Toronto Forma | 308m | 84s | Great Gulf | Gehry Partners

.dwg said:
Doesn't even look like Gehry anymore. What's even the point of using him as architect?
This is embarrassing. Any enthusiasm I had for this project has been flattened.
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I'd argue it sorta still does...but watered down quite a bit, IMO.
 
I feel like if this was the original proposal we would've been quite happy with it.

In some ways it looks even more like a "Gehry" than it did before.

On the other hand the seemingly large areas of flat glass (or whatever material that is) definitely seems like it could be a cost savings measure.

I'd like to see more of the base - so far that seems to be the most disappointing change.
 
I agree. I would compare this to the new Ontario Court of Justice by Piano. I know this looks cheap and what not, but just like Piano project it will all come down to the details(obviously depends on the material too). As long as Gehry is on the team it will be great.
 
I’m ok with this. I’ve always been a fan of Gehry but after seeing the Guggenheim in Bilbao in person, I realized that his work is often like a fake movie set, with pieces propped up for glamour photos from some angles but with ugly exposed mounting assemblies when viewed up close. Some of that can be seen at the AGO but not to the extent of the Guggenheim.

His more down to earth works are far nicer because while they contain the Gehry whimsy that we expect, they also work up close and in practical use.

There does seem to have been some value engineering in those flat glass facades but the crinkly cladding will add tons of interest and will definitely stand out in the skyline, specially with a sunrise and sunset glow.

Now, let’s get this thing built right away or there won’t be any Frank Gehry around to supervise its construction.
 
It's got potential to still be interesting and great, but I worry we are heading for a "barcode spandrel" feel. Please let that not be the case when better renders come out.

This needs to be better than that to commend the high $psf GG wants and without the ground plane defined this could go either way. Flat glass streetfronts do not make a street inviting....

We'll know soon enough when they go to CofA!

P.S. High quality Window Wall/Curtain Wall or bust!
 
Tough to see/understand all the materiality properly in these small b/w images, which look like models, but I don't mind the introduction of what appears to be curtain-wall (with deconstructed bits raining down). While the over-all design has been simplified, and I'm loathe to mute the cries of value engineering, these are still welcome additions to the core... as mentioned above, still a Gehry, less of 'look at how friggin' different we are'.

Head-scratcher: the giant chiseled slabs of stone on top are both interesting and disconcerting... have to wait for better renders to figure those out.
 
They can add few more ripples to this part of the podium, other than that it looks fine so far.
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salsa said:
Lol what an ungrateful bunch. This project is more ambitions than anything we've seen in a long time.
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You know, I've thought about this too. In end we are still getting something that is quite unique, compelling and striking..Particularly in comparison to a lot of stuff around here...

...however, I can't help feel where the design before this really spoke to me. This version not so much so.
 
If the up-zoning was based upon a false design then at this point the zoning should be in question, if not pulled altogether. If the City doesn't find some way to exert design standards on super-talls then expect 90 story "Alters" in your future. The fact that Dream has also just recently made a relatively banal design proposal for the property next door at a similar height is indicative that a serious design down grade is coming IMO.
 
What a huge disappointment! More than any other proposed project in Toronto I was so looking forward to these towers getting built. They looked like a twin tower version of Gehry's New York Tower. If they can build a tower like that in New York why can't we build one here? If this is actually what they plan to build I really don't care if this gets built or not. I wonder if Gehry still has his name on the project? I don't think he would want to be associated with this latest iteration.
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