tstormers
Senior Member
Love your new word 42Here it is , less blurificated:
Here's more:
42
'blurificated'
Toronto 839 Yonge | 160.2m | 49s | CT REIT | Adamson
- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
'blurificated'
Undead
Senior Member
Guess you could say it's a big ripoff
alklay
Senior Member
I just don't understand the heavy-handed tabletop/shelf element of the podium. It overwhelms the façade of the old CT and adds nothing to the attempt at graceful and light towers.
Maybe this proves that even if you copy a decent design, Big or small, there is no guarantee that you will be successful.
Maybe this proves that even if you copy a decent design, Big or small, there is no guarantee that you will be successful.
UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
I'm not getting this...aside from the cladding, these two projects resemble very little with each other. One looks fairly conventional, while the other is a gravity defying acid trip...
...as ushahid-san already put it, I wish AAA did "plagiarize" this.
Chrisel
New Member
Fair. I think it's much more of a striking resemblance for me since I live in Vancouver and see BIG's building almost every day. Had Adamson not gone for the stepped setbacks, I'd have a different opinion.
That being said, it is a sad state of affairs IMO that the design ethos of some local architectural firms is to borrow heavily from starchitecture projects. Missed opportunity to showcase what the firm is capable of by forging their own (unique) design path.
Northern Light
Superstar
Docs have dropped here. First the App just to go w/the link.
From the Docs:
* note as we've seen most or all of the renders, I'll mostly be looking at other planning docs below.
In respect of the heritage facade:
****
I do not wish to see the Gas Station retained or reinstated in its heritage form.........but I must confess to having a sympathy for its heritage version which I'm simply too young to remember.
Ok, from the HIA, this amuses me:
Shortly after opening on Site, it became apparent that the stock
area behind the counters, where clerks would go to retrieve parts,
was so vast that it took the clerks a long time to retrieve orders21.
Muriel Billes, A. J's wife, introduced the idea that the store clerks
would wear roller skates to fill orders22. The roller skating clerks
decreased service times and boosted sales, in addition, people
were coming to the Yonge and Davenport location just to watch the
clerks on skates
Also interesting:
and later in 1946 A.J devel-
oped a profit sharing scheme with Canadian Tire employees as an
alternative to unionization, which A.J. despised. The scheme redi-
rected 10 percent of employee earnings towards company stock,
which could be cashed in after 10 years or at retirement. By 1975,
Canadian Tire employees owned 16 percent of Class A non-voting
shares and 12.2 percent of the common shares; many Canadian
Tire employees retired rich following the sale of their share
From the Docs:
* note as we've seen most or all of the renders, I'll mostly be looking at other planning docs below.
In respect of the heritage facade:
****
I do not wish to see the Gas Station retained or reinstated in its heritage form.........but I must confess to having a sympathy for its heritage version which I'm simply too young to remember.
Ok, from the HIA, this amuses me:
Shortly after opening on Site, it became apparent that the stock
area behind the counters, where clerks would go to retrieve parts,
was so vast that it took the clerks a long time to retrieve orders21.
Muriel Billes, A. J's wife, introduced the idea that the store clerks
would wear roller skates to fill orders22. The roller skating clerks
decreased service times and boosted sales, in addition, people
were coming to the Yonge and Davenport location just to watch the
clerks on skates
Also interesting:
and later in 1946 A.J devel-
oped a profit sharing scheme with Canadian Tire employees as an
alternative to unionization, which A.J. despised. The scheme redi-
rected 10 percent of employee earnings towards company stock,
which could be cashed in after 10 years or at retirement. By 1975,
Canadian Tire employees owned 16 percent of Class A non-voting
shares and 12.2 percent of the common shares; many Canadian
Tire employees retired rich following the sale of their share
Northern Light
Superstar
I'll separate my comments here to their own post as the one above was getting lengthy.
I've already outlined most of my thoughts (don't like the podium overhang, needs a connection across the subway tracks to the Rosedale Valley lands).
But based on further reading of the docs, I will add this:
1) ERA is recommending reinstating one portion of the lost heritage, extending the Yonge Street heritage facade by one bay to the north. That is applause worthy.
2) The treatment of the existing heritage facade is much better than the status quo and will involve reanimation of it and removing/replacement of unflattering work, also good.
3) Looking at the heritage photos, I think replicating some of the south elevation, perhaps fully faithfully or perhaps with some additional transparency (grade-level windows) would make sense.
4) Examining the Site Plan and area more closely, I see two potential options for crossing the TTC tracks, with a publicly accessible open space. (first considering simply getting across with a pedestrian bridge)
The southerly location has the virtue of taking you to the large and more usable section of the existing greenspace/park and bringing you to Severn street and next to the lovely Studio building.
the downside is that it would likely impose on the Studio building a bit, the architectural sensitivity would need to be high, and it would occupy some of that green space.
My presumptive model here is the Liberty Village crossing as a switchback ramp here would kill a large chunk of the greenspace, so I'm assuming an elevator would be required on the Valley side. Based on the Liberty Bridge site, ~1200-1400ft 2 is probably required on the valley side.
The northerly site is less encroaching in terms of heritage or the best of the park space, but is also a less appealing landing spot and doesn't offer the context of Severn. It would also be less convenient for those living in the apartments at the base of the valley.
The outline below (in white) gives an approximate size for a landing box featuring a staircase and elevator. One can see it would require some vegetation removal.
