Toronto Union Park | 303.26m | 58s | Oxford Properties | Pelli Clarke Pelli

I am a bit fashionably late to this party (with apologies), but here are some quick quips:

I do not mind the office tower designs. I think they present some dynamism and animation, without going over the top. With the right attention to detail and materials, they will look better than most of the towers we have seen built here in the last 10 years (yes, yes...that is not saying a lot).

The residential towers also appear to be decent designs but even more than the office towers, the devil will be in the details and materials used. The 'cheapening' will be most apparent here, if it occurs.

What I do not like, is the podium and the way the structure meets the street, particularly Front. The podium appears to have little relation to the towers above, and as someone noted, seems like an exercise in maximising the building envelope. Worse, the podium appears to present nothing at street level but large empty envelops of glass structures, looking into lobbies. This area deserves more street animation, detail and reasons to linger (a few restaurants would help). The surrounding buildings do such a terrible job at street animation (the convention centre, condo buildings with tiny low ceiling retail) that the site should be more than just lobby doors and glass.
 
cd concept said:
What I'm getting sick and tired of is seeing practically all these new buildings go up in an all glass format. At least and some stonework in the podium area. We're losing two solid looking structures that I think look nice in this area for an all-glass building again.
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Although I'm 100% on side with you in terms of having more organic materials used in buildings, I'm not sure it fully applies to this area. This change would be lateral at worst, and more likely an upgrade. That entire section and side of the street is a dead zone today, so you are not losing anything other than the ability to stop, look, think it appears nice, and move on. I'm down there often, and it is literally a building you 'walk past' to go places, without much of a thought. 'll take the new buildings that create activity on the street over the current footprint in this scenario.
 
Based on that project link, i love it. Will it ever get approved and constructed as shown? That's a different story, and highly unlikely.
 
I feel like architects are forgetting that good design is a combination of building form and material selection. In this case, the latter seems like it will produce a very sterile new complex, which is too bad because this stretch of front is already very uninviting. You'd think they'd try to rectify that.
 
Gee they're wasting no time:cool:​
325 FRONT ST W
Ward 10 - Tor & E.York District​
315 FRONT ST W​
325 FRONT ST W​
​
​
Proposed Use ---​
# of Storeys ---​
# of Units ---​
Type​
Number​
Date Submitted​
Status​
Applications:​
OPA & Rezoning​
19 204347 STE 10 OZ​
Aug 12, 2019​
Application Received​
 
Nothing will happen to 315 Front until the Macdonald Block renovations are complete in 2024. The Ontario government made sure the lease meant they wouldn't get kicked out of 315 Front before the renovations are complete.
 
Do we think this or the BIG proposal will be up and running first? So many office builds popping up within a 500m radius - insane!
 
Do you mean Union Centre? Could be either but that one is already in for rezoning - this is just getting the application in now.

In the end, both will depend on a big, juicy lease. They're too big for small tranches of multiple leases. In that vein, don't forget that CC3 and The Hub are in front of both of them.
 
ProjectEnd said:
Do you mean Union Centre? Could be either but that one is already in for rezoning - this is just getting the application in now.

In the end, both will depend on a big, juicy lease. They're too big for small tranches of multiple leases. In that vein, don't forget that CC3 and The Hub are in front of both of them.
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Ah yes, blanked on the name of the projects (sorry). Makes sense, exciting times nonetheless.
 
that crown on the office buildings look like it's trying to mimic the roger center's top.

s5BjBgd.jpg
 
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