Southcore Financial Ctr: PricewaterhouseCoopers Tower (18 York St, bcIMC, 26s, KPMB)

[ProjectEnd]

How so?

Because Archininja told him so.

 

[urbandreamer]

^The truth is twofold:

1)I'm not a fan of brand names. Foster+Partners is such a huge firm, it bores me!

2)A friend of mine worked at the firm and hated it--too big and bureaucratic, stifling creativity etc.

 

[khris]

You should really move back to Vancouver you hippie. lol

 

[Urban Shocker]

I prefer Toronto's version. Buildings like the one in London are reasons I agree with Prince Charles--disgusting and wrecking the old historic city.

Except that Foster's More London buildings - whatever you think of them as design objects - aren't wrecking the old historic city, since they're built on land that lay undeveloped for decades. Think of the West Don Lands or East Bayfront as a local comparison - George Brown+Corus+Pier 27+Sherbourne Park Pavilion for instance - buildings that are also as distinctively ours as Foster's More London cluster is distinctively theirs ( a point of comparison that maestro and yyzhyd have both alluded to ).

I agree that large architectural firms have a different dynamic from small firms. Beyond a certain size it can be difficult to maintain control and consistency and a sense of common creative purpose. I've heard that from a Foster architect, too, and nobody should be offended by the idea.

 

[urbandreamer]

Oh, I didn't mean Foster is responsible for wrecking old buildings; rather the "view." It's like placing a 50 storey tower on your street US--it destroys the setting.

 

[Parkdalian]

Took this pic when I was biking by on Thursday. Cement mixers waiting to come onto site:

 

[urbandreamer]

Toyota's hybrid system really needs to be implemented on these trucks--engine shuts off while idling. Green construction?

 

[CML]

From last Wednesday:

 

[Mo-tage]

From this morning.

 

[Marcanadian]

A quick shot from this afternoon:

 

[whatever]

When I drove by on Friday it looked an awful lot like they had skids of curtainwall loaded up on the second or third floor (hard to see, I was on the Gardiner). I think we might see some wall up next week

 

[Hypnotoad]

April 2:

 

[whatever]

So, that's definitely curtainwall on the second floor. Installation can't be far behind

 

[Mo-tage]

Taken yesterday evening from York street in front of the Royal York. This view will be changed significantly once 18 York is a bit higher.

 

[SP!RE]

Excited to see the glazing used on this tower.

Looking at those pics above-- the podium on Infinity is actually of a very nice scale-- the only issue is the overhang above the retail which stifles the openness of the first level.