Toronto L-Tower | 204.82m | 58s | Cityzen | Daniel Libeskind

After being away from the city for so many months it's good to see the skyline again as I drove in along the QEW. Ever changing and yet so familiar thanks to the iconic forever fixtures like the TD Bank towers, the CN Tower, the L Tower Crane...
Ahh tradition. Seems like I’ve posted something like this for so many years I’m losing count.
God, I’m getting old.
Anybody here able to tell me ? When was the last time the builder has said the crane will be down in a couple of months? Anybody keeping count on that one?
That north face. I haven’t seen plywood that old since the last time I drove through Buffalo back in the nineties. (Took a wrong turn)
 
ponyboy said:
Does anyone like the chrome statues?
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I think the statues are the only part of the plaza I unreservedly like. They have a vaguely Brancusi-esque shape that works well with the Sony Centre's Modernism, and the way reflections move and shimmer over the chrome surface as you walk by is a pleasing effect.
 
ponyboy said:
June 15 -- a graduation was being held at the Sony Centre. I think it was George Brown.

A sitting space along front street is the best part of the new public space, with some decent people watching opportunities. The plaza is sparse with no apparent plans for grow a tree canopy. Within the plaza, there is a small sitting space where people are sitting in the photo, but otherwise the plaza lacks anywhere else to sit as far as I can tell. I think it has exactly what they wanted -- no one who hasn't paid to see a show (undesirables) will have a reason to linger here.

Does anyone like the chrome statues?

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I walk by here daily and this is the most people I have ever seen in this square. I guess it's not surprising since there is almost no seating in the square. It was paid for with tax payer's dollars but it's clear they want to keep the general public out and it's working but wasn't this originally sold as a great new public gathering place? So who changed the script? It's a complete waste of space and public funds if it continues this way!
 
Torontovibe said:
It was paid for with tax payer's dollars but it's clear they want to keep the general public out and it's working but wasn't this originally sold as a great new public gathering place? So who changed the script? It's a complete waste of space and public funds if it continues this way!
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Was this paid for by taxpayer dollars? Was this not all paid for by the developer of/purchasers at the L Tower? This is a POPS on L Tower strata land, AFAIK, and the 'Dream Ballet', (the three polished steel sculptures by Toronto artist Harley Valentine) are an L Tower public art contribution to the city.

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interchange42 said:
Was this paid for by taxpayer dollars? Was this not all paid for by the developer of/purchasers at the L Tower? This is a POPS on L Tower strata land, AFAIK, and the 'Dream Ballet', (the three polished steel sculptures by Toronto artist Harley Valentine) are an L Tower public art contribution to the city.

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Yes, that's how it happened. s 37 money plus 'art money'.
 
Yesterday, with a fortuitous shadow:

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IMO the public space here is a colossal failure. Another attempt of an architect trying to push a design for expression's sake (see June Callwood Park as another example), rather than something that people actually want to use, stay, gather and meet within.

But perhaps the building manager is very happy with the outcome. Nobody using the space means that there is very little maintenance costs.
 
Well they can certainly cross landscaping off the budget since all they did it seems was throw fat clumps of weeds on the slope and walk away. Perhaps striving for the au natural to juxtapose glass (& plywood). David Miller, development champion as I recall, he who never met a weed he didn't like, should be greatly self satisfied regardless that he promised the City would receive oh do very much more if only Council have faith.
 
WislaHD said:
IMO the public space here is a colossal failure. Another attempt of an architect trying to push a design for expression's sake (see June Callwood Park as another example), rather than something that people actually want to use, stay, gather and meet within.

But perhaps the building manager is very happy with the outcome. Nobody using the space means that there is very little maintenance costs.
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It's a Claude Cormier design so its lack of 'resonance' is surprising but I completely agree that the maintenance of the landscaping is not good. I assume it's done (or not done) by the Sony Centre?
 
In case anyone is wondering about the status of the missing streetlights on The Esplanade near Yonge (between Backstage and the L Tower), here's what Toronto Hydro says about the matter:

We just received confirmation that it's the developer's (L-Tower) responsibility to install lighting here. Our team has been in touch with them in terms of approving the designs, but the actual installation is something that they need to do on their own. Might be best to contact them directly regarding a timeline.
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Allandale25 said:
In case anyone is wondering about the status of the missing streetlights on The Esplanade near Yonge (between Backstage and the L Tower), here's what Toronto Hydro says about the matter:
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Thanks for the update! Considering how they've prioritized finishing the building itself, I don't see this happening this year, possibly not even next year.
 
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