Recent content by AlexBozikovic

Good point @tripwire. What is the street actually accomplishing? I assume the answer is that per city policy 1) the buildings need to have street addresses, and 2) you can’t put high-rise next to the houses. Those are basically arbitrary. Seems like, if you massed the density along Carlaw in...

The ground floor plan is worth examining. The retail configuration is awkward. Neither of the two plazas proposed will be successful. The northeast plaza is built around an existing Pizza Pizza, which presumably is going to go eventually. But the open space is super awkward as a result. The...

Does anyone actually know for sure that CCXA have the contract to do this? I’m going to ask. At this point it seems like the most solid source is a CBC story from 2018.

I don’t know. My point is that the shortlist for every major PFR project is similar, with one or two genuinely great architecture firms - and they almost always lose.

Toronto had the Patkaus doing rec centres 30 years ago. Now this is basically the shortlist for every one of these jobs. And the low bid wins.

The P3 for Crosstown had an excellent design in the standards. Compare it to what’s being built. https://www.gh3.ca/work/metrolinx-eglinton-crosstown-lrt-design-excellence

You guys would really hate Herzog & de Meuron's CaixaForum Madrid. https://www.dezeen.com/2008/05/22/caixaforum-madrid-by-herzog-de-meuron/

Very good and important buildings here. The courthouse (now Terroni) dates back to 1851 and was designed by Frederic Cumberland. 19 Toronto is David Dick, 1876-1899. The best of Toronto’s 19th-century architects. 55 Adelaide was originally the west wing of the courthouse and was redesigned...

I find the vehemence of the reaction to this building interesting! It’s terrible, clearly. But can folks explain specifically why they hate this one so much?

To be more precise, the architecture looks like Adamson ripping off Diamond ripping off BIG.

Thanks, all. I do think the urban design here is worth talking about: It features large open spaces that are (almost) pedestrian-only, with a library, rec centre and shops facing onto them. The open spaces mix hardscape with some areas of quasi-wild landscape. Two very good ideas, and quite...