Toronto St Lawrence Market North | 25.3m | 5s | City of Toronto | Rogers Stirk Harbour

[p5connex]

I am all for RED! The rest really are either boring, or overbearing. The orange concept does some nice touches, but it feels awkwardly proportioned - lengthwise it is too short and the height seems off. I have more to say about the red entry, but I will save it till tomorrow.

p5

 

[condovo]

Because the Front Street side would mimic its southern sister, and would never become dated. Then the rest of the building could mimic the shape of the south market, in keeping with this. Otherwise I think the Red idea of deconstruction is nice because it opens up the space in ways that the south market can't match, and would help make Market Lane and Jarvis more animated, as well as the interior more open and bright.

I don't know. Mimicry seems to me to be a bit of a cop out. I think we need a new building that of its own time and then trust that it never becomes dated.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The more that I look at Orange the more things look wrong - the interface between the curve sections on the East/West facades and the straight N/S ones is really quite clumsy - in fact, I would say that it handled the latter as well as the street level rather badly.

AoD

 

[Towered]

I agree with the majority opinion here - red is the best overall, with orange not far behind. Any of the others would be a huge disappointment. I sincerely hope that after the bold makeovers of OCAD, the ROM, and the AGO that that spirit will continue with the selection of the red design.

 

[condovo]

I just think the Orange scheme makes the boldest, brashest, big-shouldered, big-city statement. So, I stick with Orange.

 

[Northern Magus]

First choice: Orange - iconic, will definitely end up on postcards and in tourists' photos, and imo formally integrates best with SLM and SLH due to its shape and cladding, especially over time once the cladding's oxidized.

Second choice: Yellow - the interiors are definitely superior to Orange's since they echo SLM, and while the exterior is very good, its institutional-ness doesn't have the wow factor that Orange has in spades

Third: Red - stunning interior vistas, but for me the exterior just doesn't sizzle

Compromise: Orange with Yellow's interior finishes.

 

[greenleaf]

The thing that I can't quite figure out is how the current floor space of the market matches up to the suggested spaces in each of these proposals. I am concerned that the space will be smaller with the addition of the parking ramp eating into usable floor area.

When looking at the proposals, I also tried to see how the main entrance on Front Street was treated. People cross back and forth between the markets. It would be nice if the new entryway were large enough to accommodate the traffic, as well as the kind of secondary resources that make the market so friendly and unique on the weekends (i.e. space for buskers, community organizers, etc).

With that said, my favourite is the Green proposal. I like the modern interpretation of the old south market. The garage doors openers along Jarvis and Market Lane would really make the space feel amazing in the summer, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor space. The addition of restaurant space on the mezzanine looks like it would work well here. The double ceiling height would feel great here and would repeat the same feel that the current space has, which is one thing the current building got right. The red proposal doesn't seem to quite mimic that as well, but I presume the centre atrium would maintain that open feel.

My second favourite and very close to first, is the Red proposal, although I do wish the space between the West and East buildings at the entrance had a canopy for bad weather. This is a minor quibble, but the entrance should have a double set of doors as well. The Red proposal treats St. Lawrence Hall very respectfully (unlike the yellow or blue ones) and I think that view through the central atrium would be fantastic. In a way, this building would echo the main atrium in Eaton Centre as well. I like the huge canopies that fold out over the sidewalk on Jarvis and Market Lane. This building just feels like a flexible, modern market. There's nothing in Toronto quite like this building.

I would curious to hear the opinions of those who are vendors in the market.

In the end, I would definitely be happy with either the green or red proposal.

 

[Mongo]

People cross back and forth between the markets. It would be nice if the new entryway were large enough to accommodate the traffic, as well as the kind of secondary resources that make the market so friendly and unique on the weekends (i.e. space for buskers, community organizers, etc).

One feature I would wish for would be an underground connection between SLM South and SLM North, like a mini-PATH connection. That street-level crossing we have now is not the safest in the world.

 

[syn]

Orange works for me. I like the use of brick in Yellow.

 

[CityPainter]

After visiting St. Lawrence Hall this weekend and viewing the proposals and models first hand, I've come down firmly in the Orange camp. It's a sleek, modern and stylish design, but it still fits nicely into the existing neighbourhood without overwhelming the existing South building. It makes a statement without trying too hard, and it's not bizarre enough to risk mass public hatred a la the Lee Chin ROM expansion. Most of all, the interior shots are beautiful, and the renders show that the designers have taken into account various uses for the building, including the courts, the market days, and even special events.

