Toronto U of T: New Harbord Residence | 30.19m | 9s | U of T | Michael Maltzan

Seriously though, the design is entirely contextually congruent if not pleasant. I don't know what design guidelines inform student residents buildings but to be honest I spent a year in residence at nearby New College back in the day and the more cloistered and less integrated into the community we were probably the better.
 
Wonder when they’re going to get around to a reno or revamp of the Athletic Centre across the street? That’d really clean the area up :p

The rec ctr is a weird animal inside and out.

You have the 1950s? era wing which is pale yellow brick, rather drab, inside and out and then you have a much more open on the inside late 70s era complex with the main pool in it which isn't 1/2 bad on the inside, if a tad dated; but which meets the street rather poorly.

But the 2 then juxtapose each other in a way that is jarring............and on the inside, I don't know if it's still organized the way it was when I was a student, but the connection between the 2 buildings was in the basement with exposed mechanicals, low ceilings, it really felt like a no-go zone, but it was the marked connection if you wanted to get from the change rooms to the east gyms.

Very odd, not cohesive in the least.
 
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The rec ctr is weird animal inside and out.

You have the 1950s? era wing which is pale yellow brick, rather drab, inside and out and then you have a much more open on the inside late 70s era complex with the main pool in it which isn't 1/2 bad on the inside, if a tad dated; but which meets the street rather poorly.

But the 2 then juxtapose each other in a way that is jarring............and on the inside, I don't know if it's still organized the way it was when I was a student, but the connection between the 2 buildings was in the basement with exposed mechanicals, low ceilings, it really felt like a no-go zone, but it was the marked connection if you wanted to get from the change rooms to the east gyms.

Very odd, not cohesive in the least.
The two buildings are also connected on the uppermost floors between the indoor track and field and the smaller gym.
 
I thought pomo was widely hated around here as one the worst architectural movements in history...

People who dislike something usually make a ton more noise than people who like something (or are indifferent). If 100,000 Torontonians complain about something that means there are 6.3 million that didn't. Some dislike but say nothing, of course, but I'm sure you get the point.
 
That garish place. I figure it's the kind of pile that might look a tad better in decades to come, with a lovely coating of grime, being strangled in vines, that sort of thing.
 
I've always been a fan of the Brutalist part of the U of T Athletic Centre. While not the greatest example of Brutalism, the combination of neutral grey concrete and red-orange cladding is quite pleasant. It has the distinctive concrete flying buttresses with whimsical circles cut through them on its exterior. The imposing proportions give it a landmark quality, though it doesn't feel oppressive. It's not a building that necessarily has to be preserved, but any renovation should be sensitive to the merits of the original architecture, including the buttresses and colour scheme.

That garish place. I figure it's the kind of pile that might look a tad better in decades to come, with a lovely coating of grime, being strangled in vines, that sort of thing.

I think it gets garish at the top. But there are a lot of likable features like the red brick, conical bay windows, and the enclosed balconies. If this building were built 100 years ago (without the garish top), people would probably want to preserve it today.
 
I agree! As I suggested, I believe it will age nicely. But the first time I saw it in the flesh, so to speak, I winced. And I still do to this day. It just looked... ersatz. Like a struggling imitation of something authentic.
 

Virtual Community Consultation: 40-56 Harbord St.

The City has received an application at 40-56 Harbord Street to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit a 10-storey, 203-bed student residence with a food hall on the ground floor.

The City will be holding a virtual community consultation to discuss this application.

Details:

Date:
September 17, 2020
Time: 6 – 7:30 p.m.

How to Participate:

Online:


A link will be provided on the Engagement Webpage before the session, to be used for joining the meeting online.
For more information about how to join the meeting, how to participate and a code of conduct, visit the Engagement Webpage here.

By Phone:

Before the meeting: Participants by phone will not be able to ask live questions during the meeting. Submit your comments in advance by contacting the City Planning staff. The call-in number and meeting number will be provided on the Engagement Webpage here.

If you cannot participate:

If you are unable to participate in the meeting, you can contact City Planning staff or the Councillor’s Office with your comments and questions by email:

Paul Johnson, Senior Planner – paul.m.johnson@toronto.ca
 


Event Information: 40-56 Harbord Street - Community Consultation Meeting


Date and time:Thursday, September 17, 2020 6:00 pm
Eastern Daylight Time (Toronto, GMT-04:00)
Change time zone
Duration:1 hour 30 minutes
Description:
This is the community consultation meeting for the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application at 40-56 Harbord Street.
 
As per the latest updates to the Business Board of U of T this one still does not have a tentative tender date:

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