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The Met + Encore at The Met (Edilcan, 43 + 33s, P+S) COMPLETE

I'm with you on the town homes. Check them out at night, I really love the lighting on the Granby Street side. The walkway to the towns from the drop-off area is a real treat with the art component through there (go back a page or two for photos).
I think the retail works fine if only they could get some exciting tenants in there other than another damn bank. The cladding on the first few floors is pretty good, nothing too out of the ordinary. I love dark glass separated by the white cladding and the curves are oh-so-sexy, I think it's refreshing from so many of the green glass boxes we've seen so much of. The balconies could have been treated/painted underneath, but that's a "me" thing. I'm not a height freak but Encore should have been higher. I get how they wanted Encore to step down as it moves away from Yonge Street but Encore looks a little stubby and awkward depending on where it's viewed from, The Met is slick and stands proud. Finally I like the drive around/drop off area in between the buildings, it's attractive and practical.
I'm a big fan of this project despite a few criticisms.
I absolutely agree that the balcony undersides should have been painted. It would have made a world of difference in lightening the buildings' bulk and could have been a design motif in itself, i.e. white/off-white balcony undersides against black glass. Hopefully, this is something that residents will do down the road.

Also, I agree that Encore and the Met should have been taller. The Met, especially, looks as though it was designed to be taller but had a few storeys lobbed off at the top as a 'compromise.' The proportions there seem awkward to me.

As for the retail/commercial component of the project, ideally the precast should have marked off this area, i.e. five or six storeys. A setback would have been a nice gesture to Carleton too. At the very least, the ground floor should have been double-storeyed.

As for the art component in the porte-cochère, I think it's fun lit up at night but loses its entire effect and looks cheap during the day. The wind meter at the top of the Met is awesome, however.

Finally, the townhouses look pretty good, again more so at night bathed in the otherworldly blue light coming through the railings, but some serious ivy growth is needed to mask all those ugly concrete retaining walls. More landscaping in general would do wonders here.

All told, the Met falls well short of greatness IMO. In the hands of a better developer and architect it could have soared but as built it's a missed opportunity. B-
 
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Granby Street Maisonettes (The Met Towns) by Night

July 25th

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.

 
I've tried several times to photograph the interplay between these two buildings with nothing great resulting. Last week I was taking some friends from Calgary to have lunch at the Peach Garden restaurant on Carlton and just sort of randomly pointed my camera upwards at the towers and was pleasantly surprised...


3674899485_5ee7dc5095_o.jpg

Well done Redroom, great shot. I've also had trouble shooting this building. It looks so photogenic but a satisfying shot has so far been elusive for me. You've given me hope.
 
Toronto Star

not really an article about The Met ... but it is being featured photographically ~ :D

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Toronto condo sales rebound

August 04, 2009

Tony Wong
Business Reporter


2622b1934b92ba60710976badb32.jpeg

ANDREW SPEARIN PHOTO FOR THE TORONTO STAR
Condominium towers at 21 Carlton St.


Condominium sales in the Toronto market may have hit bottom in the first quarter of the year, before rebounding in the second quarter according to figures released today.

After three consecutive quarters of negative growth, sales of condos hit 2,963 units in the second quarter, up 223 per cent from the dismal 917 sales in the first quarter of the year according to market research firm Urbanation Inc.

However, the market still has a ways to go before a full recovery. Sales are still down by 40 per cent from the second quarter of 2008. That quarter saw 4,962 sales, just before the market started to correct rapidly as the recession hit.


http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/675997
 

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