KING Toronto

Developer: Westbank Corp, Allied Properties REIT
Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group, Diamond Schmitt Architects
  
Address: 489 King St W, Toronto
Category: Residential (Condo), Commercial (Office, Retail), Public Space / Park
Status: ConstructionCrane(s): 2
Height: 189 ft / 57.60 mStoreys: 16 storeys
Project Forum 2.1K posts
Real Estate Forum 71 posts
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Toronto KING Toronto | 57.6m | 16s | Westbank | Bjarke Ingels Group

....not to mention, walls with that level of greenery will likely takes years to establish, especially with our long and harsh winters seasons, I gather.
 
These are Virginia Creepers (as also proposed for KING) on Vancouver's Deloitte Summit (also by Westbank) after a couple of years growth.
They are climbing up perforated metal panels.

officedweller;10296774 said:
By me Friday, Oct 4th, 2024.

Vines are doing well on the west side, not so well on the other sides.

5MdHZUq.jpeg
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ciceror said:
Those glass cubes are going to age horribly, they are very 1980s, I'm sure all of you have seen old post-war buildings using them
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Glass blocks, also known as glass bricks (not cubes) has been around since the early 1900, and has been used in many notable buildings through the ages, particularly during the Bauhaus movement of the 20s and 30s that still look timeless today.
Yes, glass blocks, particularly the ones with the wavy glass pattern were widely used in the 80s both good and questionable applications, which many associate the material with this rather flashy superficial era. It’s just a matter of the context and how it’s used in its design, just like any other material.
The use of the glass block here is appropriate and tastefully done so I think it will stand the test of time.
 
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ciceror said:
Those glass cubes are going to age horribly, they are very 1980s, I'm sure all of you have seen old post-war buildings using them
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Idk about that. For one, the buildings these used to go into aren't covered in glass blocks, and it's rarely the blocks themselves on said old buildings that ages poorly- it's other materials like brick or outdated interiors. If anything, they're just dated as a window style. They actually seem to hold up pretty well compared to other kinds of glass, given they still exist in many 70s-80s buildings and look fine.

And dated is one thing, but aging poorly is another. Brutalist concrete ages poorly; glass doesn't weather in the same way. And, this is quite obviously a unique application intended as a facade, not a window, so its lifecycle is better accounted for.

We can associate it with the 80s, sure, but It's not going to look more or less out-of-style in 20 years. If anything, it's a way to ensure the design is timeless.

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People get bogged down trying to justify opinions on this site all the time. But you are welcome to just not like the design, especially when it's trying to be different. One person's trash is another person's treasure and all that.
 
Much of the detailing in the renderings was covered in greenery and appeared to be the focus of the same...

...as for the vent thing, they appear to be less bad than made out to be, IMO. And are likely a necessary feature for good or bad.
 
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