Toronto Ontario Place | ?m | ?s | Infrastructure ON

AlvinofDiaspar said:
Putting a casino there isn't a bad idea as a magnet for people, actually. I wonder if the Pods (or additional Pods, even) can be used for that purpose? Get people to the neighbourhood first and then sucker them with the rest of the tourist attractions. Just like Vegas - the kids got to go somewhere right?

AoD
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Yeah..with the proposed hotel and convention centre across at the ex grounds it could make sense to build a new casino as part of the development, also throw a monorail/people-mover into the mix for that area..
 
The Cinesphere is an IMAX theatre, but has only a single screen. Hopefully, when they rebuild it for 12 month operations that there will be multi-screen IMAX theatres. Theatres that would show first run A movies in the winter.

The other problem is access. It is a bit far from the streetcar loop located next to the GO station. Hopefully, they will build over the usually empty parking lot and maybe even Lake Shore Blvd., so that Ontario Place's entrance will shift north more closer. With tree lined walkways connecting the loop and Ontario Place, so that we won't have to cross parking lots to reach them.
 
adma said:
The fact that the Star headline emphasized "torn down and rebuilt" is probably enough to start big protests, Facebook petitions, et al. I'm feeling the rumble coming on. Just watch.
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I fear not. The Facebook generation is apathetic to Ontario Place. It is not geared towards them and is isolated enough out of downtown to not be a spontaneous place to come by. It will take people like ourselves in our 30s and 40s, who saw Ontario Place at its prime and identify it as a Toronto icon to protest tearing it down.

Keep the Cinesphere and the pods and redevelop them into new uses and I'm ok with the rest being torn down and started from scratch.
 
W. K. Lis said:
The other problem is access. It is a bit far from the streetcar loop located next to the GO station. Hopefully, they will build over the usually empty parking lot and maybe even Lake Shore Blvd., so that Ontario Place's entrance will shift north more closer. With tree lined walkways connecting the loop and Ontario Place, so that we won't have to cross parking lots to reach them.
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Sounds complicated, why dont they just build a new line down Strachan from Fleet st. to Lakeshore ave. west and continue the existing line to Dufferin street.
 
Except that FB/twitter/etc is also the medium of choice for a lot of us...

Speaking of which, is DoCoMoMo still around? What about HT and Toronto Architectural Conservancy?

AoD
 
I'm all for revitalizing the place, but tearing it down? Absolutely ridiculous. I'm surprised they view it as something so disposable.
 
W. K. Lis said:
The Cinesphere is an IMAX theatre, but has only a single screen. Hopefully, when they rebuild it for 12 month operations that there will be multi-screen IMAX theatres. Theatres that would show first run A movies in the winter.

The other problem is access. It is a bit far from the streetcar loop located next to the GO station. Hopefully, they will build over the usually empty parking lot and maybe even Lake Shore Blvd., so that Ontario Place's entrance will shift north more closer. With tree lined walkways connecting the loop and Ontario Place, so that we won't have to cross parking lots to reach them.
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Agreed. One of the biggest problems with the place is access.
 
Like everyone else, I am completely appalled that the powers-that-be would even begin to consider a tabula rasa approach to 'revitalizing' Ontario Place. It is hands-down one of the most important pieces of modern architecture in the city, and maybe the only piece that captures that slightly psychedelic pleasure/futurism branch of 1960s architecture. I would also think that it wouldn't be particularly controversial to call it Zeidler's best work, and to call him one of the most important living Toronto architects (I dislike plenty of his buildings, but credit is due where it's due). That this demolition is even possible is indicative of Toronto's ongoing disrespect for its modern heritage. Very disappointing.

I would love to make a stink about this, but I'm not sure where to send my hate mail. Does anyone have an idea of who to target? City councilors? MPs? Ontario Place bigwigs?

There is plenty of room to augment, improve, and renovate without throwing out the core pieces of Ontario Place - if anything they should remain as a seed of inspiration for the next phase of work. Keep it fun, keep it futuristic. Don't let it slide into the mold of a normal theme park.
 
Although unlikely, I wouldn't mind seeing the Island Airport moved to the Ontario Place location and its present location turned over to other uses.
 
rdaner said:
Although unlikely, I wouldn't mind seeing the Island Airport moved to the Ontario Place location and its present location turned over to other uses.
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There's enough controversy about an airport on the island...there's no way they put one right across the street from the Exhibition grounds.
 
bengaijin said:
Like everyone else, I am completely appalled that the powers-that-be would even begin to consider a tabula rasa approach to 'revitalizing' Ontario Place. It is hands-down one of the most important pieces of modern architecture in the city, and maybe the only piece that captures that slightly psychedelic pleasure/futurism branch of 1960s architecture. I would also think that it wouldn't be particularly controversial to call it Zeidler's best work, and to call him one of the most important living Toronto architects (I dislike plenty of his buildings, but credit is due where it's due). That this demolition is even possible is indicative of Toronto's ongoing disrespect for its modern heritage. Very disappointing.

I would love to make a stink about this, but I'm not sure where to send my hate mail. Does anyone have an idea of who to target? City councilors? MPs? Ontario Place bigwigs?

There is plenty of room to augment, improve, and renovate without throwing out the core pieces of Ontario Place - if anything they should remain as a seed of inspiration for the next phase of work. Keep it fun, keep it futuristic. Don't let it slide into the mold of a normal theme park.
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I find Toronto usually disrespects its heritage, period. It's unbelievable they're even thinking about this.
 
syn said:
I find Toronto usually disrespects its heritage, period. It's unbelievable they're even thinking about this.
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I'm not sure how much of Ontario Place is arguably "heritage" in any reasonable definition -- at the very least, I think arguments would have to be made for the heritage value of the individual elements. (I mean, I like geodesic domes as much as the next person, but is the IMAX theatre building really "heritage"?)

And it's not like this plan is unmotivated -- attendance at the park has fallen pretty dramatically, and if the park becomes unsustainable and falls into disrepair, the "heritage" argument becomes a bit moot.
 
Tulse said:
I'm not sure how much of Ontario Place is arguably "heritage" in any reasonable definition -- at the very least, I think arguments would have to be made for the heritage value of the individual elements. (I mean, I like geodesic domes as much as the next person, but is the IMAX theatre building really "heritage"?)
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I think that at a bare minimum the Cinesphere and the 'floating pods' should be counted as important parts of Toronto's heritage - they are exemplary not only of an architectural period, but also of a general, optimistic, forward-looking spirit of the times - I think they convey a lot about the Modern (capital M) mindset that prevailed in this city during it's big, sustained, post-war boom. And also, they are the only buildings of their type in the whole city. If you are good with tearing down the only significant geodesic dome in Toronto, you definitely don't like them as much the next person on THIS forum, though sadly you may be right in line with the next person on the street.

I think that there are plenty of ways to intelligently marry preservation with new construction/programming on the site, and that consideration of what should be kept and why could do alot to inform an exciting and appropriate 'update' of Ontario Place.
 
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