Toronto Lumiere Condominiums | ?m | 32s | Lifetime | Wallman Architects

I think I'm winded too, but I saw babel on Thursday and he expressed pleasure - pleasure - at the thread.

The odd thing is, is that I'm a believer in the Toronto school, I'd just like it to put into words. Also, I think by clarifying that the Toronto school isn't necessarily as excellence, I am trying to make a little room to appreciate the qualities, aesthetic and otherwise, of the many wonderful non-Toronto-school buildings out there.
 
Here you go:

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The odd thing is, is that I'm a believer in the Toronto school, I'd just like it to put into words. Also, I think by clarifying that the Toronto school isn't necessarily as excellence, I am trying to make a little room to appreciate the qualities, aesthetic and otherwise, of the many wonderful non-Toronto-school buildings out there.
Click to expand...

Good on you, Archivist. But couldn't we agree that the Toronto School has various forms of expression? That the city's architectural culture has expressed itself through several stylistic branches?

Babel: good to know I'm missed...
 
"there is a vocabulary of forms, materials and details that is distinct."

Excellent- I too share in the enthusiasm for this...but what specifically are they? All I'm getting at the moment is a vague aesthetic sensibility- tempered, abstinent architecture which draws heavily on the International style with some historical basis in the post WWII 1950-60's apt buildings...?
 
I saw this building in condo guide. Looks excellent. Very nice lines. sexy and avant guarde?
 
This building is certainly based on the International style. An accepted and moreover- very safe- style of architecture that is ubiquitous to all major world/prominent cities. It's a building that is not distinct to Toronto in particular- or any city for that matter. Indeed the whole point of the International style is that it is MEANT to be built anywhere- is it not?

Certainly there has to be architectural elements 'beyond' this that makes it unique to this city. Merely saying that it was built here with close adherence to IS sensibilities by TO architects doesn't make it a unique style to TO- that's of course silly! Self-centred nonsense to be sure. Are there materials that are used that have historical significance to Toronto/ Ontario that aren't used elsewhere? Is there something in the detailing of the building that one might consider unique to Toronto..? What elements are there that can be identified as distincly Toronto?????

I don't ywt believe there is a significant commomanlities in architecture nor aesthetic trends that would warrant the title of a 'Toronto Style'. Indeed- I think it's quite nonsense at this point.
 
Of course there's a Toronto style.

Unfortunately it has been appropriated by Foster and sent to Calgary... 40 years later. Love it or lose it.

reclad.jpg
 
Cheers. Long live Baron Foster of Thames Bank. An architect who truly knows the meaning of 'avant gard'.
 
There were 160 units (out of 314 total) released to brokers... just over 100 have been sold.
 
Interesting rendering of Lumiere; I don't have a strong feeling about it one way or another.

As for the whole Toronto Style/School thing, I think it's more of a Toronto Look. The other terms seem too strong to describe the relationship.
 
In addition to the book Citywriter mentions, Yolles: A Canadian Engineering Legacy ( 2002 ) gives an excellent account of the construction of Post-WW2 Canadian Modernist buildings, the architects who designed them, and the local market forces and innovations that helped define Toronto Style from the 1950's to the 1970's as Yolles gained international success. Also, though it's a bit fawning, the current KPMB book explains how Toronto style has evolved since the anti-Modernist reform movement swept into City Hall in the early 1970's and changed the ground rules for what is acceptable locally.
 
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