Toronto Waterlink at Pier 27 | 43.89m | 14s | Cityzen | a—A

ElDee said:
I walk around there often and have viewed a number of units as well. The design of this project has been divisive among my friends. Some love it, many think it is too busy and looks old.

I do like the architecture overall, but mostly from a distance. Up close from the street, the buildings have a big grand presence. The 'top' sections are impressive. The buildings look great from the water.

However, I'm not a fan of how the balconies look up close. It creates a cluttered feel and I could almost imagine lots of clotheslines with white shirts and briefs blowing in the wind. There aren't any of course, but the design elicits that sort of image for me.

Going inside some of the units, I would say that only the very best units near the water and Western water facing side give good bang for the buck, and that's a lot of bucks! The units that face each other do not give me a sense that I'm getting what I would pay for considering the prices. The water views from these are 'ok', but not the best. The Harbour square cluster of condos offer better views at a slightly better prices in my opinion. Layouts are a bit tight in the sub-800sqft range. I've viewed 2 larger units on the Western side, and they have fantastic layouts and views...for well over $1.5M.

I'm 'ok' with the new tower. It's a bit plain for my tastes, but not terrible.
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I've seen a few units here in this project as well. There's a lot to like. I agree that the units that face each other are unfortunate. Who wants to pay all that money to stare into someone's unit? The views pretty much suck in many of these units. Project overall is above average. I don't know, I'm not feeling it as much as I did the renderings. Maybe the grounds and the area need to be built out a little more before I judge it.
 
I agree, unless you are in one of the few and very pricey south corner units (or the couple units next to it) or in the bridge portion of the building you will have views blocked by the neighbouring building with little privacy. This is the new reality of urban/condo living in downtown Toronto -- take a look at Liberty Village, the Entertainment District and along the Lake Shore/Gardiner corridor condos are being packed in those areas side-by-side. It's a lifestyle that is either being more accepted or forced to adapt to.

This is a nice, distinctive building. The units themselves are above average in terms of features and finishes, not to mention 10 foot ceilings. The significant fault is that the only good views could be had in the most priciest units. If only the buildings could be angled to better expand the views, like the bridge portions of the building, instead of facing parallel to each other.
 
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Miscreant said:
Wow, I didn't realize that were still landscaping here.
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It's not like there's any reason to go down there and check it out for yourself. It's a windswept promenade flanked by this building's anonymous glazing. It leads to a large blank wall. The landscaping through the complex looks like something you'd see in any ordinary new condo development (save for the stone-faced retaining walls). The end result is something that seems to contribute less to the waterfront than the Harbour Square complex.
 
Thanks for the pic, but man I hope we get a bit more in the way of visually daring architecture in this city in the future. There is a lot of ugly in that shot with some nice buildings interspersed.
 
Do they use landscape designers, or are they satisfied knowing the public will not be too tempted to look into these generic places. This is the central waterfront after all, so something interesting and attractive might have been entertained.
 
Do you mean the Water's Edge Promenade area? Trees have been planted, signature lampposts have gone in, and granite setts have been placed. No doubt some benches will be added, and it will all look similar to the corresponding sections of Promenade down by Sugar Beach. Sometime during the construction of the Tower at Pier 27 a design competition is supposed to happen for the wider park area between the Pier 27 buildings and the Yonge Street Slip. You're going to have to give it a half-dozen years or so before the strip of waterfront in front of Pier 27 is particularly attractive and of any real civic significance.

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junctionist said:
It's not like there's any reason to go down there and check it out for yourself. It's a windswept promenade flanked by this building's anonymous glazing. It leads to a large blank wall. The landscaping through the complex looks like something you'd see in any ordinary new condo development (save for the stone-faced retaining walls). The end result is something that seems to contribute less to the waterfront than the Harbour Square complex.
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Although a bit harsher than how I would've worded it, I generally agree with your assessment. Had walked in a week ago and was surprised at how bleh it was. And the large wall - although understanding the reason why - just added more to the blandness. The wall really made the space feel "constricted" / smaller than it was.
 
The place could look very nice come summer time, depending on their progress. The landscaping is done nicely, however keeping them in shape could be costly, it doesn't seem they take any winter protection measures for the trees whatsoever, this was a warm winter, in a cold winter this close to the lake the plantation will not survive.

That wall separating the redpath factory is a sore eye , maybe get some graffiti art done on it or something... I don't know how they'll ever make it look more acceptable, probably not possible.
 
MousuG said:
it doesn't seem they take any winter protection measures for the trees whatsoever, this was a warm winter, in a cold winter this close to the lake the plantation will not survive.
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They've never wrapped any of the trees that Waterfront Toronto has planted, and they have all thrived. You have to remember that the lake keeps things a few degrees warmer that it is even a few blocks away.
 
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