Toronto Festival Tower and tiff Bell Lightbox | 156.96m | 42s | Daniels | KPMB

[syn]

I like the balconies as much as the next guy, but I find the windows seriously detract from the effect. It's about the details and those are difficult ones to ignore.

 

[gristle]

Thedeepend, that is an excellent observation. The front black panels do look cheap and poorly executed on what otherwise is a great facade.

A while back, I mentioned that the scaffolding appears to have damaged some of the cladding during the installation of the lighting. That damage can still be seen on the King Street facade.

 

[Solaris]

February 20 2010 update

Festival Tower from Front & John~
Click to Enlarge

 

[caltrane74]

by me


[video=youtube;PHpSi45ZN3M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHpSi45ZN3M[/video]

[video=youtube;9puL-kuqDOg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9puL-kuqDOg[/video]

 

[khris]

I'm not liking the way this faces Widmer at all so far. Hopefully some trees go in or something to make it feel less sterile.

 

[Ramako]

I'm not liking the way this faces Widmer at all so far. Hopefully some trees go in or something to make it feel less sterile.

In the above picture, it looks as though there are brackets set up for a billboard or something. That big blank space is begging to be posterized.

I'd also like to see movie posters along the brick wall like those in the walkway between Cumberland and Bloor.

 

[barrytron3030]

The number of different finishing material on this building is baffling. I am assuming that different material may have been necessary to function as sound barriers for the theatres(?) Otherwise, settling on one or two types of cladding (black brick would have been nice) would have made this building far more attractive.

edit(!)
by my count: [1] black composite, [2] silver composite, [3] concrete precast, [4] black brick, [5] half a dozen types of glass, and as of now [6] exposed concrete. insane.

 

[maestro]

I have to say that I think the architects made an odd choice in deciding to use the grey/blue panels at the back of the podium, and the more matte finished brown/black ones at the front. The grey panels have a really lovely and seamless finish, and the overall effect is much more polished and elegant looking than the King street side. Unfortunately, the overall effect of the brown/black panels is not all that convincing. They are far more irregular in colour, the spacing seems a bit wonky in spots, and i think the the matte finish looks a bit 'low budget' compared to the subtle dull sheen of the grey panels at the back, also some of them look dinged up already. Unfortunately they kind of remind me of the worst of the 70’s dark brown aluminum siding….anyway, the overall impression is that the King street side looks A LOT cheaper than the side facing Adelaide….weird…

The zinc does look beat up but I'll still take it over alcubond. I don't see yet how the dark colour is supposed to work on the front side.

 

[Traynor]

The number of different finishing material on this building is baffling. I am assuming that different material may have been necessary to function as sound barriers for the theatres(?) Otherwise, settling on one or two types of cladding (black brick would have been nice) would have made this building far more attractive.

YES!!!!!
Like a combination of Casa's Lobby/Podium and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts! Now that I would have liked. I think TIFF is going to rely heavily on lighting and billboard space to enhance its podium, which will look great at night. The trouble is, in the light of day it'll be more like an oversized, poster-covered, newspaper box.

 

[urbanboyto]

The balconies make it look like an echo of FCP

 

[JayBee]

I've been trying to like this building and I just can't. So many different materials, the podium dwarfs the entire area. I'm not sure if there's a single Daniels building that I like. I'm one of the few that hates Arc.

 

[Red Mars]

I like the fact that they are covering up the concrete with what appears to be a veneer of windows.

 

[4grand]

Yes, Red Mars... nice find. I'm so impressed (which I shouldn't be, because it should be considered commonplace) when builders take the initiative to cover up any undesirable materials with something innovative.

 

[SP!RE]

The west side of the podium is ghastly

 

[Civdis]

and photos too

Not sure if this has been discussed, but I notice a slight floor height difference at around the 9th floor of the tower portion (you can see it in the balcony especially). This floor seems to have slightly more height. Anyone know why?