Toronto 191 Bay | 301.74m | 64s | QuadReal | Hariri Pontarini

It looks like there is some intention of creating the same revolving door entrance detail as the ones at Pei's Commerce Court West. Those entrances are beautifully detailed and cost a pretty penny, but an example of a detail that is well worth the cost - one's arrival into a building should be treated with care!

I will say, however - for all their creativity and good taste, HPA are putting out some really fussy, unfocused designs for highrise projects lately. It's a hodgepodge of nice details but a hodgepodge nonetheless.

Like a number of other towers they've been producing design work for - this appears very showy and yet feels unfocused as a whole package - style over substance.
 
I think this is a good first iteration. Overall, the building feels bulky to me though. It would benefit from more height, maybe another 50-75 meters. Also, I'm not crazy about the podium. Its form doesn't relate to the design language of the tower or anything else around it for that matter. And I'd pull it back and give CCW some breathing room. I'm neutral on the spire. It doesn't add or subtract anything.

Ultimately, it would be better if the whole thing could be shifted east and closer to Yonge but I guess they don't the own the required properties, namely the buildings at Yonge/Wellington and Yonge/Melinda. Maybe they still can acquire them...?
 
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Bogtrotter said:
Quite the landmark project, and will really refocus attention away from FirstCan which has served as the centrepiece for the FD.
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If that's the case, then they ought to step up their game in terms of cladding materials. I'm getting real tired of seeing the same blue glass in all these new towers lately.
 
travis3000 said:
The reality is, this proposal will likely stay as a proposal. We have two 700ft+ office tower proposals (160 Front, and Union Centre) which have both been dormant for over 3 years now. Chances are this one will join that club, especially with the size. There just aren't many companies looking for 1 million+ square feet which would be required to get this thing off the ground. Maybe one of the banks (TD, Scotia, BMO) , Amazon, Manulife? That's all I can think of.
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The only thing I find interesting is there is WAY more supporting documentation on this one than any of the other projects you've mentioned which leads me to believe this is a company + company + city + whoever else endeavour that they intend to see to completion. Let's hope at least...this one is tantalizing!
 
Contra said:
The only thing I find interesting is there is WAY more supporting documentation on this one than any of the other projects you've mentioned which leads me to believe this is a company + company + city + whoever else endeavour that they intend to see to completion. Let's hope at least...this one is tantalizing!
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Plus this address will attract a lot more interest to a lead tenant than the other two
 
salsa said:
If that's the case, then they ought to step up their game in terms of cladding materials. I'm getting real tired of seeing the same blue glass in all these new towers lately.
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Yes it seems to all come down to the cladding on these glass towers so certainly agree. Are those vertical fins on the exterior facades? I quite like that look on tall projects. Actually that's one of the things that I don't like about One World Trade in NY, while the building form is fine from afar, up close I find the glass facades too featureless- especially with so much of it.
 
Automation Gallery said:
Plus this address will attract a lot more interest to a lead tenant than the other two
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Without a doubt. I feel like we won't see the project at Union until Union has been revitalized. Not to mention this project calls for a pretty hefty demo of a downtown building which will take a lot of time. They could start now and it still wouldn't be complete till 2020 (unless it's steel I guess which might speed things up), which I assume will also be when demand is higher. There are A LOT of people moving into the city and businesses are coming with...pre-emptive but seems extremely do-able.
 
Contra said:
Without a doubt. I feel like we won't see the project at Union until Union has been revitalized. Not to mention this project calls for a pretty hefty demo of a downtown building which will take a lot of time. They could start now and it still wouldn't be complete till 2020 (unless it's steel I guess which might speed things up), which I assume will also be when demand is higher. There are A LOT of people moving into the city and businesses are coming with...pre-emptive but seems extremely do-able.
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This project is currently a schematic design. Without working drawings there isn't a chance in hell this thing would be built by 2020 - that would be less than 3 years. Even if demolition was wrapping up today, it would never be built by 2020.
 
Application: Building Additions/Alterations
Status: Under Review
Location: 199 BAY ST TORONTO ON
Ward 28: Toronto Centre-Rosedale
Application#: 17 277991 BLD 00 BA
Accepted Date: Dec 20, 2017
Project: Office
Work: Interior Alterations
Description: Proposal for interior alterations to existing office space on the ground floor - "Quadreal" Convenience address is 30 Wellington St.
 
innsertnamehere said:
only a few? The largest office complex since the TD centre is under construction right now, as are several other major buildings. Office vacancy downtown is the lowest it has been in 15 years, to the point where there is essentially no space available if you are looking for more than 100ksf.
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Which one are you referring to? Off the top I can only think of Union, LCBO and york/Bremner having broken ground. That's not much compared to what's been proposed.
 
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