Toronto Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto | 207.86m | 53s | Graywood | Kohn Pedersen Fox

Taken this evening, I need to get a tripod.

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The RITZ looks so sleak that adding balconies would ruin the exterior look. I agree, a balcony is a must to live in a condo. The elevators at the RITZ drop you right in your suite. No fumbling for keys or trying to open the door with dry cleaning in one hand briefcase in the other. The two elevators to get to your suite is horrible. Doing this day in and day out will be a huge hassle.


A good friend bought a two bedroom at the RITZ and gets his keys in Feb 2011. I mentioned the two elevators everyday and the lack of balcony as huge issues once moved in. In the end, I think the RITZ will appeal to an older target market and foreign buyers that have several places around the world. I think Shangrila will have more owners that live, work, and play in Toronto. Either way, the RITZ and Shangrila are the two premium condo's located right in the core. I don't think you could go too wrong selecting either one.
 
No windows ... that'd I'd hate ... no balcony? Not a problem at all - I think it's something people get in their mind is a necessity and maybe for 10% it really is but I bet the majority rarely if ever use their balconies other then the initial decorating phase.
 
I'd live fine without windows and a balcony. Windows ARE nice to have to feel the breeze every now and then, but there's nothing wrong with indoor air either.

BTW: are dogs allowed in this building?
 
Since Toskier and I have been at this the last 2 days, I think we can see that it does split on those who think it is an issue and those who don't.

I will say one thing though which I think we can agree on. People will not pass on a unit that has opening windows and a balcony whereas some will decide if these are absent the unit is not for them. Means you limit your resale market somewhat which is not a good thing in the long run. That said, there is a buyer for everything and as Toskier has pointed out, Ritz has alot going for it and some things Shangrila does not have or which it has and are not as good. So most purchasers will decide based on what they value most and go accordingly.

The balcony argument is a bit like the swimming pool argument. 1-2% of people use it but for that 1-2% absent a pool means looking elsewhere.

Balconies at 10%. I would suspect maybe a deal breaker for 10%, likely a negative for a larger number perhaps 30-50%. No opening windows, I suspect a problem for about the same number of people or maybe more.
 
Alright on to more important issues ... frankly who cares if their are balconies or if the windows open, that's an issue for those living in the building and that's for the R/E section ... not to be blunt :)


Anyway, does anyone have any idea if the top will be illuminated at all - or any part of the building - that's one thing that seems lacking at this point and would make a huge difference - particularly beside the brightly lit RBC building.
 
Taken this evening using my new tripod. 6 second exposure with auto aperture. Unfortunately on my camera it won't let you use the timer in manual mode, so it may not be as sharp as it could be.

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Fantastic angle! I'm looking forward to seeing a daylight version. This tower has been underappreciated since being externally completed.
 
Fantastic angle! I'm looking forward to seeing a daylight version. This tower has been underappreciated since being externally completed.

agree...this will become one of the landmark buildings...in TO skyline. can't wait to see it all lit up at night.
 
Love this tower!... Hard to imagine where else in the city this tower would fit (look wise). Anywhere else i think of this tower would look darn awkward!

btw: hard imagining what this tower is gonna look like at night with the logo. Now that i think of it, i think this tower would look more classy without the logo. On the front side (north), it might look good, but i don't see a reason to instal one on the other 3 sides since they look complete already. The north side needs a logo since there's a HUGE empty part at the top of the tower where the mechanical is, while on the other 3 sides it ain't so much.

Top floors of RBC still empty?. shame.
 
Judging from the RBC Centre's night-time illumination, I can only imagine that Ritz would follow suit; they were designed by the same firm after all and maintain many similar themes throughout.
 
RBC still looks so bright because many floors are still under construction. New office buildings are always overly bright for a few years after construction and then when tenants start arranging interiors and lighting schemes they dim down quite a bit. Condo's on the other hand have window treatments and drapes to diminish the nighttime light escaping, but foremost they do not normally have overhead fluorescent lighting in every unit. How many lamps do you have on in your living room at night? One or two perhaps, so Ritz will never look that bright. However RBC will probably be asked to be dimmed after a certain time when the tenants start moving in to Ritz.

On another note...

Looking at Mo-tage's night shot, I knew the slanted roof was covered with glass, but I am surprised at the amount of light escaping from the mechanical floor. I wonder if when all is said and done, and the mechanical is finished, that they will have some cool coloured lighting effect for the slant.
 
On another note...

Looking at Mo-tage's night shot, I knew the slanted roof was covered with glass, but I am surprised at the amount of light escaping from the mechanical floor. I wonder if when all is said and done, and the mechanical is finished, that they will have some cool coloured lighting effect for the slant.

I'm glad that the mechanical slant/area at the top of the building will be lit up... Because its gonna suck having a lit building with a big dark portion at the top. Not sure if they'll light it at the top on the north side since one of the logos is going there.
 

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