GO Transit: Union Station Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Zeidler)

[BurlOak]

The whole box on stilts should've been continued all the way to the ends. They could find some way to integrate the historical facade or roof into the new building. Thw current design just looks like a half finished austerity measure compromise

Or only about 20' of it could have been kept.

 

[isaidso]

The old shed is functionally obsolete. We needed a clean slate here and the new roof should extend over the entire area. Put the old shed in a museum or donate it to isolated train stops on the VIA line in northern Ontario.

Most of those have nothing at all. A section of the old Union station would satisfy preservation and add some historical sophistication to places with none.

 

[TOareaFan]

Said it before.....I would have moved entire shed to Exhibition station.

 

[smallspy]

The old shed is functionally obsolete.

It keeps weather off of the passengers heads. It vents exhaust to the atmosphere. It provides a place to mount signage and lighting.

Those are the basic design requirements for a trainshed structure. How could it be functionally obsolete if it meets those base requirements?

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[crs1026]

It keeps weather off of the passengers heads. It vents exhaust to the atmosphere. It provides a place to mount signage and lighting.

Those are the basic design requirements for a trainshed structure. How could it be functionally obsolete if it meets those base requirements?
.

The problem with the trainshed is not basic functionality. It's passenger experience. The passenger experience is a fail.

Other major terminals such as Montreal, New York, and Philadelphia are no screaming joy either. However, there was much aspiration and much mental effort and money spent here. The overwhelming obsession with heritage purity in the face of indifference to passenger experience is pretty disappointing.

Perhaps we need full time docents on every platform to ensure passengers appreciate the historical legacy they are enjoying.

- Paul

PS - The treatment of the Bush trainshed at Windsor Station/Bell Center in Montreal puts Toronto to shame. It's minimalist but conveys the whole heritage message at the same time.c

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

When you have to put the users through fire escape quality stairs that isn't even wide enough to handle two lines at the same time, saying that it is "sufficient" is just putting a brave face on a dump.

And taking 2-3 years to reroof a shed at the cost how of many umpteen million? It's a farce. Someone need to do a before/after comparison.

AoD

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

I'm kind of interested, did the shed get grandfathered into the fire code? I don't have any expertise on this hence why I ask. Even TTC subway stations are being mandated to be upgraded to meet modern day fire codes.

If there is one thing I can say, it will probably take a disaster for parties involved to learn that the shed should've been torn down or have a small segment salvaged for museum preservation. On this note and related to wasting money on this shed, I did read somewhere that Metrolinx is now toying with the idea of reducing the number of tracks and expanding the platform width to facilitate the RER system...I wonder how much more money it will take before they decide to start with a clean slate.

 

[muller877]

I'm kind of interested, did the shed get grandfathered into the fire code? I don't have any expertise on this hence why I ask. Even TTC subway stations are being mandated to be upgraded to meet modern day fire codes.
.

For Union you have 2 exits in case of an emergency. At either end of the station platform. Just walk into fresh air.

 

[kotsy]

Not installing that new glass roof for the entire length is easily the biggest oversight in the entire Union restoration project. These areas under the heritage roof are nothing short of depressing.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Not installing that new glass roof for the entire length is easily the biggest oversight in the entire Union restoration project. These areas under the heritage roof are nothing short of depressing.

Those areas are looking exactly like the way it was before the renovation (and already starting to regain that old patina). I suppose it's a win when one's goal is to preserve the sh*ttiness of the shack.

As to fire escape - I would hate to be in that space should there is any need to evacuate at rush (limited egress routes, suckiness of said egress routes, inaudible PA, useless platform information displays) - and good luck even attempting to exit at either end as if there are no trains in the station. You will probably be better off jumping onto a train that is in the station than exiting the platform area when everyone else is attempting to do so.

AoD

 

[Student99]

why didn't they finish the paint job on the supporting beams before putting on roof? 80% or more of the beams were painted before roofing, but the beams at the east end of the shed above platforms 5-8 or so are still gross looking, with some parts painted and some not. Now it's too late (?) because there's a roof on top?

 

[Allandale25]

In the GO Transit Electrification thread, Paul reviewed the Electrification EPR reports posted yesterday and provided this comment:

"- looks like they have a workable solution to putting wires under the trainshed at Union Station"

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Yes, I am tempted to be lazy and not post it but here it is - in Volume 1 of the EPR, pg. 107 on:

AoD

 

[Irishmonk]

Not installing that new glass roof for the entire length is easily the biggest oversight in the entire Union restoration project. These areas under the heritage roof are nothing short of depressing.

The old Terminal 1 had more architectural value than the train shed and they plowed that under with nary a peep of protest.

 

[Allandale25]

Yes, I am tempted to be lazy and not post it but here it is - in Volume 1 of the EPR, pg. 107 on:

I extracted the section into this PDF that has the images above for what they'll do to fit the Overhead Contact System into the shed.