Toronto Union Centre | 298m | 54s | Westbank | Bjarke Ingels Group

I don't really care if the end product has trees or not. I want to see how this building looks naked so that I could lay proper judgement onto it.

Their presence in the renderings is just a distraction.

That’s like saying that the presence of cladding in a building’s renderings is a distraction. The trees are integral to the design. You’ve alleged that there won’t be any trees and I’ve provided examples demonstrating that when BIG includes trees in a building’s design, they deliver trees when built. Not including them is not considering the tower as it will be built.
 
I don't see evergreens in the rendering so the point remains. I want to see the building as it will be for half the year.

So.....you got me thinking............of the species in Ontario that would most likely tolerate the extreme wind/climate conditions of essentially being on a cliff edge 50 storeys up, with high winds, and full sun..........

A couple of the very best choices would be conifers. Specifically Eastern White Cedar and Red Pine.....

But...but.....anyone want to be standing at the bottom when the cones drop? Definitely not from Red Pine you don't......

White Cedar cones aren't really an issue though........

Many deciduous species would not be appropriate at height.

Hmmm.

I'll have to ask around for some professional thoughts on this.
 
I think the trees atop Vancouver's Woodward's tower are Pin Oaks.

As for maintenance costs?
It cost $500K for a condo in Vancouver to replace a rooftop tree - also a Pin Oak - and replace the planter's membrane.
The city's building permit was contingent on having a rooftop tree, so owners had to pay about $35,000 per unit for its replacement (high end building, one suite per floor or so).
They settled on a pin oak because firs and cedars wouldn't be able to handle the wind loads that deciduous trees can take. Most of the pin oak's weight is at the bottom of the trunk, its branches are light, and the species was able to withstand the windstorms that whipped through Vancouver in late 2006, uprooting thousands of trees in Stanley Park.
 
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I think the trees atop Vancouver's Woodward's tower are Pin Oaks.

As for maintenance costs?
It cost $500K for a condo in Vancouver to replace a rooftop tree - also a Pin Oak - and replace the planter's membrane.
The city's building permit was contingent on having a rooftop tree, so owners had to pay about $35,000 per unit for its replacement (high end building, one suite per floor or so).

Wow, great find! I'd hope this isn't a common issue. And I'm not so sure this situation is a comparable example, but I also don't know enough on the topic. I would also like to believe planning and horticulture building engineering (is that a thing?) has progressed since over 30 years ago ;)
 
Let's just see if the building is actually approved with that lighting feature and even then, hopefully it doesn't start falling apart like Aura's.

This is an office building. If it's built like this they will maintain it. Condo boards are a whole other matter when it comes to maintaining features that cost money that they may not think important.
 
I will again reiterate how much I really like this tower. Its huge, tall, and very sophisticated looking. I love the use of nature/trees, something no office building in Toronto has really done yet. I also love the lighting features, something I think more towers should incorporate. It really adds to the modern feel of a city, and gives it some beauty/artistic feel. I would be ecstatic if this was approved as is.
 
The lighting on this building is going to be kind of insane given how much it will dominate the skyline. I wonder if other buildings will try to outdo them, and then we have Blade Runner...

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Do we know if the building will actually light up like this? Or is this just some fun animation for the social post?
 
Documents are up:

 
Stacking plan:

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3D:

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