I guess you don't like art deco style buildings!
this is not Art Deco - not even close
David can clarify his own thoughts, but I'll loop him in here as I reference what he's saying.
I'm sympathetic to some pastiche, some of the time, when done well.
This, is not that.
I'm also sympathetic to the idea that one can repurpose certain stylistic elements, popular in previous generations and create something new and cohesive with them.
This is not that either.
One can make use of arches, faux cast-iron accents, or make use of good stone or even a credible facsimile thereof.........but one must demonstrate an understanding of how to use these things well.
I like a lot Robert Stern's work which often honours history favourably in my judgement.
But this (the above) is not remotely like that.
This render shows some vague aspiration to high minded quality while being wildly inconsistent and insincere in its impersonation of some mythical earlier style. I say mythical because there are too many jumbled elements from different styles to label the above as even attempted 'Deco'.
I do see where one can find elements in the design that show some relationship to deco, but others do not, and the relationship between the various elements is ham-handed at best.
It feels a bit like International Street at Wonderland, a kitsch jumble of homages put together w/o sufficient care. Though, in fairness to Wonderland, at least its vaguely attractive if one isn't detail-oriented or a stickler for authenticity.
****
One other thing, context matters.
Many here would prefer modern, if sympathetic buildings on the heart of U of T's St. George campus, where I might happily go for Robert Stern recreating a lost masterpiece that fit in harmoniously with other heritage buildings as if it had always been there. One can go either way in such things.
But here, (Ajax) this would stand out as a non-sequitur even if there was a cohesive, and well executed idea. Which is not to say you couldn't give Ajax some historical flare, but it would require a multi-building process with some attention to detail and scale that made it work.
This, is not that.
