Toronto Musée Condos | 53.95m | 17s | Plaza | BDP Quadrangle

Xray_Crystal_Junkie said:
Then again, Plazacr*p is building it so I'm sure the pleasant aspects will be watered down to mediocrity.
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And that is the most significant concern - that and every developer proposal in the area is an attempt to jam as much as possible onto whatever lot that was overpaid for. My prediction is that this will be regrettable in the end.
 
The archaeology dig is now buried.

Pic taken Oct 24, 2012


FaWYT.jpg
 
22 storeys + mech now?

I'm liking that arcade, as well as the T shape of the building. I like letter shaped buildings. It'd be cool to see a return of those.
 
Not bad. Orange and black create a nice contrast. I also really like the pedestrian arcade running through the ground level.
 
The galleria along with plans to convert Browns Lane into a pedestrian walkway and connection with 620 King W (formerly CKW/currently Allied & Rio) will be the greatest contributions of this project. These neat urban spaces will help create an enhanced sense of integration in the neighbourhood.
 
AlbertC said:
The galleria along with plans to convert Browns Lane into a pedestrian walkway and connection with 620 King W (formerly CKW/currently Allied & Rio) will be the greatest contributions of this project.
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I agree, but I had a terrible thought recently about the lane ways being narrow, dark, and uninviting. I recall there being discussion that Adam Vaughn would permit the extended height of Musee (21s) and 620 King because of these integrated pedestrian lane ways and the parkette (Musee). I think even the developers made reference to The Distillery District to draw comparisons. Personally, I can't imagine anyone would want to use these lane ways for more than cutting through to the next street. Context referenced boutique retail stores and cafes as a way to draw pedestrians...I don't know, there's just so many more options on King, Portland, or Wellington that are more inviting. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that the trade off of height and lane ways/parkette is really a useless statement. I'd much rather have the parking lot, the old brick building they demolished, and sunlight. At least the historic face of King west would have remained, not transition to something like City Place..

I truly hope the city (i.e. Adam Vaughn) makes the most of this opportunity and doesn't solely rely on the developers to incorporate things like art/nature or 'leg room' to this project. If he could commission local artists, incorporate wider lane ways, and really keep with the image of King West, then this project can be something to brag about.
 
Illy said:
I agree, but I had a terrible thought recently about the lane ways being narrow, dark, and uninviting. I recall there being discussion that Adam Vaughn would permit the extended height of Musee (21s) and 620 King because of these integrated pedestrian lane ways and the parkette (Musee). I think even the developers made reference to The Distillery District to draw comparisons. Personally, I can't imagine anyone would want to use these lane ways for more than cutting through to the next street. Context referenced boutique retail stores and cafes as a way to draw pedestrians...I don't know, there's just so many more options on King, Portland, or Wellington that are more inviting. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that the trade off of height and lane ways/parkette is really a useless statement. I'd much rather have the parking lot, the old brick building they demolished, and sunlight. At least the historic face of King west would have remained, not transition to something like City Place..

I truly hope the city (i.e. Adam Vaughn) makes the most of this opportunity and doesn't solely rely on the developers to incorporate things like art/nature or 'leg room' to this project. If he could commission local artists, incorporate wider lane ways, and really keep with the image of King West, then this project can be something to brag about.
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So Councillors can commission artists at will? Play with the dimensions of ROWs at a whim? 'Keep' with an evolving 'image' that noone can really nail down? News to me.
 
The results being sought here for the laneways are for the kinds of experiences one finds when digging deeper into neighbourhoods - the hidden gems down the back alleys - which are common in cities across Europe, but which are pretty rare here. These spaces typically have a dense urban feel; they aren't usually places that people associate with wide open skies, rather they give framed views of the natural while hemming you in with human activity. That's the goal at least!

In terms of local artists, well, every project must spend at least 1% of their budget on public art, and every developer has their own way of selecting the artist. It's a pretty international group as we've seen from the recent public art unveilings that UT has covered lately, but a number of the artists do come from Canada. Often the selection of artist has more to do with the art they are proposing than their home and native land.

I am always curious as to what we'll get too. There are a lot of talented people involved with the public art process in this city, and we're starting to build up quite an impressive catalogue of pieces. The city is starting to become a huge outdoor art gallery!

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I tend to find condo art picked by developer's consultants to be pretty terrible. It's rather disgusting really that they give commissions to tacky artists from somewhere else when thousands of creatives live right here in the city.

I have met some of these consultants...and typically, it's all about "relationships." Too cosy imo.

As for the revised design: Very King West Life Plazacorp massing meets questionable aesthetic judgement.

Isn't that some sort of engineered wood panels not orange metal accents?
 
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