Toronto Clear Spirit | 131.36m | 40s | Cityscape | a—A

Urban Shocker said:
The evolution of the Distillery District site as a cultural attraction and housing community doesn't negate the fact that it will always be a formerly disused industrial site - just as it is a former distillery.
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That, however, doesn't mean that it's just a disused industrial site or former. It's more than that.

Urban Shocker said:
Throughout its history buildings have been torn down and replaced - and the hulking, useless, Rack House M will be the next to bite the dust to make way for an attractive condo.
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Isn't Rackhouse M and the other building that will go down currently used as exhibition space? I'd say they're far from useless.

As for the condo, is it attractive? Sure. But not every attractive design is appropriate for every area/development. Scale and context are important here. There is a built form and history worth paying respect to. Even the Aa website claims that's what they're trying to do (even though it's obvious they won't):

"Both projects relate to the scale of their historic neighbors, and respond to both the intimacy of the surrounding 19th century streetscape and the site’s panoramic views."

I can understand how they're responding to the intimacy of the streetscape through contrast - but relating to the scale of their historic neighbours? I don't think so.

It's attitudes like this that saw Toronto lose some of it's most worthy built history - and it's a mistake that seems to re-invent itself for each generation.


Urban Shocker said:
Housing for workers existed on the site during the Victorian era, so a fine old tradition continues.
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I don't think anyone has problem with residential units in the Distillery...it's the size of this project that's the problem.
 
Rackhouse 'M' is, as I understand it, supported by the wooden racks inside - and if you remove them the place will collapse. It is a disused, windowless hulk that will make way for housing. Wood and brick from that building will be incorporated in the new constructions. The condominiums will rise from podium buildings that are in scale with their surroundings, as will be the long arm building at the south side of the site.

I hope they save the shutters on Rack House 'D' when they convert it to The Z:eek:lander Hotel. You rarely see such beauties - made from triple layered wood and faced in metal that's turned at the edges and nailed, with huge metal hinge brackets set into the brickwork.

With the exception of a few deep-pocketed galleries - Corkin and Sandra Ainsley - and Artcore, the attempted creative "seeding" of the first phase of development by artists didn't work very well, and the place still operates as a glorified destination shopping mall. But they've booked plenty of events that bring people there so if they eventually hit their stride the condo owners may end up complaining about the "clubland" noise level at all hours.

Gooderham and Worts were a canny bunch. Who knows, if they were still in business today they might be building high rise condominiums on the site for their employees.
 
Urban Shocker said:
Rackhouse 'M' is, as I understand it, supported by the wooden racks inside - and if you remove them the place will collapse. It is a disused, windowless hulk that will make way for housing. Wood and brick from that building will be incorporated in the new constructions. The condominiums will rise from podium buildings that are in scale with their surroundings, as will be the long arm building at the south side of the site.
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Ah, how chirpy and positive.
Urban Shocker, after the heritage community's done with him
mussolini_hanging1.jpg
 
The wooden racks collapse issue is a red herring. That was true of the Seagram Museum warehouse in Waterloo, but it was still beautifully renovated. You can take out as many of the wooden beams as you want, and just replace them with a handful of steel beams.
 
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