The Red proposal has merit, but I'm uncertain about all the girders surrounding it. Oddly, one of my biggest fears is that after a few years the external girders will become nesting platforms for hordes of pigeons, smeared with crap and filled with abandoned nests. How will it age? Who will climb up into all those girders and clean them every year? I have a feeling I know the answer: nobody.

Overall, I think any of these would be a vast improvement over what's there now with the exception of the Green proposal. Green's dated suburban rec-centre blandness is exactly what we don't need: but, to my alarm, I've already heard many claim to like it due to its "matching" the roofline of the South Market. I think this is a horribly misguided choice, yet I fear the history of Toronto architectural decisions may make it a front runner. Let's hope that the "jury of seven distinguished members" who will be making the final decision will have enough sense to avoid falling for that one.

In the meantime, they are asking for feedback, so if you didn't make it out to the exhibition to comment in person please send your comments to the posted address: stlawrencemarketnorth@toronto.ca. At the exhibition they were asking for you to check your favourite proposal and then explain why you liked it. Beneath there was space for general comments.

 

[condovo]

^^ I'm also concerned with how the Red scheme would age in our climate and in our culture of lax upkeep. I see a lots of rust, cracking, discolouration, and poop.

 

[scrappyTO]

I am all for orange.

Yellow is predictable and too generic.

Red is too austere and mechanical; it does not mesh with the neighbourhood tone nor structures. I shudder when I look at its elevations.

Orange is breathtaking. I love the play of colour bridging the buildings to the north and south. It animates the park and creates an amazing focal point in Toronto. This is a building that people will photograph and remember; it becomes a destination. I love its respect for the building to the north and its reinterpretation of the form of the main market building. The interior space looks beautiful. I hope this is the winner. I do think the southern facade can use some improvement or relies on the quality of the materials for a successful execution.

Blue and Green I personally find barely worth mentioning, but for the sake of ranking they are my bottom two. Blue is totally out of context. This may work in a campus setting or with larger plazas surrounding it, but does absolutely nothing to rationalize its context in the neighbourhood. Green looks like a suburban barn and will look dated quickly. It looks like a software program designed the building based on the south building's form instead of a creative team coming up with something urban and unique.

 

[Design Wallah]

Orange.

Red looks clunky and stiff. I don't think it would fit into the neighborhood well.

The more i look at Yellow the more it grows on me. It's understated. But sort of graceful too.

 

[alklay]

Although Orange has many flaws (I am not convinced that the Front St. facade will be all that successful once executed. Glass tends to be nothing more than reflective and faceless during the day, unless the glass is high quality), I am favouring it at this point.

I will give Blue points for trying to be a new take on a 'market' building, but it fails completely. Green looks like it belongs in London Ontario (no offence), and the Front Street face of Yellow looks like they were only thinking of a courthouse, not a very public market.

I have mixed feelings about Red. While it comes across well in the renderings, I find that the Rogers industrial aesthetic is a bit played out (Zeidler did some excellent local versions) and that the building looks both fussy and too busy. I also fear for the upkeep of the building and what it will look like if costs are cut while building it (this building relies on decent details, much of which I fear losing for the sake of costs).

 

[Solaris]

My favourite is Green ... it echos best with St. Lawrence Market's geometry with a twist of modern architecture (curved glass roof)

Green team: This version has a south-facing atrium and curved glass "skin" covering the third and fourth floors. Inside, concrete arches support the roof of the market hall.

While Orange looks cool at first sight, it does not feel like a market hall, the futuristic look may be more appropriate for institutional (research, education) or creative arts purposes ~

Orange team: Curved east and west facades are covered in a sheath of copper. Inside, a convex ceiling hovers over the market hall.

Blue + Yellow has too much of a institutional look~

Blue team: A shed roof design features copper cladding on the roof and walls, while lower walls are clad in stone.

Yellow team: A building clad in copper, wood, glass and slate, with a glass atrium on the south side. Inside, the market hall ceiling is patterned red brick, supported by matching octagonal brick columns.

Red is pretty neat, I'm just not sure how well the timber-lodge look will work with St. Lawrence Market ... however I do like the idea of preserving a view corridor towards St. Lawrence Hall to the north ~

Red team: A glass building with exterior timber louvres and a central glass courtyard that frames a view of St. Lawrence Hall. The glass building, seen from the market lane area, features exterior timber louvres and a central glassed-in courtyard.