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The Tenor (10 Dundas St E, Ent Prop Trust, 10s, Baldwin & Franklin)

  • Thread starter billy corgan19982
  • Start date
To pick up that great thought....We should be constantly comparing ourselves to other cities. We can learn a lot about what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. In addition, we should be looking at other city's architecture, not only to enjoy their creativity, but to build upon it and learn from it.

Hey, but what do I know: TLS is not finished yet!! ;)
 
I just returned from Europe and having spent two weeks standing in Squares like Trafalgar and even Piccadilly Circus in London, the Grand Place in Brussels and the Grote Markt in Brugges, its a pity we can't build a square that even warrants being in the same paragraph as those above, never mind the same sentence.

TLS and Dundas Square depressed me when I walked by it today. There's no real sense of rhyme or reason there other than it being a venue for eyecatching advertisements. There's no sense of place or story. It feels artificial and forced and half-assed. At least the ads at Piccadilly Circus are mounted on fantastic looking buildings that meld the past and present. TLS and Dundas Square just feels like something from Sim City, and really could be "Anyplace, Anywhere."

Obviously, this post isn't anything new but I think others here have critiqued its technical aesthetics quite well. I just wanted to give my reaction to TLS/Dundas Square after seeing such stunning spaces overseas. I think it says something when both the technical aspects and the experience are sub-par, and I can only hope we can do better elsewhere so we can change the focus to something exciting and vibrant.
 
Those stripes are the sort of proprietary signs that we need to see added to TLS to give it some flavor.

I still think that the worst part of TLS is what Sir Novelty Fashion refers to as how Toronto Life Square "Somehow manages to be enormous on the outside yet claustrophobic on the inside".

The layout within is not well thought out, not intuitive and definitely not attractive.

I'll be a little more proactive and suggest fixes to this seemingly unfixable mess:

Outside:
2308776056_a6aac1fb25.jpg


• Fix the spacing of the satellite screens. Having it wrong for months is inexcusable.
• Eliminate the blank corrugated wall on the east side under the ads. To do this, continue the window wall the rest of the distance, even if the windows are opaque "fake" walls.
• Do the same for the fans. Remove the fake fans and continue the wall of windows with dark opaque glass.
• Install an attractive wall and roof along Yonge St.'s façades. Perhaps a curved LED wall displaying a news and ad ticker.
• Encourage SHARP to install a permanent sign under the big screen. They've had their cheap ad there since the screen went up. They might as well invest in a set of individually lit letters forming their logo.
• Improve the visibility of the main entrance on Dundas St.
• Seek out a "permanent" major advertising sponsor for the central pillar ad. Take the example of the COKE ad at Time Square: A large vertical LED screen customized like the Coca Cola stripes
24377293_f103046900.jpg


FutureShop
• PenEquity should give FutureShop a break on office space rental so that they can free up their "lunch room" for a public area. TLS has plenty of office space available on the upper levels. There's no need to use such a visible and valuable space as an employee area.
FutureShop should relocate their office and employee room to an office in the upper floors and turn that lunch room into a TV specialty space. Hang all the TVs on the back wall so that their glow is visible from Dundas Sq.
• In exchange for concessions for office space -- which allows them to increase their floor space -- FutureShop would open up the space surrounding the down escalator. Currently, that escalator is incredibly cramped and claustrophobia inducing.
That is the only way down from the Food Court, AMC theatres and all the restaurants above. I foresee major problems with that.

Common areas:
tls5.jpg


• Tile the floors. This is an obvious upgrade that can make a big difference along with the following point...
• Install attractive ceilings. Look to Yorkdale for an excellent example. Yorkdale has hands down The most attractive commercial ceilings that I've ever seen in a mall.
• Relocate -- or otherwise block off with screens -- access to sprinklers near escalators
• Introduce art. Add sculptures, hang pieces down the escalator well, place beautiful photography on blank walls.
• Lighting. The cheap warehouse lights that they've installed throughout really set the tone for everything else.
• Open the Adidas Store to the main lobby via windows where possible. Nearer to the entrance, there's a fire exit that stands between the lobby and Adidas. Use this blank wall for a video screen for ads.

... now to reward you for reading all my points, I've found a very interesting early video rendering of Metropolis. PenEquity at least had the idea along the right lines. They just cheaped out in the execution.

Metropolis: Early Video Rendering
 
Just walked by on my way to Future Shop to pick up a second Wii Wheel for Mario Kart... :p

They're having a VIP reception tonight at the Adidas Store, it's looking rather sweet..

sspx0009.jpg
 
Judging by the placement of the vents and lights, it seems that this is indeed the final look. I still have hope that they'll at least cover up those fire proof exposed beams.

