Toronto Bay Adelaide Centre | 217.92m | 51s | Brookfield | KPMB

[whatever]

I like the ghost facade. If they'd mimicked it exactly it would have looked cheap and ersatz. There's something interesting in the way that they copied it without copying it.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

I like it too - how the kept the form of the facade but made it obvious that it wasn't part of the original.

 

[BayStBoi]

Crane on the east side of the tower is starting to come down.

 

[Edward Skira]

And it slowly comes to a conclusion.

 

[kris]

Check out my post here http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showth...B-amp-Adamson-Associates)?p=994537#post994537

I am no fortune teller, L tower has just been slowwww

 

[Miscreant]

And it slowly comes to a conclusion.

In a manner of speaking...

But I think really, this building has proceeded at an amazing pace. The logistical planning must have been nothing short of superb. The project managers nailed this.

 

[Marcanadian]

The east crane coming down:

Bay Adelaide Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Bay Adelaide Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Bay Adelaide Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Bay Adelaide Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Bay Adelaide Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Bay Adelaide Centre by Marc, on Flickr

Bay Adelaide Centre by Marc, on Flickr

 

[Edward Skira]

That's cool to see how they are taking it down.

 

[smably]

The ghost facade is fantastic and weird. Perhaps it would have been even more interesting and surreal if they'd gone with a solid colour, like a deep red or orange, but I like how the white facade fits with the idea upthread about the heritage building moulting and leaving its carapace behind as it transforms into a skyscraper. Can't wait to see this in person.

 

[interchange42]

From a wee short time ago:

42

 

[ptbotrmpfn]

Nice shot. Will be Real nice when that crain is gone. Torontos getting bigger!

 

[wmedia]

Just walked by the ghost wall and I personally think it looks like part of an abandoned building. The justifications for it feel just as empty. I would've loved to have seen it extended fully.

 

[Skeezix]

Not me. It's already a significant blow to the heritage resource to have moved it (albeit, arguably a reasonable trade-off). Lengthening it with a modern-day extension meant to look original would just be Disney-esque kitsch. Having said that, I'm not endorsing or criticizing the design choices they made with this ghost wall (can't really speak to it intelligently until I see it in person with the hoarding removed).

 

[wmedia]

Lengthening it with a modern-day extension meant to look original would just be Disney-esque kitsch.

At this point, I'd take Disney-esque kitsch over this constant conservative safe blandness. I wish architects would take more risks.

 

[Ramako]

At this point, I'd take Disney-esque kitsch over this constant conservative safe blandness. I wish architects would take more risks.

I think what they did was taking more of a risk. They could have just re-produced the facade, which most people on this forum and elsewhere would have expected. Instead, they went out of their way to produce something which stands out and has clearly spurred debate. The fact that half the users here love it while the other half hate it is a testament to the fact that it was a risky move.