Toronto Queen & Portland Loft & Condominium Residences | ?m | 9s | Tribute | Turner Fleischer

[urbandreamer]

The sad thing is, the only point of living here--to be across the street from New York Subway--is apparently history--NYS's and Olympia Fruit Market to be bulldozed for another condo?

 

[Towered]

^ The real selling point of living here is being across the street from Velvet Underground, where you could easily stumble home from with hot alt chicks.

 

[BobBob]

A couple of cell phone photos from today:

Looking at these again, it's obvious how enormously Queen St. would benefit from some streetscape improvements. The wooden poles tangled in wires and saddled with those big metal buckets are just unbelievable.

 

[condovo]

This building's turning out really well. Puts the developments over at the Queen West Triangle to shame.

And don't knock the wooden poles tangled in wires and saddled with big metal buckets. Lends a certain Jane-Jacobsian authenticity to the area. adma calls it 'urban bush.' The uglier the better, so the thinking goes.

 

[pw20]

This building is sort of like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.

I think the Queen Street facade is fairly good (doesn't over-power the street will animate a former dead stretch), great perhaps, but man oh man, from the rear - she's fug as sin.

 

[junctionist]

Looking at these again, it's obvious how enormously Queen St. would benefit from some streetscape improvements. The wooden poles tangled in wires and saddled with those big metal buckets are just unbelievable.

I agree. We could have the best architecture in the world, but with streetscapes like that, few people would ever get that impression.

 

[Automation Gallery]

And don't knock the wooden poles tangled in wires and saddled with big metal buckets. Lends a certain Jane-Jacobsian authenticity to the area. adma calls it 'urban bush.' The uglier the better, so the thinking goes.

Say whatever you want, but they are 3rd world electrical infrastructure junk.

 

[junctionist]

Besides, Jane Jacobs praised New York neighbourhoods that had their wires buried early in the twentieth century and poles replaced with ornamental poles. In Toronto, the places without overhead wires were more likely to have withstood Modernist-era urban renewal perhaps in this way influencing condovo's impression.

It's more coincidental than anything, though. The poles and overhead wires don't have anything to do with how the neighbourhood functions. It would be better off without them. Then more people might have greater respect for the street as a positive space and experience. Rather than getting the impression that it's ugly and just a transportation corridor lined with some merely practical establishments, they might be more inclined to see the diversity of people and businesses, the design of buildings, and the other interesting features of the street.

 

[alklay]

Jane Jacobs would certainly have never defended those electical pole horror shows.

 

[gristle]

Say whatever you want, but they are 3rd world electrical infrastructure junk.

Something you and I agree on.

 

[yyzer]

some pics from today...

bevelled glass on the Portland St. side.....

south side backing onto Richmond..

 

[Chris Burland]

Here's how Turner Fleischer Architects picture the completed project from the southeast.

We'll continue with a tour of all of the architectural renderings of the complex.

A quick peek inside, and a bit of an odd angle to choose for a rendering actually.

Condo residents and Queen & Portland will have access to a large landscaped terrace above the retail podium.

 

[HDLtd]

The glass wall bordered on tacky in the rendering, but in real life it looks much much better. Good job!

 

[Joey14]

dreadful '80s monstrosity

We can't be looking at the same building. This is among the ugliest new buildings in Toronto.

 

[Jasonzed]

March 12th