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

junctionist said:
Don't get me wrong, I think we have a good record when it comes to projects by international architects, but we've seen a few duds too that are memorable for being unremarkable (ironically). It's those projects that I found worth mentioning in a discussion on the North Market, since there's no point in working with the highest-profile architects only to produce a quality building that's mundane. When it comes to these occasional mundane projects, local firms could have produced better work.

I like the discussion on these sorts of projects that has emerged. I think Foster's U of T building is middle ground. The form is somewhat unremarkable but the materials are quality, it's somewhat responsive to context (with its columns lining up with the heritage building next to it and responding to the Ontario Hydro building). The pods are definitely creative and memorable. Fritted glass was (and continues to be) stylish at the time. Calatrava's atrium at Brookfield Place is spectacular and definitely successful. His little bridge over Mimico Creek was an unusual commission, but it is a nice bridge in its minor context.

I think Carrere and Hastings did a good job with the Bank of Toronto at King and Bay though there aren't that many photos. Robert Stern may not be universally liked here, but One St. Thomas has proven to be an excellent condominium in its particular style. It's beautifully proportioned and detailed, achieving a sense of classical comfort seen in features like the deep, sheltered balconies. It's a focal point for the Yorkville skyline when seen from Queen's Park and the U of T grounds.
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We do still have the old Trader's Bank at 67 Yonge by Carrere and Hastings. As for 1 St. Thomas, I've always felt that it was a "mini-me" of Stern's 15 Central Park West and is truly "watered-down" (Stern and Deco).

Historically, Toronto has always had major buildings designed by non-Canadian archtitects, though the line becomes very blurry in a number of cases. Richard Waite, designer of the Provincial Legislature and Knox & Elliot for Confederation Life (though they did have a Toronto office) come to mind. Stanford White, perhaps the biggest "starchitect" of his time, did design the original Benvenuto.
 
Even Carrere & Hastings was an ambiguous case--more like a fleeting local office of a US firm...
 
thecharioteer said:
Historically, Toronto has always had major buildings designed by non-Canadian archtitects, though the line becomes very blurry in a number of cases. Richard Waite, designer of the Provincial Legislature and Knox & Elliot for Confederation Life (though they did have a Toronto office) come to mind.
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How so? Waite's was British-born and working for an American firm - and didn't the scandal surrounding his "winning" design ( when the local firm of Darling and Curry were initially selected to design the building ) actually energize the local architectural community at a time when the tendency among captains of industry and civic leaders was to automatically hire foreign architects because it was thought local talent wasn't up to the job?
 
Urban Shocker said:
How so? Waite's was British-born and working for an American firm - and didn't the scandal surrounding his "winning" design ( when the local firm of Darling and Curry were initially selected to design the building ) actually energize the local architectural community at a time when the tendency among captains of industry and civic leaders was to automatically hire foreign architects because it was thought local talent wasn't up to the job?
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Yes, and has the world changed that much? The first three of the major bank towers all engaged foreign architects (Mies, Pei and Stone) and even the recent "competitions" for East Bayfront involved bids with non-Toronto design architects (Safdie, Pelli, Foster). Was the ROM competition any different? The competition for St. Lawrence Market North and the selection of a foreign firm is part of a long Toronto tradition.

The irony is in having local firms like Diamond & Schmitt win competitions like for the Jerusalem City Hall and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, or HPA doing the Baha'i Temple in Chile, yet being seen as too "safe" for major competitions at home.

Interesting article on the issue of the "Rights of Canadian Architects" from "Canadian Architect and Builder" 1907:

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Annointing Gehry to renovate the AGO ( we simply had to have a Gehry .... because everyone else was getting a Gehry, it seemed ... ), rather than holding a design competition, is another example. Despite the fact that he had his Canadian citizenship restored he was basically a glamorous foreigner who hadn't built here.
 
According to the proposed Capital Budget the start of work on the new North market has been postponed from 2012 to 2013 and the Analyst's note says: "St. Lawrence Market North – The project is currently in consultant/design contract negotiation stage. The main consulting/design contract is currently being finalized, and based on preliminary updated schedules, 2011 cash flows have been deferred to future years as spending in 2011 is anticipated to be $0.500 or 3.5% of the 2011 approved cash flow of $14.254 million." and "Cash flow funding has been adjusted for the St. Lawrence Market North Redevelopment project to reflect revised construction timeline estimates. The St. Lawrence Market North redevelopment was scheduled to begin construction in 2011 with substantial completion in 2014. This has been revised to 2013 to 2016 due to delays in finalizing the design of the building."
 
We have finally added a dataBase page for the North Market, with renderings of the winning design from the competition boards. We will add more updated renderings once they become available.

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I was down the Sunday Antique Market a couple of weeks ago and, for the princely sum of $35, bought a handomely proportioned brass door pull, with some age to it, that the elderly vendor told me is from a former church near Bathurst and Lawrence that is being converted to a condo, and which I hope to use on the front door of my Winter Palace as a replacement for the one that's there now. I looked around at the North Market structure and failed to find anything that I'd want to salvage from it, though the wall tiles in the men's washroom are a rather attractive robin's egg blue.
 
I think Toronto has had a good ratio of local firms to international architects. Even the best local firms tend to be on the conservative side, and while the best ones have all designed sensitive, often beautiful, buildings, it's fun to have some international flair to keep things interesting. Alsop's OCAD, Thom Mayne's graduate house and, yes, Robert Stern's 1 St. Thomas are all examples of building styles that - at their time - could not have been pulled off with the same degree of care by Canadian architects.

I would agree with the Charioteer that there certainly are a few buildings that were designed by international architects that make you scratch your head and wonder if we would've done just as well to go local. Simcoe Place, which I always thought was one of the most banal office towers, was designed by Carlos Ott. The TD Centre it ain't!
 
Urban Shocker said:
I looked around at the North Market structure and failed to find anything that I'd want to salvage from it, though the wall tiles in the men's washroom are a rather attractive robin's egg blue.
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I've thought about this too. This is a very utilitarian building with little character. There may be some minor signage, and perhaps someone would want the clock on the interior, but even that is just 12 blocks, if I recall correctly.
 
Talking of utilitarian, none of the "antique" vendors I've spoken to expect the fancy replacement to be as versatile and practical as the present barn is.
 
greenleaf said:
True. That was my #1 complaint with the winning design.
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Lol:D So its already doomed before a shovel hits the ground...
Cant believe the vendors are happy with that stinky eyesore they're in...i think the bigger picture here is that they know its probably going to cost them a bit more for a table/spot in the new venue
 
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