Toronto 75 on The Esplanade | 99.97m | 29s | Harhay | a—A

[ProjectEnd]

Love the podium. Wish the brick would just continue throughout the entire tower. Not a fan of these contrasting colour towers.

An all brick clad tower is long over due for the core! (something like Abington House in NY)...

I've always been partial to the impossibly skinny proportions of FXFOWLE's Sky House in NYC:

http://www.oneofficearchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/skyhouse_1.jpg

http://www.oneofficearchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SKYHOUSE_02_628.jpg

 

[slicecom]

I think the main issue is the first thing that seems to happen in Toronto if a business wants to use the colonnade, is they install a fence blocking out the turf in front of their restaurant, forcing people who are walking by to exit the colonnade when passing their business.

 

[grey]

I think that once the trees along The Esplanade mature and fill out here you will still get the effect of a colonnade. Part of the sidewalk looks to be covered by a glass canopy and in time branches and leaves will fill in the rest.

This would be true for any tree-lined street downtown, except that it won't happen unless the tress are planted under a rigorous sustainability framework, which is unlikely to happen due to cost and lack of consideration.

These trees will almost certainly die. I think the City should require that developers commit funds toward the maintenance of trees, because the amount of sickly twigs lining our most urban streets is really unfortunate. It doesn't have to be this way.

 

[bilked]

I think that once the trees along The Esplanade mature and fill out here you will still get the effect of a colonnade.

Mature trees on the Esplanade? We had those:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6471...67t0PpZA!2e0!5s20090601T000000!7i13312!8i6656

And then cut them down for some reason:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6471...nVs7AGzw!2e0!5s20130501T000000!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Edward Skira]

You are being a bit deceptive there @bilked by showing the after shots from 2013 rather than the current situation. They had to do major work under the street here so they ripped it all up. Yes the trees are not as large but they replanted and did it properly along the entire length to Market Street. It'll look great as they grow back in.

 

[bilked]

You are being a bit deceptive there @bilked by showing the after shots from 2013 rather than the current situation. View attachment 71392

No deception intended here. I hate to see grown-up trees get felled for babies - that was my point. I can’t speak to how necessary it was to cut the old ones down, but it’s a shame nonetheless. Agreed that the street will look good when these mature, but we have some waiting to do.

 

[DSC]

No deception intended here. I hate to see grown-up trees get felled for babies - that was my point. I can’t speak to how necessary it was to cut the old ones down, but it’s a shame nonetheless. Agreed that the street will look good when these mature, but we have some waiting to do.

The old trees were not in good condition and in small tree 'coffins'. When the whole sidewalk had to be excavated for a new sewer the City installed huge tree pits and the new trees are already getting to be as large as the older ones. It will really look far better in a year or two more.

 

[someMidTowner]

New rendering for the project, which has been chopped to 29 storeys and rebranded "75 on The Esplanade"

 

[thecharioteer]

I would've thought continuing the colonnade would be a no-brainer.

Urbanisically, they should continue the colonnade and shift the podium forward to line up with the Novotel.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

I agree, but maybe the canopy, which isn't emphasized in the drawing, will do that?

 

[Miscreant]

I like it. They've managed to include a lot of detail but the building doesn't collapse into messiness. I think the glass/off white patterning on the actual tower goes some way in letting the podium's detail jump out nicely.

 

[Towered]

It would be nice to punch an underpass through to extend Church Street to Lake Shore Blvd...

 

[ADRM]

Interesting. I think a lot will come down to the material chosen for the podium portion; I really hope they don't cheap out with some nasty off-brown faux-stone.

It's tough to tell from that render, but it looks like they may be opting for some colonnade action on the south side? Anyone else see that?

 

[CityTownBoy]

New rendering for the project, which has been chopped to 29 storeys and rebranded "75 on The Esplanade"

View attachment 71952

I think we may see a further reduction in height as this one shapes up. Especially in keeping within the spirit of the St Lawrence Heritage Conservation Plan, even though this particulat site is exempt from the SLHCP.

 

[DSC]

It would be nice to punch an underpass through to extend Church Street to Lake Shore Blvd...

This is something being considered in the Lower Yonge Precinct Plans and is much discussed in that thread.) The problem is that going under the rail berm is very expensive and the Green P and TCHC building at the foot of Church are 'somewhat" in the way.