Toronto Living Shangri-La Toronto | 214.57m | 66s | Westbank | James Cheng

Redroom: Go back in the thread to see the images from the Hilton of the floor plate - the side of the tower is perpendicular to University, and only the podium is angled. I suppose it raises the value of the condos to have all of those balconies face directly up University - but what a really ham-fisted design.

The front of the building looks good, but most of the people who see the building will be coming from the north. And could that side look anymore like the side - and not a face - of a building?
 
Urban Shocker said:
... and if you glance to the left of the tower, on the rendering, there's another similarly missed opportunity in the form of that silver building at the foot of University Avenue at Front.
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You should be pleased Shocker. A pair by your favourite local architect will rise to fill that gap and hence become the new view terminus of University Ave.
 
If you're familiar with the Vimy Circle plan or even the better plans for Queen's Park that resulted from the design competition, you might think that University Avenue is defined by missed opportunities. Our sloppy urban design is quite evident. The grand avenue has a short median with beautiful landscaping, but is lined with ugly poles, thin trees in concrete planters ("tree coffins"), concrete sidewalks everywhere and the most sterile-looking subway stations down to the hole-in-the-ground entrances. Now, overhead wires have crept back in too. It really needs some beautification.
 
In fact, the Shangri-La is the only building on the street to actually acknowledges the angle in the street. The podium of the tower actually angles with the street angle, unlike all the surrounding buildings. Its amazing how it takes a non-local architect to be more contextual than the locals.
 
I thought HP was based in Toronto? in any case I agree with Parkdalian (unless I am reading his response incorrectly) that it would have been much more attractive to have the tower oriented to that angle in University Ave at that point with its north face tucking inline with its neighbours to the north...
 
Redroom Studios said:
I thought HP was based in Toronto? in any case I agree with Parkdalian (unless I am reading his response incorrectly) that it would have been much more attractive to have the tower oriented to that angle in University Ave at that point with its north face tucking inline with its neighbours to the north...
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Yeah, that's what I meant. Barring that, they could have made the side more of a face. The podium slanting is nice, but isn't really noticeable to anyone at Queen or above.
 
alklay said:
In fact, the Shangri-La is the only building on the street to actually acknowledges the angle in the street. The podium of the tower actually angles with the street angle, unlike all the surrounding buildings. Its amazing how it takes a non-local architect to be more contextual than the locals.
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Nothing new there. The by-laws were changed 50 years ago to specifically allow Parkin's 1961 Sun Life building to not to follow the streetline because the design worked better that way.
 
by me

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[video=youtube;3mbcmsIG_E4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbcmsIG_E4[/video]

[video=youtube;XAbznkvdOEA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAbznkvdOEA[/video]
 
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Looking at the podium levels now, with the right glass, this thing could look AMAZING along university... Just look at all those sharp edges/podium cut-outs. it'll be sweet seeing the sharp edges! :D
 
As I recall the old Tavern facade was going to get incorporated into the base of this. But its hard to see how or where. It might look silly buried under 65 floors of glass and steel.
 
buildup said:
As I recall the old Tavern facade was going to get incorporated into the base of this. But its hard to see how or where. It might look silly buried under 65 floors of glass and steel.
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Actually,I believe the tavern brick will be preserved as the seperate building which will be at Adelaide/Simcoe corner. The glass tower will be to the East/North of the brick building. I believe the 2 will be attached however but they will be 2 seperate structures.
 
Thank you, that's a much better solution. It will be interesting to see how they make it work as the contrast will be incredibly stark in scale and era.
 
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