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

syn said:
This bothers me too. It's easy to say build it somewhere else, but Mirvish owns this land.

I like the Lightbox, but it would've been something to have Gehry design that complex and condo tower (or towers).

Was there any discussion about integrating the current buildings into the new one? It would really disappoint me to see this strip ruined.

Hopefully we can get some street level renders soon.
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I have heard this project refer to 'atriums' more than on a couple of occasions. It would be very cool to integrate the facade of POW's neighbour into the atrium and have Gehry design some metallic tongues coming out the windows. You could have a lot of fun with the heritage components of this site.
 
What happens to property values in this area? So many tall buildings being built. Congestion is becoming unbareable.
 
Steveve: Downtown Toronto has reached a density, that for the most part, these buildings will go un-noticed by the general public. Especially in the skyline. Just three of hundreds of new tall buildings. The skyline can't be destroyed, it can, as it has always, only grow.
 
Does anyone have a sense of how this project is being received outside these forums? The comments I have been hearing are overwhelmingly negative. The view most people I've talked to seem to be taking is that we're losing a theatre for the sake of "yet more condos". Granted I work in the suburbs where people don't seem to understand that with current land values we won't be seeing single family home construction in the core.
 
Filip said:
I have heard this project refer to 'atriums' more than on a couple of occasions. It would be very cool to integrate the facade of POW's neighbour into the atrium and have Gehry design some metallic tongues coming out the windows. You could have a lot of fun with the heritage components of this site.
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I agree - I would love to see Gehry integrate his work with the existing heritage structures.
 
ttk77 said:
Does anyone have a sense of how this project is being received outside these forums? The comments I have been hearing are overwhelmingly negative. The view most people I've talked to seem to be taking is that we're losing a theatre for the sake of "yet more condos". Granted I work in the suburbs where people don't seem to understand that with current land values we won't be seeing single family home construction in the core.
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Most of the public seems to see it as just another collection of condos - they're ignoring all the other components.
 
400WellingtonGuy said:
OCAD's point of view. Supposedly getting 25,000 sq.ft.
http://www.ocadu.ca/about_ocad/articles/headlines/20121001_mirvish-gehry_dev_news.htm

And smartly getting into phase one.
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From their response:

I will be sharing more details and answering questions about this partnership at tomorrow's Presidential Forum, which takes place in Room 190, the Auditorium, at 100 McCaul Street, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. We will first cover the strategic plan and then move to an overview about our part in this project, which bears the working title of the OCAD University Public Learning Centre for Visual Art, Curatorial Studies and Art History.
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Will anybody from UT be attending this presentation?
 
Filip said:
I am somewhat surprised the middle tower doesn't include a ~20 floor hotel portion. This is an ideal location for a good 5 star hotel to service TIFF patrons and visiting businessmen.
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syn said:
Good point.

It would almost seem like a waste not to include hotel space.
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In the past few years, Toronto has gone from being the most developed, largest, city without 5 star hotels to being a market with 5 of them. This area in particular is well served by two large and world-branded 5 star hotels (Ritz and Shangri La). If I were the developer/proponent of this project I would view the inclusion of a 5 star hotel as a bit of undue risk.
 
The Union revitalization accommodates new density in South Core, but if King St keeps blowing up and adding multi-thousands of residents St. Andrew really needs to see the same treatment - passenger platform from centre to sides and perhaps begin a lower level transfer point for a future DRL.

In the near term, as a regular 504/509 streetcar user, pedestrian, cyclist and resident in this area I can confirm gridlock can't just be wished away. King is 4 lanes wide, it should be turned into a one way street with streetcar tracks in curb separated lanes to create dedicated ROW, at minimum.
 
I think Mirvish understands the concern people see as these being just 3 more tall condos. In this Toronto Star Video he mentions that...

Mirvish - 'I am not building condominiums, I am building three sculptures'...
 
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TOareaFan said:
In the past few years, Toronto has gone from being the most developed, largest, city without 5 star hotels to being a market with 5 of them. This area in particular is well served by two large and world-branded 5 star hotels (Ritz and Shangri La). If I were the developer/proponent of this project I would view the inclusion of a 5 star hotel as a bit of undue risk.
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At this point, I think the inclusion of 2,600 condo units is more of a risk.
 
looks like mirvish hired the same guy who made this video to do the promo video for this projcect. same song and everything.

http://vimeo.com/30788720

another funny thing I noticed in the promo video is a billboard on top of the TCHC housing project at 0:33. it claims that "98% of people live in boxes"
 
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