Toronto Time and Space Condos | 101.8m | 29s | Pemberton | Wallman Architects

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Plans for Version 3 are now on the City development site. 4 towers:


The 2015 revisions reflect an overall reduced height and gross floor area density within a built form

of 4 towers (inclusive of 10 storey podium elements), with tower heights (including

mechanical) of 33 storeys (110 metres) for the northwest tower (tower #1), 29 storeys (98.2

metres) for the northeast tower (tower #2), 27 storeys (93.45 metres) for the southwest tower

(tower #3) and 25 storeys (87.55 metres) for the southeast tower (tower #4). The proposed 2015

revisions reflect a total of 1,679 units, with ground floor retail of 1,913 square metres, centred

along Front Street with additional elements located along the Lower Sherbourne Street frontage.

Thanks, and there we are, from Version 3 of the Planning Rationale report:

Better, but still excessive. They should get rid of the two south towers and move some of that density to front Esplanade instead. Not overly convinced by the open space

AoD

 

[interchange42]

It's 25 per cent too big, and even if it were brought down to that size it would still be the densest block of its size in the area. I'd rather see something more like Wallman's work for Minto at Front and Bathurst here in terms of massing and even architecture (although I'm not suggesting a straight copy).

This just looks like a suburban block stuffed onto some city streets.

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[urbandreamer]

It should be changed into something more like

 

[condovo]

i.e. Changed into a prison?

 

[am29]

It would be the densest thing in that block, but isn't that what we're working towards? Densification in our cities promotes efficient and greener living. Promotes social interaction does it not? I do understand that its is close to St. Lawrence Market area and does impact the area quite a bit but would that not be inevitable with the way developments have been going on in our new downtown?

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

i.e. Changed into a prison?

Central courtyard? Very European looking design.

 

[DSC]

Central courtyard? Very European looking design.

Or a return to the Regent Park design of the 1960s where the internal courtyards and dead end streets made a perfect location for crime! Their current proposal actually has a very generous POPS running east-west from Lower Sherbourne to Princess and one joining it running south to The Esplanade. (Best part of the proposal in my opinion. - perfect for cutting through the block.)

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Internal courtyard is a common design element for blocks at the St. Lawrence neighbourhood:

AoD

 

[interchange42]

It would be the densest thing in that block, but isn't that what we're working towards? Densification in our cities promotes efficient and greener living. Promotes social interaction does it not? I do understand that its is close to St. Lawrence Market area and does impact the area quite a bit but would that not be inevitable with the way developments have been going on in our new downtown?

I'm not against it being the densest block in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, as long as it doesn't absolutely dominate everything around it. Bring it down by 25%, and it wills till be the densest. To my mind that would be enough for it to not completely overpower its surroundings.

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[AlvinofDiaspar]

I'm not against it being the densest block in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, as long as it doesn't absolutely dominate everything around it. Bring it down by 25%, and it wills till be the densest. To my mind that would be enough for it to not completely overpower its surroundings.

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I don't even have an issue with height at the northern end of the site - towers at the southern end smack against the overwhelmingly mid-rise, almost Parisian scale of the Esplanade/David Crombie Park axis? No thanks.

AoD

 

[maestro]

Density must be handle with care otherwise you end up with the opposite of what you are suggesting density aims to achieve. Building higher density has created a few inhospitable urban environments in Toronto over the years. It's an uncertain future for these investor driven condos that are crap inside and out too IF the market ever normalized. Of course, real estate is the largest economic force in Toronto so everyone will do their best to keep it artificially going.

 

[P23]

Building higher density has created a few inhospitable urban environments in Toronto over the years.

Like where?

 

[RButler]

IF the market ever normalized.

Curious what a "normal" condo market is Toronto is from your perspective

 

[interchange42]

Here's what the Wallman design looks like, with four towers. NW corner tower = 33 storeys/110 m, NE corner tower = 29 storeys/98.2 m, SW corner tower = 27 storeys/93.45 m, SE corner tower = 25 storeys/87.55 m. All rise to those heights from a 10-storey podium. A Privately Owned Publicly accessible Space (POPS) would extend north from The Esplanade between the town southerly towers. Retail would face Sherbourne and Front at grade.

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[khris]

So gross. Just no. From the big boxy mechanical to the overdone balcony styling and the boring podiums, just one big fat no.