Toronto of the Future Exhibit at Metro Hall, June 1 to 5

[yyzer]

Not sure if anyone has already posted.....from Real Estate Bisnow

"A free exhibition this week at Metro Hall is showcasing projects by top architecture firms that will shape Toronto’s future, including an audacious proposal from WZMH for a 100-storey waterfront tower (above). “We want to get people excited about what’s going to be happening in the city,” explains firm principal Carl Blanchaer, snapped below outside WZMH-designed RBC WaterPark Place."

Other firms taking part in NAIOP's Toronto of the Future event—sponsored by Oxford and Brookfield—include HOK, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Quadrangle and Zas. While all are featuring current work, “we also wanted to look at more futuristic projects,” says Carl. WZMH just won a contract to design a 140-storey tower in China. It got him thinking, “What can we do that’s in the spirit of things we see around the world, something that puts Toronto back on the map?” Inspired by China’s boldness, WZMH is putting forth the idea of a 100-storey tower in East Bayfront. If the concept stuns you, Carl says that’s the idea. “It’s standing back and thinking big about what this city could be."

vision? real proposal?

 

[FNTS]

Bigger photo from WZMH's Twitter:

Come see our vision of Toronto's future at this #FREE exhibition: http://ow.ly/Nz76N via @CdnArch #design #topoli

And another one from Urban Toronto's Twitter:

Hey @WZMHarchitects, does #RedpathSugar know about this?! 100 storey tower proposed for #Toronto. See it at #TOFT

 

[Red October]

Is Redpath aware of this proposal?

 

[buildup]

View attachment 47377

Not sure if anyone has already posted.....from Real Estate Bisnow

"A free exhibition this week at Metro Hall is showcasing projects by top architecture firms that will shape Toronto’s future, including an audacious proposal from WZMH for a 100-storey waterfront tower (above). “We want to get people excited about what’s going to be happening in the city,†explains firm principal Carl Blanchaer, snapped below outside WZMH-designed RBC WaterPark Place."

Other firms taking part in NAIOP's Toronto of the Future event—sponsored by Oxford and Brookfield—include HOK, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Quadrangle and Zas. While all are featuring current work, “we also wanted to look at more futuristic projects,†says Carl. WZMH just won a contract to design a 140-storey tower in China. It got him thinking, “What can we do that’s in the spirit of things we see around the world, something that puts Toronto back on the map?†Inspired by China’s boldness, WZMH is putting forth the idea of a 100-storey tower in East Bayfront. If the concept stuns you, Carl says that’s the idea. “It’s standing back and thinking big about what this city could be."

vision? real proposal?

So why is Keesmat dragging her feet on approving this illustration?

 

[Filip]

Is Redpath aware of this proposal?

My favourite post to date.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Meh. Can we have a first rate international competition instead, if you want to go down that route?

AoD

 

[Filip]

Other firms taking part in NAIOP's Toronto of the Future event—sponsored by Oxford and Brookfield—include HOK, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Quadrangle and Zas. While all are featuring current work, “we also wanted to look at more futuristic projects,” says Carl. WZMH just won a contract to design a 140-storey tower in China. It got him thinking, “What can we do that’s in the spirit of things we see around the world, something that puts Toronto back on the map?” Inspired by China’s boldness, WZMH is putting forth the idea of a 100-storey tower in East Bayfront. If the concept stuns you, Carl says that’s the idea. “It’s standing back and thinking big about what this city could be."

Brookfield - you may remember them from such forgettable projects as Bay Adelaide's boxes.

Interesting that they're sponsoring an event such as this... Given that the main reason we don't have interesting contemporary commercial architecture is that our lovely pension fund developers believe architecture comes from a structural engineer.. not an actual.. you know.. designer.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Brookfield - you may remember them from such forgettable projects as Bay Adelaide's boxes.

And of course, WZMH are the ones who gave us BA1 (and as mentioned, RBC - the most exciting office building along the waterfront ever - as well). Should have wowed me when they had the chance - and blew it.

AoD

 

[interchange42]

This thread has been moved and the title changed because as noted the building designed by WZMH for the Redpath Sugar site is not a real proposal, but some blue sky speculation that's designed to get people talking about architecture in Toronto.

I should say that at the kick-off for Toronto of the Future last night, Blake Hutcheson of Oxford spoke about how Oxford is learning from its other work around the world (the Hudson Yards in New York were cited specifically) and is ready to bring more expressive architecture to Toronto.

42

 

[interchange42]

And of course, WZMH are the ones who gave us BA1 (and as mentioned, RBC - the most exciting office building along the waterfront ever - as well). Should have wowed me when they had the chance - and blew it.

AoD

Shouldn't we be blaming RBC for telling them "we want something sensible and inexpensive". It was RBC that weren't looking for anything splashy at all.

WZMH brought us Royal Bank Plaza years ago of course, and they aren't unaware of that. They've now got a commission for a 140-storey building in China, so they're not insulated with what's going on in the world…

42

 

[yyzer]

hey no problem, thx for relocating the thread to its proper place.... funny there is so much negativity in the responses... didn't WZMH also design the CN Tower? That one's not too bad....

 

[Filip]

WZMH is capable of some incredible designs (Scotia, CN Tower, Royal Bank Plaza...) but in the end, the buck falls with the developer. Developer says 'we want something designed by your entry-level structural engineer' - that's what they'll get.

WZMH clearly has artistic merit given their work in other cities (with appropriate luminaries to pay for the design).

 

[Chrisel]

A friend sent me this and I didn't know where else to post it:

 

[ptbotrmpfn]

Wow Yes please!

 

[urbandreamer]

No thankyou. Tacky architecture belongs in Calgary.