Toronto 160 Front West | 239.87m | 46s | Cadillac Fairview | AS + GG

yyzer said:
"The Manatee" - Toronto's finest office tower, now open for business...:)
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Tower nicknames are very cool -
Is London the only one with multiples?
Gherkin, Shard, Cheesegrater, Walkie Talkie?
 
Not really the topic at hand right now, but I've noticed a lot (most) of the people on this site seem to have a deep hatred for "facadism" - preserving just the facade of a structure and tearing down the rest and calling it heritage preservation. Am I the only one that actually appreciates this?

Sure I get where the other side is coming from, especially concerning buildings that have a real history. Of course, keeping the facade is not equivalent to preserving the whole building, and it should not be treated as such. However for a building such as the one at this site, I see no problem with it. The building in question is not especially beautiful/historically significant. It does however meet the street nicely (better scale than a huge office lobby is likely to provide), while also fitting into the neighbourhood. In this case, if the facade can be saved (which it can), while also adding to the neighbourhood/city, what is the problem?

Also, not only do I not think "facadism" is an inherently negative practice, I also find it quite aesthetically pleasing in many places; the juxtaposition of old and new is interesting and nice to look at. It is also (as far as I've seen) relatively unique to toronto, and could become an architectural staple of the city. Let us keep the past in mind as we move into the future (or something like that).
 
TDotTeen said:
Am I the only one that actually appreciates this?
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I'm not against keepng facades, I'm against tearing and reconstructing them though. The bricks often lose that patina that gives them character and a sense of history.
 
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DarkSideDenizen said:
How spoiled and fussy we've become here in Toronto.
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You consider it spoiled to expect something better than mediocre corporate architecture? The majority of what gets built here isn't even architecture - even towers, esp residential towers - it's marketable square footage. With all of the building that's been happening in this development cycle it's a pity we have a handful of vaguely remarkable architecture to show for. This proposal is almost interesting - if it's nicely detailed it could even be remarkable, but not exceptional in a world class sense.

Rob Ford would call that spoiled, too.
 
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atodaso said:
You consider it spoiled to expect something better than mediocre corporate architecture? The majority of what gets built here isn't even architecture - even towers, esp residential towers - it's marketable square footage. With all of the building that's been happening in this development cycle it's a pity we have a handful of vaguely remarkable architecture to show for. This proposal is almost interesting - if it's nicely detailed it could even be remarkable, but not exceptional in a world class sense.

Rob Ford would call that spoiled, too.
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Well, thank you for making my point perfectly. Hurrying "marketable square footage" onto the real estate scene is precisely the phase the city is in. It will pass. The economy here (and investors) do not support the same kind of elaborations of design found in other "world class" cities. Toronto is not yet in that league, although we are inching closer. Corporations will build as the market demands and in this day and age, spend the least amount possible, that's just a simple fact.

Show some appreciation for what we are currently getting, there was a time not so long ago when the announcement of a new twenty storey office building or condo would be huge news. I have issues with the quality of some of the buildings going up as well, but overall the changes to the city are positive and exciting.

Oh, and btw, bringing out the Rob Ford comparisons and insults IS very cliche and mediocre. Didn't you say you were all about being remarkable? Please.
 
I can agree with this. I guess what I was trying to say was that done right, "facadism" can be an asset to our city, instead something to cry about.

Edit: meant to post as reply to user rpeters...I'm still getting used to this.
 
Definitely haven't seen this one yet, thank you yyzer.

I am liking this building a lot more than most people here it seems. It has a moderate ballooned shape but it is still refreshingly new and interesting with the slanted roof accompanying the proportions. Can't wait to hear more about this one.
 
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