Toronto First Canadian Place Rejuvenation | 298.08m | 72s | Brookfield | MdeAS Architects

Reuse of marble.

I'm not sure if this has been discussed, if so I apologize.

Does anyone know what they are doing with the marble they're taking down? I thought it might be fun to lay it down, and make a path, around the architecture graveyard down in the Guild.
 
adma said:
Though to the east, both the 60s Royal Bank building and Canada Trust at Adelaide + Yonge have endured, marble cladding and all...
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... and the east and west walls of the lobby of Dickinson's 4 King West have some gorgeous and exactingly book matched slabs of dark, white-veined marble: the veining on the west wall is so cunningly arranged it suggests da Vinci's Vitruvian Man - right down to the little willy - and deserves a special place in the annals of local design cleverness and superb craftsmanship.
 
This is an amazing contemporary makeover, and Brookfield should be commended for its efforts. The bronze cladding at the corners will make a huge difference to how this building is read architecturally...the four simple flat planes clad in the fritted glass will pop. I like that the building will remain primarily white...

The fact that Brookfield will invest over 100M CAD on a retrofitting project of this nature speaks volumes to their commitment and faith in our city's future.

Critics will be silenced when its all done....
 
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The Condo Observer said:
This is an amazing contemporary makeover, and Brookfield should be commended for its efforts.

The fact that Brookfield will invest over 100M CAD on a retrofitting project of this nature speaks volumes to their commitment and faith in our city's future.

Critics will be silenced when its all done....
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I'm just hoping the tastefulness of the original Reichmann design. In a way, the cleanliness of the solid white (when it was clean) contrasting with the black resulted in a look that was at once Canadian and International. Hopefully the copper is done in a way that is befitting of one of the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere.
 
The fact that Brookfield will invest over 100M CAD on a retrofitting project of this nature speaks volumes to their commitment and faith in our city's future.
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It's long over due maintenance on one of their marquee properties. No doubt it's a heavy pricetag however, it amounts to about $40 a square foot in leaseable area ... peanuts compared to new construction such as Bay Adelaide.
 
maestro said:
It's long over due maintenance on one of their marquee properties. No doubt it's a heavy pricetag however, it amounts to about $40 a square foot in leaseable area ... peanuts compared to new construction such as Bay Adelaide.
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A building expires in roughly 30 years - on several fronts. An injection/ investment like this extends the life cycle, keeps a commercial building relevant and in the game....
 
I disagree I wouldn't say either the chrysler building, the ESB, or many other old skyscrapers in NYC for example have expired or need updating. Maybe internally, but their outsides are fine...
 
A building expires in roughly 30 years - on several fronts. An injection/ investment like this extends the life cycle, keeps a commercial building relevant and in the game
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My point is it hardly speaks volumes to their commitment and faith in Toronto. It's a necessary re-investment in one of their asset and that's it. For them not to (eventually) do it would speak volumes that it may be time to move away.
 
... so yes, they had to do something. What I think The Condo Observer is getting at is that 100M seems like more than absolutely necessary, and that Brookfield may be going above and beyond here. The update certainly surprised everyone here with its comprehensiveness.

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Who wrote the rule that an original design intent could not be revisited in time? Buildings can evolve and change just as houses or people do...I do not think there is necessarily any merit in simply re cladding in a similar material, ie granite or some other marble.


I promise you, the critics will be silenced when the net effect of this re-cladding job is appreciated upon completion. It will be stunning.
 
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