Planning at Distillery

[Jarrek]

Anyone know where this is?

 

[AndreaPalladio]

South Street Seaport - Manhattan. Do a 180 degree turn from the spot where that picture was taken and there is nothing but tall buildings.

 

[Andrew3D]

Classic example of out of context construction.

Not the same thing. When this area is done it will be surrounded by condo towers.

Ed was that picture of Boston? I was their 5 weeks ago and I loved the old area that was next to their financial district.

Never mind, I answered my own question.

I took this at that location with my friends camera, right at that point above. As soon as you turn down a side street or around a corner you soon forget you're right downtown, the same thing will happen in the Distillery. It's only two point towers people. This will be so much the beter place when it comes alive as a neighborhood and takes on it's village charm.

And this! What's not to love, layers of architectural history all in one location. Should we just have pockets of new, create nothing but Jamestowns, and Cityplaces where only one era of architecture is represented?

 

[Jarrek]

South Street Seaport - Manhattan. Do a 180 degree turn from the spot where that picture was taken and there is nothing but tall buildings.

Ahh!

But I knew exactly where it was hence why I asked.

There are buildings AROUND the site, but NOTHING in it.

And that's the difference.

 

[Jayomatic]

You can see from that last boston shot the scale of buildings around there step up the future you are away. The problem i have with the new condos is that we've got towers roughly the same height as that large tower in the background but directly up against these low rise structures. Theres no transition.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Ahh!

But I knew exactly where it was hence why I asked.

There are buildings AROUND the site, but NOTHING in it.

And that's the difference.

Oh please. It's ok to build a skyscraper across the street from South Street Seaport but the Mill Street Brew Pub is so sacred that it can't bear one across the street from it? That's ridiculous.

 

[ganjavih]

Yes, sometimes across the street or a block or two away makes a difference. And this isn't a matter or 'sacred', it's a matter of thoughtful, appropriate, aesthetically-pleasing development that takes context into account.

Back to the issue of Manhattan, try plunking a highrise in the middle of Greenwich Village and see what the villagers will do to you.

And, finally, Manhattan does have its share of awkward developments...

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Back to the issue of Manhattan, try plunking a highrise in the middle of Greenwich Village and see what the villagers will do to you.

You mean, like the buildings NYU has already built. Not that you can compare Greenwich Village to the Distillery, which is essentially an upscale power centre.

 

[Edward Skira]

Ed was that picture of Boston? I was their 5 weeks ago and I loved the old area that was next to their financial district.

Lower Manhattan.

 

[unimaginative2]

You mean, like the buildings NYU has already built. Not that you can compare Greenwich Village to the Distillery, which is essentially an upscale power centre.

Are you joking? I don't give a damn about what they're using them for, but those buildings are a national historic site and one of Toronto's architectural treasures. Do you have no appreciation for our built heritage? We may not be New York, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't care for what we do have. Not that this means that towers are necessarily bad, but it is certainly essential to take care when building in the distillery.

 

[syn]

Are you joking? I don't give a damn about what they're using them for, but those buildings are a national historic site and one of Toronto's architectural treasures. Do you have no appreciation for our built heritage?

I agree. Maintaining our built heritage is the main thing here for me...and I think it benefits everyone.

I also agree with the location and transition issues Jarrek and Jayomatic mentioned.

 

[gibsonm]

Re: Distillery towers

I agree that the towers are too close to the original buildings, especially the early ones built on top of the storage warehouses, since it affect the integrity of the original site, but surely the Distillery as it is currently is a huge improvement over what existed. I remember when the area was cordoned off and had a security guard to keep the public out. It was great as a film set, but had no connection to the rest of the city. That, I think, is the chief problem. You walk along King or Front Street toward the Distillery District and there is still very little continuity. You leave the old Town of York, which is a cohesive unit, then arrive at a Staples and a car dealership, before reaching the Distillery District. There are no visual cues telling the pedestrian that there is much more to come. How stupid! The Distillery District, as an historic part of the original town, should be continuous with it. This would make the area far more accessible on foot, and like Castlefield in Manchester (a collection of former textile wearhouses and a train station), a logical next stop on the tourist route through the downtown. As for point towers, they are certainly more elegant and cast less of a shadow than fat monolithic stubs like those pseudo New York (a la Chrysler Building) monstrosities in North York. Height can also really add to a skyline.

 

[RJR123]

Are you joking? I don't give a damn about what they're using them for, but those buildings are a national historic site and one of Toronto's architectural treasures. Do you have no appreciation for our built heritage?

A national historic site that sat vacant and derilect until these developers came in and turned the area around. You should thank your lucky stars that they went in there and did what they did, and they are now exercising their rights as private land owners to continue to develop this area.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The old buildings are preserved, and being used. Th original development game plan, using artists and designers to seed more creative-industry businesses and retail, had flaws - but there's no reason why other businesses won't work there as this thing evolves. Some may even be specific to the needs of the condo owners, and so what?

This part of town is growing and these towers mark that transition - in much the same way that the construction of the 56 floor Toronto Dominion Bank Tower marked the evolution of the downtown core, and the tall condo towers going up at Yonge and Eglinton herald changes to that intersection.

The first tower inevitably sets the new context, and the context in this case lies in taking the site of a former commercial enterprise and reviving it for contemporary commercial use, including housing. Be not afraid of the process, or of the form it takes: integrating new uses by setting up complementary visual contrast of forms - new/old; tall/short; brick/glass etc.

 

[syn]

This part of town is growing and these towers mark that transition - in much the same way that the construction of the 56 floor Toronto Dominion Bank Tower marked the evolution of the downtown core, and the tall condo towers going up at Yonge and Eglinton herald changes to that intersection.

The Distillery isn't the Financial District and it isn't Yonge and Eglinton either.

The first tower inevitably sets the new context, and the context in this case lies in taking the site of a former commercial enterprise and reviving it for contemporary commercial use, including housing. Be not afraid of the process, or of the form it takes: integrating new uses by setting up complementary visual contrast of forms - new/old; tall/short; brick/glass etc.

Why not have issues with the form it takes? If they can stick a 50 storey tower (and a 40 storey one right beside it) in the middle of the Distillery then developers might as well be allowed to build anything, anywhere.