Solaris
Senior Member
Night pics are better than no pics...
so true ... thanks musters
barrytron3030
Active Member
i got really frustrated when i saw this project destroy the beautiful building that once stood at the construction site.
it's a real shame how architects, developers and councillors willfully demolish classic structures of the city. this old buildings are what give toronto its TRUE character. god knows we have enough empty lots and concrete pillboxes in this city.
i'm not even going to get into facadism, but this is definitely much worse.
first i was like: "oh ok, they're just knocking down a wall."
then: "oh darn, half the buildings gone...well i guess they need to make a new atrium..."
after: "jesus christ all of the original bricks have been stripped off!"
finally: "my god. what have we done. this beautiful building is now dead."
it's a real shame how architects, developers and councillors willfully demolish classic structures of the city. this old buildings are what give toronto its TRUE character. god knows we have enough empty lots and concrete pillboxes in this city.
i'm not even going to get into facadism, but this is definitely much worse.
first i was like: "oh ok, they're just knocking down a wall."
then: "oh darn, half the buildings gone...well i guess they need to make a new atrium..."
after: "jesus christ all of the original bricks have been stripped off!"
finally: "my god. what have we done. this beautiful building is now dead."
jaborandi
Active Member
Relax. It was dismantled carefully and will be rebuilt as it was with the tower added atop the north end.
barrytron3030
Active Member
i know it's being rebuilt but it will definitely never be as it was. the materials will be different and obviously they wont be handlaying any brick.
i just get upset over these things, and i think rightfully so. its very easy to get obsessed with our city becoming one of immense towers. towers are impressive, but our old buildings define the city. and quite frankly i dont think the new tower will be that beautiful.
i just get upset over these things, and i think rightfully so. its very easy to get obsessed with our city becoming one of immense towers. towers are impressive, but our old buildings define the city. and quite frankly i dont think the new tower will be that beautiful.
jaborandi
Active Member
It will be the same materials, the same bricks and they will be laid by hand. There is a building at the southwest corner of St. Joseph and St. Nicholas which was also dismantled, the bricks catalogued and then rebuilt with the original materials. It looks far better than it did before. The same process will happen at Burano. They were very careful in removing the exterior materials so as not to damage them.
adma
Superstar
Then again, for the *really* hardcore enthusiasts, the concrete mushroom construction and the "functionalist" roof monitors and backsides (which old PevsnerGiedionBanhamite architects and students might well have dug more than the "historicist" front, were they so inclined to make an opinion), and just plain its continued functioning as an auto emporium, will be missed. Sleeper elements which go beyond what even barrytron3030 is acknowledging.
It's not an argument that all of that ought to have been kept; just that it was worth reflecting upon and appreciating, in its own right...
It's not an argument that all of that ought to have been kept; just that it was worth reflecting upon and appreciating, in its own right...
barrytron3030
Active Member
well said adma
no matter how hard any developer tries, a building cannot simply be "rebuilt."
and defintely, the small intricacies of this building will be lost. craftsmanship will definitely be less evident.
i just worry too much. i love this city and its rich history. i dont want to end up like vancouver where they have a small historical district and everything else is just plain glass and concrete.
no matter how hard any developer tries, a building cannot simply be "rebuilt."
and defintely, the small intricacies of this building will be lost. craftsmanship will definitely be less evident.
i just worry too much. i love this city and its rich history. i dont want to end up like vancouver where they have a small historical district and everything else is just plain glass and concrete.
Sir Novelty Fashion
Senior Member
What's the alternative to handlaying brick? Brick wallpaper? Spray-on brick?
Or is it real brick, but not laid by hand? In which case, what would you call the mechanical contraption that laid the brick instead? A Barrytron?
barrytron3030
Active Member
hahaha why so hostile?
what i mean is that, classic structures in toronto were brick-layed one by one.
when we see brick these days (i dont know the technical term), its almost like a wallpaper. its more of a cladding than it is a construction process.
were past the time when brick was so sophisticated. all i'm saying is that new buildings, while they try to look authentic, will never have the detail and craftsmanship that the old buildings had.
i live in cabbagetown. theres a building going up that will eventually be starbucks. the brick on the building has been artificially weathered to look as if it came from the same period its surrounding houses did. it does NOT look real and it looks assembled as if done in lego.
the new burano building will never capture the feel of the old.
what i mean is that, classic structures in toronto were brick-layed one by one.
when we see brick these days (i dont know the technical term), its almost like a wallpaper. its more of a cladding than it is a construction process.
were past the time when brick was so sophisticated. all i'm saying is that new buildings, while they try to look authentic, will never have the detail and craftsmanship that the old buildings had.
i live in cabbagetown. theres a building going up that will eventually be starbucks. the brick on the building has been artificially weathered to look as if it came from the same period its surrounding houses did. it does NOT look real and it looks assembled as if done in lego.
the new burano building will never capture the feel of the old.
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maestro
Senior Member
tell that to my german brotherhood (for example)
Craftsmanship? It was a garage with a fairly simple showroom facing Bay. And, the Deco facade of which the pieces has been catalogue is hardly above the craftman of today either.
maestro
Senior Member
yeah, the circle couldn't be complete without Adma's passive aggressive ramblings. Unfortunately, the shrooms are made of concrete.
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Irishmonk
Senior Member
I'm just glad this thing's getting built as it will block ROCP from some angles. The old car dealership is getting rebuilt so I don't see the need to fuss about that--we're not talking about the Taj Mahal here. Heck, we're not even talking about the Bata headquarters which is NOT going to be rebuilt--ever.
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Yeah if your standing a couple of feet north of it looking south.I cant see how this future skinny box will be blocking views of the ROCP.
adma
Superstar
Then again, the alternate "small intricacy" elements I was praising were those where there was already less so-called "craftsmanship"--simply because those were the backsides and topsides, the "functional" and constructional elements not meant for show. It's almost like one could imagine a Le Corbusier acquiring a Voisin automobile from this joint.
At least there's one merit to the disassembly/reconstruction: it offered a chance to witness the ad hoccish constructional subtleties, like funny patchy brick/tile infill behind the facade elements. I wouldn't be surprised if the heritage consultants documented it all carefully as they were dismantling it, maybe with a future documentary project or exhibition in mind...