Look at where that horizontal beam is. That sets the height for where any false ceiling would go. The lights and vents are placed at different heights above that beam height indicating that there will be no false ceiling.
 
jn_12 said:
I just returned from Europe and having spent two weeks standing in Squares like Trafalgar and even Piccadilly Circus in London, the Grand Place in Brussels and the Grote Markt in Brugges, its a pity we can't build a square that even warrants being in the same paragraph as those above, never mind the same sentence.

TLS and Dundas Square depressed me when I walked by it today. There's no real sense of rhyme or reason there other than it being a venue for eyecatching advertisements. There's no sense of place or story. It feels artificial and forced and half-assed. At least the ads at Piccadilly Circus are mounted on fantastic looking buildings that meld the past and present. TLS and Dundas Square just feels like something from Sim City, and really could be "Anyplace, Anywhere."

Obviously, this post isn't anything new but I think others here have critiqued its technical aesthetics quite well. I just wanted to give my reaction to TLS/Dundas Square after seeing such stunning spaces overseas. I think it says something when both the technical aspects and the experience are sub-par, and I can only hope we can do better elsewhere so we can change the focus to something exciting and vibrant.
Click to expand...

I find is kind of sad that the beautiful old buildings in Piccadilly Circus are covered up by commercials.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Dundas Square due to TLS. Overall, I think it has a lot of promise, even if TLS is a disappointment. The bright side is that it can be improved.
 
^although that heavy shipyard crane that they're using above the stage is the ugliest, clunkiest thing I've ever seen added to a square whose main feature is simplicity and clean lines.
 
MetroMan said:
^although that heavy shipyard crane that they're using above the stage is the ugliest, clunkiest thing I've ever seen added to a square whose main feature is simplicity and clean lines.
Click to expand...

Yeah. It's been used well, but it's pretty ugly. I'm not a big fan of the lights either.

There is so much design talent in Toronto...it's a shame the bureucrats so frequently pick the wrong people for the job.
 
adidas opens today...

Attention Assignment/City/Lifestyle/Sport Editors/See CNW Photo Network and Archive:

adidas Opens First Sport Performance Store in Canada

Store in Toronto Life Square will offer widest selection of adidas
product in the country

TORONTO, May 2 /CNW/ - Today, adidas Canada opened its first Sport
Performance Store at 10 Dundas Street East in Toronto.
The store, situated in one of the most vibrant and visited shopping
destinations in Toronto, brings the adidas brand to life in 10,500 square feet
of retail space. Designed to cater to the sports consumer, the adidas Sport
Performance Store will support athletes with their on and off the field needs.
"We are committed to providing Canadian athletes, of all abilities, with
access to the footwear and apparel they need to achieve their own
'Impossible,'" says Steve Ralph, Vice President Sales and Marketing for adidas
Canada. "The new adidas Sport Performance Store will allow us to share our
complete sports performance collection with all Canadian athletes in a new and
dynamic setting."
Canadians will now have complete access to adidas' innovative soccer,
tennis, training, basketball and running product lines. The Sport Performance
Store will also feature Canada's only complete collection of adidas by Stella
McCartney, the first true sport performance design collection for women. For
the sports fan, the Sport Performance Store will feature the entire collection
of Toronto FC, Toronto Raptors and NBA licensed collections.
The store design is minimalist in concept - all the walls and fixtures
are black or white, which allows the product to be the focal point for the
consumer. The materials, shapes and fixtures throughout the store are inspired
by components found in sport, but are still practical and functional for
example hanging product bars closely resemble weight lifting barbell bars. The
floor tiles are meant to resemble a stadium whereby the perimeter colour
(concrete) represents the stands while the primary floor colour (black)
represents the playing field. The centrepeice of the store is the suspended
3-Stripe fixture that begins on the exterior of the store and moves through
the front doors leading the consumer though the space. The interior of the
store was designed by the renowned Toronto based architectural firm Hariri
Pontarini Architects.
adidas Canada will celebrate the Sport Performance Store opening with a
consumer event in Dundas Square today from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., included
will be interactive activities, Toronto Raptors Dance Pak, 4 Korners DJ team,
special appearances from the Toronto FC, draws for shopping sprees and other
prizes.
 
Don't tell me the floor is concrete and the ceiling is exposed piping and ductwork... :(

I was counting on Adidas to set the tone for the rest of the building since it looked like they were investing some serious money in this store.

Anybody been yet?
 
MetroMan said:
Don't tell me the floor is concrete and the ceiling is exposed piping and ductwork... :(

I was counting on Adidas to set the tone for the rest of the building since it looked like they were investing some serious money in this store.

Anybody been yet?
Click to expand...

I peaked in, floors are tiled.... while the ceiling has exposed elements to it it looks great with the lighting design. IMO adidas has invested in this location and it definitely adds value to the area.
 
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