Toronto U of T: Robarts Library Renovations & Robarts Common | ?m | ?s | U of T | Diamond Schmitt

Today.
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Even with a completely different style of architecture, there could have been some connection between the two buildings here… but the glass is totally the wrong tint to achieve that. Had it been tonally similar to Robarts, then the "Common" section would have had some commonality with the older building, instead of none at all.

There just is not enough attention paid by developers and architects in this city to the tonality of cladding materials, with cheap green glass being the ne plus ultra budgetary prohibition and architectural anti-solution far too often.

42
 
Pro tip to developers: The building behind it doesn't look cheap.

(And thanks for nailing what was bothering me about this project, Mr. 42...but couldn't put my finger on it. /bows)
 
Totally agree about the colour/tone of the glass. And it's not like we are arguing for a more expensive clearer glass. If the glass was tinted brown (which can't be that expensive. Heck, the cheapest buildings from the 70's had glass like that), it would have been an interesting contrast in styles but also something that worked with the original building.

Instead we get two separate pieces that do not work with each other at all. In fact, they clash and do disservice to each other.
 
It's a shame they didn't pay for a glass that could have achieved the look of the rendering. Or the same glass Diamond Schmitt used for the NAC. If you can't see the interior balcony elements from outside, the entire effect falls flat.

On a related note- Diamond Schmitt is technically a *good* architecture firm - but they seem to specialize in making high quality, highly forgettable architecture & I add this one to the list. 😴
 
interchange42 said:
Even with a completely different style of architecture, there could have been some connection between the two buildings here… but the glass is totally the wrong tint to achieve that. Had it been tonally similar to Robarts, then the "Common" section would have had some commonality with the older building, instead of none at all.

There just is not enough attention paid by developers and architects in this city to the tonality of cladding materials, with cheap green glass being the ne plus ultra budgetary prohibition and architectural anti-solution far too often.

42
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Also applies to The Well.
 
I quite like the aqua tint. I agree a brown tint would have worked better but a cold blue glass would have been much worse
 
Actually, a cold blue wouldve been better then this IMO...at least it would've been more of a contrast to the original building. Of course, a brown glass would've been ideal here though, to pay homage to the building, and create a space that's obviously contemporary in design, but surrounded with a vague call back to the building it's attached to. This addition looks terrible, as an addition to a well constructed brutalist structure. In principle, a glass addition to a concrete building of this quality can work, but said addition must be engineered and planned in a way of respecting and interacting with the space it shares with the library.
 
xy3 said:
I quite like the aqua tint. I agree a brown tint would have worked better but a cold blue glass would have been much worse
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The tint was never expressed in the renderings. However, a lower common denominator of processing glass leaves that green tint...thus, it strongly suggests the developer was cutting corners with this project. And this is why it's problematic. Especially with a signature extension such as this one.
 
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I would really appreciate the entire building being renovated to window dress that monstrosity of brutalist post-modern architecture obviously "designed" by some talentless, narcissistic idiotic academic self-aggrandizing wingnut. Putting window dressing on the bride of Frankenstien is still an improvement over seeing her mock Toronto with her brazen shameless ugliness.
 
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alextakvor said:
I would really appreciate the entire building being renovated to window dress that monstrosity of brutalist post-modern architecture obviously "designed" by some talentless, narcissistic idiotic academic self-aggrandizing wingnut. Putting window dressing on the bride of Frankenstien is still an improvement over seeing her mock Toronto with here brazen shameless ugliness.
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Goodness, that's a lot of adjectives strung together. I'm not sure they contradict or compliment each other...
 
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