Toronto Eaton Centre (Ongoing Renewal) | ?m | ?s | Cadillac Fairview | Zeidler

Absolutely - so true. I am sure this has been mentioned before, but my realization some years ago, was how other than the main atrium really, the Eaton Centre has completely lost its identity. It struggles to be relevant in today's short-attention spanned minds, which in turn pushes CF to react to trends and ridiculousness. All of the elements in themselves, are for the most part okay, or even good (ie: the new connection bridge to HBC). But the building has been broken down into all these non-cohesive elements as it tries to be everything and nothing. Yes, you can provide space for brand identity, but again, do it in a cohesive manner. Think of Mies's TD towers/path - (another CF property), they maintained the simple, refined look that Mies provided for years, then under pressure from retailers changed their tune and allowed individual branding to bust out. Now this space is quickly becoming like everything else. I digress. Cohesiveness and uniformity are frowned upon today - standing out is requested and required. This is by no means a judgement on society, but rather toward our current versions of architecture - specifically in Toronto. I have more to add to this, but should probably get back to work...ugh!

p5

Let's not be diplomatic - what they did was systematically eliminating the identity of Eaton Centre (specifically - an 70s indoor garden/Eden motif) and turned it into a disposable vessel of fads and trends. Just look at how authoritative, confident and inviting that entrance to the glass atrium was - and compare it to the current pathetic one underneath the media tower. It's a damning indictment of their priorities.

AoD
 
Let's not be diplomatic - what they did was systematically eliminating the identity of Eaton Centre (specifically - an 70s indoor garden/Eden motif) and turned it into a disposable vessel of fads and trends. Just look at how authoritative, confident and inviting that entrance to the glass atrium was - and compare it to the current pathetic one underneath the media tower. It's a damning indictment of their priorities.

AoD
Very true - on all accounts :p.

Money talks and bulls$%t walks, I once heard.
 
CF's priorities have been clear for some time now, and their horrendous over-obsession with slapping branding/signage all over their properties as opposed to thoughtfully considering the architectural experience. The only exception is that pedestrian bridge over Queen and even then it doesn't really fit with the rest of whatever they've done at the mall since it's such a patchwork of designs and renovations at this point.
 
Without a complete re-think............

My Eaton-Centre fix-it would be as follows:

1) Restore the original railings

2) Put back the trees

3) Put back the original Yonge-Dundas entrance, including vegetation and water features.

4) Have Nordstrom occupy the entire footprint of the original Eaton's, on the 3 floors on which it operates. It feels too tiny for the space of 'flagship/anchor store'.

In the non-restoration section:

1) Build a full glass arcade east-west on the Albert Street alignment from Yonge to Albert Street. (photo below shows the outline)

1613162675678.png


2) Enlarge the Indigo (It's seriously over-crowded, having absorbed the customer base of World's Biggest Bookstore and to a lesser degree, Chapters Festival Hall.

Expand the lower level to the same sized footprint as the upper level; include a full-set of internal escalators.

3) Make that Albert Street corner an intersection of secondary anchors, where the 2 arcades would meet.

Consider moving H&M to one corner, Samsung to another, and Uniqlo to the last. Have them all be the flagship locations for the City.

4) Remove the Yonge Street faux facade, build the 2 new anchors out to the street, with direct-street and in-mall access.

5) Have all the other Yonge-facing storefronts become restaurants with Yonge Street - only access; room for patios.

6) Level the Dundas Parkade Block. Move Cineplex back across the street to its original home, but with a flagship location with integrated restaurants facing Dundas at street level and an old-style
movie Marquee anchoring the new entrance to the Cinema on the 2nd level up.

Have the cinema take design cues from Paramount/Festival Hall/Scotiabank and have huge picture windows facing out to the City on both the Dundas and Bay frontages with 2-way vision glass allowing a vibrant interior to engage the outside and vice versa.


****

Just my 2 cents.
 
Upgrading the arched glass roof would be welcomed. Curved glass with a built in programmable LED system would be a showstopper. Think how over the top amazing it would be to have light shows streaming down its length. One could have special ones for Christmas, Canada Day, PrideWeek, Nuit Blanche, Halloween, etc. The current glass roof is wonderful but it could be elevated to that of an art installation.

I've heard many a first time tourist to the Eaton Centre just a little bit let down to discover that this hyped Toronto place is really just a big shopping mall. Perhaps it's time we help turn it into something more than just a mall.
 
