Toronto Ryerson Student Learning Centre | 50.59m | 8s | Ryerson University | Zeidler

interchange42 said:
this building will make a bold statement on Yonge Street and help to rejuvenate the heart of this city," said Julia Hanigsberg, Vice-President, Administration and Finance, Ryerson University.
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... and if I may just put in a good word for Ryersonians who enjoy making a bold statement, I bought a copy of the Ram's 2012 Vollyball team calendar at the Athletic Department today!

"It's always a little weird seeing yourself and friends you know in those types of photos, but I can honestly say without a doubt, that I'm quite proud of our team for going through with it. It takes courage to put yourself out there like that, and since we are doing it for the right cause (Movember/Prostate Cancer Research) no one held back. The final product is a beautifully crafted calendar that looks professional, clean, and is entertaining." by #2 Brian Batista Bettencourt
 
Application: Partial Permit Status: Not Started

Location: 341 YONGE ST
TORONTO ON M5B 1S1

Ward 27: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 11 309981 SHO 00 PP Accepted Date: Dec 7, 2011

Project: University Partial Permit - Shoring

Description: Part Permit - New Building -8 storey (plus mechanical) Student Centre for Ryerson University, with retail at and below grade. Proposal includes the construction of an above grade encroachment into the City-owned O'Keefe laneway to permit a bridge connection to the existing second and third floor level of the Ryerson University library building at 350 Victoria Street.
 
Just as a matter of interest: Where is Ryerson getting the money to put up this important new structure on very valuable real estate, plus create an athletic center in the old Maple Leafs Gardens, plus do all the normal, very expensive, things a university does? Anyone know the answer to this?
 
67Cup said:
Just as a matter of interest: Where is Ryerson getting the money to put up this important new structure on very valuable real estate, plus create an athletic center in the old Maple Leafs Gardens, plus do all the normal, very expensive, things a university does? Anyone know the answer to this?
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From: http://www.thestar.com/news/article...-s-glass-vision-a-dazzler-for-yonge-and-gould

Construction of the $112 million building will begin in January, and be finished in 2015. The province has committed $45 million; the rest must still be raised.
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I'd expect another large donation for naming rights and a major fundraising drive.


From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ets-a-makeover-and-a-new-name/article2253522/

Ryerson University’s new athletic facility, which includes a new hockey rink under the building’s storied old roof, will be named the Peter Gilgan Athletic Centre at the Gardens thanks to a $15-million gift from Peter Gilgan, the founder and CEO of Mattamy Homes.

The NHL-sized rink will be dubbed Mattamy Home Ice, and is expected to be ready for the first skaters in March. The facility's grand opening is scheduled for May.

Mr. Gilgan’s gift helps cover the tricky heritage renovation’s $71.2-million price tag, which has swelled from $60-million – a far cry from the $350,000 Conn Smythe paid for the land 80 years ago. Ryerson raised $20-million through a student levy approved in 2009, which was matched by federal stimulus funds, as well as a contribution from Loblaw, which is installing a supermarket on the ground level.
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Out of curiosty, does anyone have renderings from the north and/or west perspective i.e. will the whole thing be clad in glass or just the south / west sides ?
 
why doesn't ryerson just build a 40-50 foot skyscraper with most of its classes in the first 15 -20 stories, then a hotel and condos above...?
 
^ Have you thought that through at all? How do you intend to get thousands of students circulating through 15-20 stories all day, every day? 15 to 20 sets of escalators? Fit them in elevators 20 students at a time? Slingshots to go up, trampolines with big targets on them to get down?
 
MetroMan said:
^ Have you thought that through at all? How do you intend to get thousands of students circulating through 15-20 stories all day, every day? 15 to 20 sets of escalators? Fit them in elevators 20 students at a time? Slingshots to go up, trampolines with big targets on them to get down?
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His idea may not be as crazy as you think. Certainly, it is not unprecedented. The Cathedral of Learning at U of Pittsburgh is a 40 floor, 163 m tower and is quite spectacular. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Learning. The main building at Moscow State U is apparently even higher.

I don't know how they handle those very real problems you mention. It happens that I have been involved in planning a university building and at one point we talked about a public space atop a 15storey tower. We were advised to drop the idea for the kinds of reasons you mention.
 
67Cup said:
His idea may not be as crazy as you think. Certainly, it is not unprecedented. The Cathedral of Learning at U of Pittsburgh is a 40 floor, 163 m tower and is quite spectacular. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Learning.
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Though the logistics behind vertical student circulation help to explain why the Cathedral of Learning is, after 3/4 of a century, virtually alone of its ilk in North America...
 
adma said:
Though the logistics behind vertical student circulation help to explain why the Cathedral of Learning is, after 3/4 of a century, virtually alone of its ilk in North America...
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True, though the poster's original idea was for 15-20 floors of classes with condos above. there are numerous academic buildings in that 15-20 storey range. There are very real problems with the idea, among them the likelihood that expensive condo owners probably don't want to share an elevator with a drunk freshman on Friday night. But what if student housing is in those upper floors? The economics make it complex but not, I think, impossible in an area where land is very expensive.

PS Moscow State U main building spire tops out at 241m. Interesting!
 
AG:

Mostly just the Ontario government. There is no Federal or City funding for this project.

67Cup:

The site is probably not big enough to have a good separate entrance lobby/circulation for a residential component, which you will want given the mix of uses you've suggested. Besides, having a tower on that site will complicate the planning approval process - not to mention having to spend extra time finding interested private sector partners - and the project is already long overdue, Plus wrt the tower component - don't forget experiences form the Calatrava episode.

Oh, and given this is a gateway site crucial for the ID of the University, sharing it might also be detrimental to establishing that image. Good luck with finding a party interested in getting Snohetta to build a residential component and spending enough not to mess it up completely - Campus Commons is the last privately funded project and that turned out to be quite the sight for sore eyes. Actually just quite the sight.

Now if someone want to pay for a Cathedral of Learning over here, I'd suggest say the Sears parking lot. Or Kerr Hall redevelopment.

AoD
 
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Actually, I wasn't going so far as to advocate a tower at that site. I don't know enough about either the site or funding possibilities to make any such suggestion.

What I was, mildly, arguing against was the idea vertical circulation problems necessarily rule ou high rises for academic buildings. Most universities have enough land that is more feasible to spread out rather than go high but there are a few urban universities where vertical extension might be feasible at some point.

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AlvinofDiaspar said:
AG:

Mostly just the Ontario government. There is no Federal or City funding for this project.

67Cup:

The site is probably not big enough to have a good separate entrance lobby/circulation for a residential component, which you will want given the mix of uses you've suggested. Besides, having a tower on that site will complicate the planning approval process - not to mention having to spend extra time finding interested private sector partners - and the project is already long overdue, Plus wrt the tower component - don't forget experiences form the Calatrava episode.

Oh, and given this is a gateway site crucial for the ID of the University, sharing it might also be detrimental to establishing that image. Good luck with finding a party interested in getting Snohetta to build a residential component and spending enough not to mess it up completely - Campus Commons is the last privately funded project and that turned out to be quite the sight for sore eyes. Actually just quite the sight.

Now if someone want to pay for a Cathedral of Learning over here, I'd suggest say the Sears parking lot. Or Kerr Hall redevelopment.

AoD
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