’t even live here. No architectural content at all - simply adding a few coloured panes of glass to an otherwise plain glass covered box should tell you what this developer thinks of Toronto.
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Well ok then name me a developer that lives here, and a developer that thinks a lot of Toronto that at the time was willing to develop that derilict wasteland.:confused:
Strange that you say that now of a developer (Concord Adex) that has through-out the last 10 years invested billions of dollars into a couple dozen or so high-rise buildings and surrounding infastructure ...This neighbourhood doesnt look that shabby to me, with the many nice looking roads, buildings, and park.
 
Big Daddy said:
This building is nothing but a cash grab from a developer that doesn’t even live here. No architectural content at all - simply adding a few coloured panes of glass to an otherwise plain glass covered box should tell you what this developer thinks of Toronto.
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Temporary troll ban?
 
Even if you don't like the buildings themselves, I don't know how you could possibly criticize and even hate on Concord for what they did here.. They took literally a wasteland and turned it into a neighbourhood of thousands of people right in the core of the city..

If you saw what this area was like before CityPlace, there's no way you could regret them coming here and making this massive development. I'd say they care very much about Toronto.
 
The Architect:

I wouldn't go as far as Big Daddy - but he got a point. A developer doesn't necessarily have to "like" or "care" about anything - their raison d'etre is making money. Criticizing their track record in the area of urban design and architecture (or on that matter, the actual quality of the buildings/finishing) is certainly fair game. Besides, the developer aren't exactly responsible for any negative effects the development might cause once the project is completed, right?

AoD
 
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Cityplace just seems so contrived to me. Virtually all the buildings look the same....and are basically all the same height/style... It would have been nicer to have a nice mix of mid and higrise buildings...some with many setbacks (a la King West Life)...different materials and styles....have some all brick buildings....some glass ones...different colors, etc... IMO, Cityplace is simply not interesting.... With all that said, it's far better than what was there before so I'm thankful for that.
 
TheKingEast said:
Cityplace just seems so contrived to me. Virtually all the buildings look the same....and are basically all the same height/style... It would have been nicer to have a nice mix of mid and higrise buildings...some with many setbacks (a la King West Life)...different materials and styles....have some all brick buildings....some glass ones...different colors, etc... IMO, Cityplace is simply not interesting.... With all that said, it's far better than what was there before so I'm thankful for that.
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With so much land near the hub of this city at the disposal of this developer, it's reasonable to ask questions regarding the proponent's built-out product, and it's " city- building " responsibilties in general. For me, these are the interesting and worthwhile topics of discussion in these boards . We seem to be inured to the habit of accepting small mercies in Toronto.
 
Having such a huge piece of property developed with many buildings in a relatively short period of time is akin to a suburban development. There is a lot of sameness in terms of the architecture, and businesses and citylife is trying establish itself though that will take time.
Even though Cityplace may seem very sterile and a lot like Vancouver which the developer has built a lot there as well, I think Toronto has benefitted greatly by having more affordable housing near the downtown core, creating a larger pool of rental units from all of the condos bought for investment as vacancy rates are still very low, bringing in foreign investment and creating more jobs in the city, building the city skyline, and reviving the waterfront community by creating a better connection to downtown.
Like what The_Architect said, if you have seen the area when it was a huge industrial wasteland you would think that Cityplace is a blessing.
Liberty Village is almost like Cityplace to a small extent, but it is becoming a great neighborhood with lots of businesses setting up shop there.
 
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