Toronto St Lawrence Market North | 25.3m | 5s | City of Toronto | Rogers Stirk Harbour

My guesses:

Blue = Adamson Associates
Green = Taylor Hazell Architects and Montgomery Sisam
Orange = Norr
Red = Cohos Evamy + Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden Architects
Yellow = KPMB


The images of the Red submission in the Star do not do it justice, in my opinion. I love the view of St. Lawrence Hall from inside the market.
 
Last edited:
junctionist said:
I love Team Red's view to St. Lawrence Hall. It adds a touch of spectacle to the interior and reminds visitors of the history of the area. Like Market Square, it overtly embraces the historic landmarks around it by creating new view corridors. However, their exterior might be bland given the emphasis on the interior.
Click to expand...

I've seen a couple more renderings of the exterior of "Red" team's design - which reminds me of the work of Rogers Stirk Harbour - and the exterior is visually divided into a series of vertical bays by the louvres that extend out from it, breaking up the mass rather nicely. The roofline of the east and west wings appears to be pitched, and is also divided into sections by the bays. It says "market" in a different way from how the existing south market does, but it says it loud and clear and has nice a feeling of openness to it.

The "Red" design appeals to me for similar reasons that the Patkau/Kearns Mancini design for the Fort York Visitor's Centre did, as the most contemporary take on the challenge of the site, with my second choice - the "Green" team's design - mirroring my second choice at Fort York, which was RAW's more contextual wood blockhouse design.
 
The more I look at the "Blue" team's design the more I'm reminded of Dominique Perrault’s unfortunate golden potato design for Mariinsky2, which was dropped like a hot potato for something much better.
 
Blue: Give me a break.
Green: Not bad. PoMo-ish but I like the way it takes its cues strongly from across the street. Interested in seeing more renders.
Orange: Since Alsop's scheme at Filmport isn't getting built and this one's nicely detailed, I'd give it a go.
Red: No way. Belongs in Whistler, not Toronto. Also, the below-grade market hall feels almost claustrophobic, cupola-views notwithstanding.
Yellow: I don't get it and enough already with the MVRDV stair profiles. It's getting really tiresome.

I pick orange and green in that order.
 
Last edited:
I've got to go with Orange on this one. It's exciting, unique and stylistically subdued just enough to shush the conservative-types. Blue, while elegant, seems overly institutional, that is, it would certainly look appropriate on U of T campus. I appreciate Green's contemporary call and response with history, but it seems a little too gimmicky, and it sacrifices design opportunity. Red and Yellow are commonplace and overly conservative, especially given the significance of the neighbourhood.
 
Ramako said:
Fully agreed. The curves relate well to the south building without just replicating them in glass, like the Green submission did.
Click to expand...

Thirds.... As far as street presence is concerned. Orange is coolest. Red is a bit of timber/Canadiana perhaps, which this city could use more of. But obviously a rendering is not enough to go on.
 
I am fairly certain red is Adamson + Rogers. Finally, some uncompromising Hi-Tech for Toronto, our Pompidou = WANT!

Other guesses and commentary:

Blue = KPMB - HP Centre at Centennial, part deux.
Yellow = Cohos Evamy et al - sorry, it looks like something from the 80s
Green = NORR - yawn fest
Orange = Taylor Hazell et al - interesting, not bad but a bit too warm for my tastes.

AoD
 
Last edited:
Orange and Green are the most interesting - with the curves
Red - old fashion although I like the view!
Yellow - has no relation to the street
Blue - very institutional.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top