Toronto OCAD U: 100 McCaul | 39.4m | 9s | OCADU | Morphosis

Interesting little sneak peek at the supposed OCAD expansion. Will be interesting seeing if the design evolves in face of this new reality.

preliminary_design.jpg


If I disagree w/the decision of the Ford gov't here on principle...............perhaps the hidden blessing is that the above design is altogether off-putting........and deserves to be iced pending a re-think.
 
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Very much not a fan of the large blank wall facing the side of the building with the highest pedestrian traffic (though nonetheless I hope OCAD figures out a way to proceed in the wake of DoFo's pig-headedness).
 

Yuck.

No seriously, this is an art school, full of creative people. And they keep coming up with this ugly crap? This isn't rocket science. Rebuild the existing brick building with a couple more floors and then extend the table top over it. Done.

These barnacles they keep attaching to it to save a featureless building? This is likely a logistics problem where they can't close the existing school to rebuild it. Look, I'm sure they're spending far more money trying to build around it than if they just rented out a nearby space for a couple of years. UofT is up the street. I'm sure they wouldn't mind some cash to rent out classrooms to OCAD.

I wish Alsop were still here. I'd love to see his approach to a second expansion of his building.
 
I personally really like the cladding, it reminds me of a Quadrangle(?) midrise which I can't recall the name of. However, the massing is pretty gross. Those extrusions don't work for me.
 
Yuck.

No seriously, this is an art school, full of creative people. And they keep coming up with this ugly crap? This isn't rocket science. Rebuild the existing brick building with a couple more floors and then extend the table top over it. Done.

These barnacles they keep attaching to it to save a featureless building? This is likely a logistics problem where they can't close the existing school to rebuild it. Look, I'm sure they're spending far more money trying to build around it than if they just rented out a nearby space for a couple of years. UofT is up the street. I'm sure they wouldn't mind some cash to rent out classrooms to OCAD.

I wish Alsop were still here. I'd love to see his approach to a second expansion of his building.

OCAD is kinda ground zero for the Toronto 'new buildings consuming old buildings' architectural style so I think it's kinda fitting and better artistically to recognize and continue in that tradition. Rebuilding something in place of the current brick building and extending the tabletop would mess with the proportions and current intended interplay between the two structures and the history of the school that the architecture contains. OCAD is interesting *because* of how it feels like wild energy and ambition bursting out of a relatively featureless, humble building. Barnacles are beautiful in how they grow into their context.
 
OCAD is kinda ground zero for the Toronto 'new buildings consuming old buildings' architectural style so I think it's kinda fitting and better artistically to recognize and continue in that tradition. Rebuilding something in place of the current brick building and extending the tabletop would mess with the proportions and current intended interplay between the two structures and the history of the school that the architecture contains. OCAD is interesting *because* of how it feels like wild energy and ambition bursting out of a relatively featureless, humble building. Barnacles are beautiful in how they grow into their context.

But Alsop (assume he's left town) might do something outlandish to challenge his own box on stilts... maybe a south leaning structure that appears to threaten OCAD's in the sky integrity (was going to scribble something but realized it was probably not time well spent).
 
Preliminary Report is up:


The report correctly identifies the 'issues':

Built Form, Planned and Built Context

The following built form issues have been identified on a preliminary basis:
•The suitability of the proposed building height and massing, including setbacks and stepbacks, in relation to the existing and planned context;
•The suitability of the proposed built form transition to the Sharp Centre For Design building to the south and Art Gallery of Ontario building to the north;
•The appropriateness and suitability of the proposed public realm including the proposed front addition (including elevator core), alignment with adjacent properties, and streetscape treatment;
•The appropriateness and suitability of the proposed cantilevering on the north and south sides;
•The potential shadow impacts on the public realm, including Grange Park; •The impact of the proposal on the adjacent heritage-designated buildings; and
•The suitability of the proposed surface parking to be retained.
 

206568


206569


206570
 
The view from Grange Park is definitely the saving grace for this one. Great to see them expanding though, woefully short on space.
 
that blank wall facing McCaul ... yikes. Other than that, i do like how the black provides a contrast with existing buildings along the street
 

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