Toronto Love Park | 3m | 1s | City of Toronto | CCxA

I wish he had designed City Hall instead of the garbage we got.
Indeed, that has long been my wish to. Imagine Cormier infusing the grey, barren, endless sea of concrete with playful arrays of interlocking brick and stone, and at least one cheesy selfie feature to compliment the Toronto sign.
 
Indeed, that has long been my wish to. Imagine Cormier infusing the grey, barren, endless sea of concrete with playful arrays of interlocking brick and stone, and at least one cheesy selfie feature to compliment the Toronto sign.

The problem wasn’t the design, it was the execution. The city adopted Plant Architect’s design then went on to value engineer most of it, overrule important components (keeping the muddy lawn instead of the Queen St forecourt) and then not completing the work and leaving several elements like the walkways or Bay Street completely untouched.
 
But on the plus side NPS will be so cluttered with assorted sculptures and commemorative features paying lip service to various worthy groups that the Plant design will be mostly obscured.
 
The design looks nice but is there not a great lakefront ice rink just across the street? has the parks department agreed to maintain this as a potential ice rink? will it have a zamboni shed or will this be a natural ice rink (snowy/icy lump)
 
The design looks nice but is there not a great lakefront ice rink just across the street? has the parks department agreed to maintain this as a potential ice rink? will it have a zamboni shed or will this be a natural ice rink (snowy/icy lump)

The city requested that the pond have a multi season use, so one would assume that they're committed to maintaining it as an ice rink. There can never be too many ice rinks in the city, just as there can never be too many fountains or water features. This one will be used by nearby residents and will have a different atmosphere than Harbourfront Centre's DJ, loud music by the lake. Love Park will be more covered, surrounded by trees and given its close proximity to condos, will probably be quieter with no loud music.
 
I do hope that further iterations of the design de-emphasize the heart or at least make it more ambiguous. It’s a bit too kitschy .

"Kitschy" like a dozen dogs spitting out water into a fountain? We all know how successful Berczy Park is, and how many people complained when the idea was proposed. We need more kitschy, more whimsical, more romantic, not more de-emphasized parks.
 
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It's all about creating unique, relaxing places that put a smile on peoples' faces.

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42! I never knew you were such a sentimentalist!
There are gradations to everything, and I'm okay with some kitsch as long as it doesn't cross the line into tack. (Everyone has to decide on their own where the line between kitschy and tacky is of course, and for me this does not cross that line.) Why go for some kitsch? The city needs variety to reflect a multitude of tastes, not just that which favours the more austere. There's little that's truly whimsical at the moment, so I'm in favour of adding more of that when offered, especially in high-density areas where people seem to need more relief from regimental form. If the kitsch is not appreciated by everyone, at least it gets the conversation going.

And just to restate from dozens of posts ago, I'm glad that the bents are going here. We don't need a park that's marred by reminders there was an expressway off ramp here. We have reminders of that close enough, namely an elevated expressway a block north. No-one seems to be hugging those bents.

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Drop in public meeting taking place on Jan 16. More to come.

There will be a floating display of the plan in the lobby of 20 Bay Jan 13 & 14 during the day and Jan 15 at 1 York St.

Will be able to skate on the pond once the water is frozen, but no clearing unless by the area folks.

Construction to start late 2020 and be open late 2022. Tender to go out summer of 2020 as there is still the need to change the land from Highway to local use at all levels.
 

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