I've heard many a first time tourist to the Eaton Centre just a little bit let down to discover that this hyped Toronto place is really just a big shopping mall. Perhaps it's time we help turn it into something more than just a mall.
That's what 10 Dundas was for...until well we saw what happened there.
 
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Upgrading the arched glass roof would be welcomed. Curved glass with a built in programmable LED system would be a showstopper. Think how over the top amazing it would be to have light shows streaming down its length. One could have special ones for Christmas, Canada Day, PrideWeek, Nuit Blanche, Halloween, etc. The current glass roof is wonderful but it could be elevated to that of an art installation.

I've heard many a first time tourist to the Eaton Centre just a little bit let down to discover that this hyped Toronto place is really just a big shopping mall. Perhaps it's time we help turn it into something more than just a mall.

Quite frankly Y+D/Eaton Centre is the *last* place I would recommend tourist going. It's embarrassingly awful.

AoD
 
Quite frankly Y+D/Eaton Centre is the *last* place I would recommend tourist going. It's embarrassingly awful.

AoD

I suppose I wouldn't suggest visiting the Eaton Centre to a tourist wanting to go site seeing, but people do shop while on vacation, and so I might suggest it as a way to check shopping off that list.
 
Quite frankly Y+D/Eaton Centre is the *last* place I would recommend tourist going. It's embarrassingly awful.

AoD

I could not agree more AoD. Yonge and Dundas Square is an unmitigated disaster much like the stretch of Yonge from Bloor to Queen with all the dilapidated buildings and shops.

That being said however, the Eaton Centre is really the only place for tourists to shop that does not involve schlepping to Yorkdale, STC or Fairview. Yorkville is only good if said tourists have more money than brains.
 
Without a complete re-think............

My Eaton-Centre fix-it would be as follows:

1) Restore the original railings

2) Put back the trees

3) Put back the original Yonge-Dundas entrance, including vegetation and water features.

4) Have Nordstrom occupy the entire footprint of the original Eaton's, on the 3 floors on which it operates. It feels too tiny for the space of 'flagship/anchor store'.

In the non-restoration section:

1) Build a full glass arcade east-west on the Albert Street alignment from Yonge to Albert Street. (photo below shows the outline)

View attachment 299736

2) Enlarge the Indigo (It's seriously over-crowded, having absorbed the customer base of World's Biggest Bookstore and to a lesser degree, Chapters Festival Hall.

Expand the lower level to the same sized footprint as the upper level; include a full-set of internal escalators.

3) Make that Albert Street corner an intersection of secondary anchors, where the 2 arcades would meet.

Consider moving H&M to one corner, Samsung to another, and Uniqlo to the last. Have them all be the flagship locations for the City.

4) Remove the Yonge Street faux facade, build the 2 new anchors out to the street, with direct-street and in-mall access.

5) Have all the other Yonge-facing storefronts become restaurants with Yonge Street - only access; room for patios.

6) Level the Dundas Parkade Block. Move Cineplex back across the street to its original home, but with a flagship location with integrated restaurants facing Dundas at street level and an old-style
movie Marquee anchoring the new entrance to the Cinema on the 2nd level up.

Have the cinema take design cues from Paramount/Festival Hall/Scotiabank and have huge picture windows facing out to the City on both the Dundas and Bay frontages with 2-way vision glass allowing a vibrant interior to engage the outside and vice versa.


****

Just my 2 cents.
Albert-St. glass arcade all the way through to Yonge St: YES!
 
Quite frankly Y+D/Eaton Centre is the *last* place I would recommend tourist going. It's embarrassingly awful.

AoD
I know for some, including my partner, the walk from the The Bay through the Wilkinson Eyre bridge and then opening up to the tall ceilings and Canada geese installation is quite a "wow" moment. For those who've never seen it there's still some charm but those with an architectural eye for detail or have had to experience it as a crowded, pain in the ass it's a different story.

All to say, never discredit the world through someone's fresh, naive eyes!
 
Upgrading the arched glass roof would be welcomed. Curved glass with a built in programmable LED system would be a showstopper. Think how over the top amazing it would be to have light shows streaming down its length. One could have special ones for Christmas, Canada Day, PrideWeek, Nuit Blanche, Halloween, etc. The current glass roof is wonderful but it could be elevated to that of an art installation.
Like Fremont Street in Las Vegas
 

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