Northern Light
Superstar
The only potential upside here, in terms of architecture, is that the clients and architects have shown some creativity and willingness to… try. The weird “erosion” around Falconer Hall was driven by heritage constraints.
The big question is how much more time and money U of T is willing to spend.
I would truly rather it was none; in the sense that I think this project should be nixed.
Its was a potentially great building, it was/is in the completely wrong spot.
There really does not appear to me to be a way to square that circle.
It just doesn't work.
I think they over paid for the site, just like the developer before them did, with completely unreasonable expectations.
I don't think the project is salvageable.
The original building design, or something close, can be shifted to west campus, south of Harbord, there are plenty of spaces there do a profound re-think, with ample room for intensification.
The site beside Falconer is just not suited to this degree of intensification.
*****
On a separate, but related note, I think the space occupied by the planetarium should actually be back in ROM's hands.
Providing ROM could develop and execute a proper vision as an institution.
They actually need the space to the museum they should be.
But that is not the museum they are now.