Toronto Peter Street Condominiums | 129.84m | 40s | CentreCourt | a—A

Every building has to stand out?

I see this as just tall infill. It will blend to the background in the future.
 
On this latest aA, I have to say I am just a tad disappointed, while generally these folks please me so much. Naked dusting-off and recycling of previously used design elements. As infill, it does work, though. We have to wonder also what the developer asked for, and did they push much? The client calls the shots.

But hell, the recycling of design ideas ... that goes on all the time, fine when the ideas actually work well. Mozart and Bach borrowed from themselves so often.
 
It never fails to amuse me to hear a 40-storey building being described as 'infill'. It is however a fairly good description in this case. It says something for the developing density in the area that it actually fits.
 
Big Daddy said:
Major disappointment.

Let’s be honest, all of these new towers are the same - simply taller apartment buildings. There is nothing here for anyone to get excited about. There has to be more than just "wow, it's 40 storeys” at this point doesn't there?

The number of new buildings seems to be slowing substantially and aside from a few, the buildings are crap. Taller apartment buildings, demonstrating no design skills whatsoever. The only people who could get excited about this one or "Pace" or any of the other recent debacles is the developer who stands to make a crapload of money selling this twaddle to average folks looking for a cheap accommodations.

It would be great to see some more "Ritz" or "Aura" or "Shangri-la" style buildings, but I guess those days are over for this run.
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I was commenting more on what the building typology offers to the urban fabric, diversity of uses and users but less so on the architectural language. It’s great to see a project like this along with TIFF, Paintbox, and Studio integrate community uses (film, cultural hub, institution-galleries etc.) at grade level that promote a sense of place that add to the vibrancy of the street. A portion of the building’s ground level is supposed to be dedicated to the Toronto Art Council for storefront space which is definitely a great thing. Ok, I double checked the prelim rezoning application and the building unfortunately does not have 3 bedroom units.

I agree that aesthetics and architectural style are important but it should not overshadow the other attributes of this urban building. Also, not all buildings need to be signature/sculptural ones, there needs to be a balance. And, I’m very certain the architects in this city will surprise you with their next “wow†design, there will be more signature ones to follow…
 
The "podium" with hint of the tower:

peterstreetcondospodium.png


A good neighbour to Tableau? Wonder how long before the office building--Fashion Building?--between the two goes highrise? I'd go for 50-55s....
 
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This is only based on a quick look at a tiny rendering but it seems like the building would look much more interesting if the design of the podium was carried right up to the top of the tower.
 
While it is not possible to exactly re-create the perspective above with Google Streetview, here is the closest you can get to it.

PeterStGoogleStview1.jpg

Google Streetview


This angle along Adelaide Street shows more of the buildings that Peter Street Condominiums would replace, including 328 through 340 Adelaide Street West.

PeterStGoogleStview2.jpg

Google Streetview

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Its a nice looking tower and lets hope the colours in the rendering match the ultimate colour of the tower (as opposed to grey or black). It doesn't really speak to the art deco brick warehouse across the street though.
 
alklay said:
Its a nice looking tower and lets hope the colours in the rendering match the ultimate colour of the tower (as opposed to grey or black). It doesn't really speak to the art deco brick warehouse across the street though.
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The tower will most likely be grey. The rendering uses a sunset context so that the actual colours aren't immediately clear. The natural hues of the sky in the depicted evening context give the tower that more striking blue hue, but it's a natural effect and probably not reflective of the architecture. (It's very common to depict grey or neutral glass buildings this way.) Such a depiction affects perceptions of the architecture positively.
 
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I really hope that the Section 37 benefits exacted from all these developments built at Plan-busting heights will go towards funding streetscape improvements, like new lamps, perhaps some TREES, etc. to be decided by the BIA. General street beautification around here would be nice.
 
http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/0...interior-designer-behind-peter-street-condos/

Meet the architect and the interior designer behind Peter Street Condos

By Martha Uniacke Breen
Apr 29, 2011

peters.jpg


It’s condos — and with as many as 40 residential buildings under construction or scheduled to go up over the next few years, it’s going to completely transform the character of the area.
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One of them, the Peter Street Condominiums at the corner of Adelaide and Peter streets in the Entertainment District, is an interesting example of how a thoroughly modern structure can be designed to work well down here.
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But then, two things have happened in the past few years. One is that the city has developed a huge appetite for residential space — it’s one of the hottest locations on the continent for new condo construction. And the other is that living downtown has become ultra-chic.
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Mr. Clewes started, he says, by considering the immediate area surrounding the new tower. “We started by asking, ‘What’s nice about the Commodore and other buildings nearby?’ There are many handsome turn-of-the-century buildings around here that have great bones; architects and artists love them. So we wanted to imitate the height and setback of these buildings, with large windows and brick façades at street level, and then the tower ‘layered’ above them.†The building features a clearly defined division between the lower section and the tower, from retail space at street level that features tall, broad windows (a reference to the late-Victorian storefronts nearby), a middle section of mixed office and residential with windows framed in black in a vaguely Mondrian-style grid, then a maximum of glass for the tower itself.
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Since the condo’s units are designed for maximum density and, to put it politely, compact — its 40 storeys will house 429 units, ranging from studios at 303 square feet to three-bedrooms at 772 sq.ft. — making the individual condos comfortable and efficient was a challenge. Ms. Cecconi points out that the tower’s wraparound glass gave her firm a little flexibility in arranging, say, where bedrooms could go and views maximized, but it was a little like designing a boat galley.
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“There’s a [growing] mix of office, retail and residential here, which is turning the neighbourhood into one of the most interesting in the city. And it all starts with these smaller units; it creates aculture, a vibrancy in the neighbourhood.â€
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what in gods name....

THREE bedrooms in 772 sqft? my place is about 750sqft and i have ONE bedroom...
 
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