yyzer
Senior Member
Hume, in a rare burst of positive energy, has given London on the Esplanade an 'A'........from today's Star...
Condo Critic
London on The Esplanade, 38 The Esplanade: It's true, it's true, this remarkable new complex is still under construction. But that hasn't stopped people from moving in. Despite the presence of hoardings and workers in hard hats, it's abundantly clear that this project contributes positively to the neighbourhood. Indeed, it's one of the best things to happen to The Esplanade in some years.
Occupying the north side of the street one block east of Yonge, London has been fitted into its site with rare sensitivity. The garage entrance has been put on Scott St., which serves as the western boundary of the development, leaving the front, which faces onto The Esplanade, free to go beyond the mundane. And so it does; in fact, the south frontage reads like three facades.
The westernmost is a five-storey limestone-clad box that pays homage to the Sony Centre next door. From there all the way west to Union Station and The Royal York Hotel, the dominant material is limestone. To the east, however, it's the same red brick incorporated into the east end of the new condo. A section in the middle, made of dark glass, mediates between the two edges.
The main tower, which sits near the corner of The Esplanade and Scott, is set back far enough that it has little presence on the street. The fear that it would loom over the district ominously turned out to be unfounded. The designers also set the heights of the podium to match those of existing structures. This further enhances the sense that London belongs in its specific context, even that it seems somehow inevitable.
Of course, many details have yet to take shape; but so far the attention to material quality and the elegance of the basic architecture inspire confidence. In this instance, one can't help but feel things will only get better.
Grade: A
Condo Critic
London on The Esplanade, 38 The Esplanade: It's true, it's true, this remarkable new complex is still under construction. But that hasn't stopped people from moving in. Despite the presence of hoardings and workers in hard hats, it's abundantly clear that this project contributes positively to the neighbourhood. Indeed, it's one of the best things to happen to The Esplanade in some years.
Occupying the north side of the street one block east of Yonge, London has been fitted into its site with rare sensitivity. The garage entrance has been put on Scott St., which serves as the western boundary of the development, leaving the front, which faces onto The Esplanade, free to go beyond the mundane. And so it does; in fact, the south frontage reads like three facades.
The westernmost is a five-storey limestone-clad box that pays homage to the Sony Centre next door. From there all the way west to Union Station and The Royal York Hotel, the dominant material is limestone. To the east, however, it's the same red brick incorporated into the east end of the new condo. A section in the middle, made of dark glass, mediates between the two edges.
The main tower, which sits near the corner of The Esplanade and Scott, is set back far enough that it has little presence on the street. The fear that it would loom over the district ominously turned out to be unfounded. The designers also set the heights of the podium to match those of existing structures. This further enhances the sense that London belongs in its specific context, even that it seems somehow inevitable.
Of course, many details have yet to take shape; but so far the attention to material quality and the elegance of the basic architecture inspire confidence. In this instance, one can't help but feel things will only get better.
Grade: A
