Toronto London On The Esplanade Condos | 102.1m | 33s | Cityzen | Burka

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
 
Seems Hume viewed it too much in terms of the immediate environs--if he took the "distant view" into account, he might not have graded it so high.

Not that the tower is an eyesore; more that it's "contextual" to a fault. (Maybe it's an argument for returning to the 70s-style low-rise high-density paradigm? After all, it served that block of co-ops SE of Church + Esplanade well as late as the 90s...)
 
Once....

I agree with the opinions regarding the west tower. I love the colour but the tower itself is rather dull looking. The east tower is so much nicer looking.
 
My! My!

A very very rare 'A' coming from Mr. Hume!
..And on project that is still a ways to go before the finishing touches at street level are completed!

The icing for this cake is still pending.
As the remarkable sidewalk canopy going up continues to progess these next few weeks, the nitpicks on this forum will have even more fodder to disect.
Along with my new neighbours who had the good luck and wisdom to purchase a unit here, I will look forward to it with a certain smug amusement.

My original gut feeling, along with so many others here, was that this one was going to be a winner.
So nice to have it confirmed by a usually tough critic.
Although I often think the grading given in the past on certain projects has been a little severe, on this one Mr. Hume, we are in full agreement. :)
 
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interesting treatment on the corner - looks o.k. to me, although the glass box fanboys will be all over this......:rolleyes:
 
Looks more like Bourbon Street on The Esplanade but I'm keeping an open mind. I'll wait for it to be painted glossy black then decide. Thanks for the pics.
 
this building has to be one of the best designed building in the core for the cost.So many project downtown are meant to max out profits instead of designing it for owners,this project has to be the most detailed project downtown.
 
this building has to be one of the best designed building in the core for the cost.So many project downtown are meant to max out profits instead of designing it for owners,this project has to be the most detailed project downtown.

It's interesting that it is designed by the same architects as the Icon, which is rightfully the subject of much contempt in this thread.
 

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