Now, as opposed to a simple bridge, there is the option here of encasing the subway tracks entirely, and creating POPs/Park space above.
Note that the above would be ~0.23ha or just a bit over 1/2 an acre of new park space at about 15,000ft2.
The challenge w/this option is as follows:
1) You need more visibility and access to keep a space like this animated. The means highly visible access on both the north and south ends of the site.
2) Because you have to maintain vertical clearance for the subway, there would be a sharp, straight, sheer vertical drop down to the valley lands, which would now have either posts/columns or a full wall along their western flank.
this would also remove most mature vegetation in the existing park space in order to erect the support structure.
The bonus of this idea, in whole or part, is that it could offset some of the amenity space on the overhang, which could then be dialed back to better respect the heritage facades.
3) From a parkland standpoint, if no new space is created in-situ, I would suggest the money go to expanding Ramsden Park further on the Avenue Road frontage, as per the TO Core Plan.
I've already outlined most of my thoughts (don't like the podium overhang, needs a connection across the subway tracks to the Rosedale Valley lands).
But based on further reading of the docs, I will add this:
1) ERA is recommending reinstating one portion of the lost heritage, extending the Yonge Street heritage facade by one bay to the north. That is applause worthy.
2) The treatment of the existing heritage facade is much better than the status quo and will involve reanimation of it and removing/replacement of unflattering work, also good.
3) Looking at the heritage photos, I think replicating some of the south elevation, perhaps fully faithfully or perhaps with some additional transparency (grade-level windows) would make sense.
4) Examining the Site Plan and area more closely, I see two potential options for crossing the TTC tracks, with a publicly accessible open space. (first considering simply getting across with a pedestrian bridge)
The southerly location has the virtue of taking you to the large and more usable section of the existing greenspace/park and bringing you to Severn street and next to the lovely Studio building.
the downside is that it would likely impose on the Studio building a bit, the architectural sensitivity would need to be high, and it would occupy some of that green space.
My presumptive model here is the Liberty Village crossing as a switchback ramp here would kill a large chunk of the greenspace, so I'm assuming an elevator would be required on the Valley side. Based on the Liberty Bridge site, ~1200-1400ft 2 is probably required on the valley side.
The northerly site is less encroaching in terms of heritage or the best of the park space, but is also a less appealing landing spot and doesn't offer the context of Severn. It would also be less convenient for those living in the apartments at the base of the valley.
The outline below (in white) gives an approximate size for a landing box featuring a staircase and elevator. One can see it would require some vegetation removal.
Now, as opposed to a simple bridge, there is the option here of encasing the subway tracks entirely, and creating POPs/Park space above.
Note that the above would be ~0.23ha or just a bit over 1/2 an acre of new park space at about 15,000ft2.
The challenge w/this option is as follows:
1) You need more visibility and access to keep a space like this animated. The means highly visible access on both the north and south ends of the site.
2) Because you have to maintain vertical clearance for the subway, there would be a sharp, straight, sheer vertical drop down to the valley lands, which would now have either posts/columns or a full wall along their western flank.
this would also remove most mature vegetation in the existing park space in order to erect the support structure.
The bonus of this idea, in whole or part, is that it could offset some of the amenity space on the overhang, which could then be dialed back to better respect the heritage facades.
3) From a parkland standpoint, if no new space is created in-situ, I would suggest the money go to expanding Ramsden Park further on the Avenue Road frontage, as per the TO Core Plan.
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AlbertC
Superstar
Canadian Tire could soon be selling condos near Yorkville
A development proposal has been submitted for the flagship and historic Canadian Tire site at Yonge and Davenport
streetsoftoronto.com
Blovertis
Active Member
How about the fact that every second condo that's approved in this city is 49 storeys.
Northern Light
Superstar
Canadian Tire could soon be selling condos near Yorkville
A development proposal has been submitted for the flagship and historic Canadian Tire site at Yonge and Davenport
Which is to reinforce what I've said; the applicant and their reps are off-their rocker for not including the connection to the valley in the proposal, they had to have known it was going to be the top ask for neighbourhood, the councillor and the bureaucracy. To not include it is either one of the worst oversights I've seen, or an act of wilful defiance with a plan to take this to the OLT no matter what.
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Lovestallthings2
Active Member
Is zcsndisn tiire moving back inzz,,,??
Northern Light
Superstar
Oddly, despite the above typos, I can translate that.......LOL
The answer is Yes, that is the plan.
Northern Light
Superstar
Notice of Intention to Designate (Heritage Protection) is headed to next week's meeting of Planning and Housing Ctte:
Northern Light
Superstar
Community Meeting on this one is slated for March 2nd.
toronto.webex.com
****
While I'm here, let me offer up the position of the one of the local resident's associations on the proposal. It's worth noting, there's nothing NIMBY in their take; and their asks are pretty solid.....
Taken from: https://www.abcra.ca/news/2023/2/27/dont-forget-to-attend-canadian-tire-site-meeting-march-2-2023
Meet virtually with Cisco Webex. Anytime, anywhere, on any device.
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toronto.webex.com
****
While I'm here, let me offer up the position of the one of the local resident's associations on the proposal. It's worth noting, there's nothing NIMBY in their take; and their asks are pretty solid.....
Taken from: https://www.abcra.ca/news/2023/2/27/dont-forget-to-attend-canadian-tire-site-meeting-march-2-2023