Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[steveintoronto]

What an incredible improvement over the stuffy low ceiling concourse. I almost want to cry.

Time will tell! It is certainly a huge improvement in the sense of openness, but the light level depicted in the drawing is that of direct sunlight at noontime, note various nuances, including reflections. Any natural light will be lateral, not overhead. Of course, renderings are always complementary that way, in practice, unless very intense artificial light is used above, the sense will still be that you are below ground, albeit in a cavernous space.

I just realized from that depiction what it is that's so amazing about Grand Central, and many other classic railway stations, (Toronto Union's Grand Hall is still this): No support columns! That being said, the treatment afforded to the ones shown is effective in not hiding them, as that would be impossible, but making them minimally intrusive visually.

I'm still having trouble visualizing the walkway as described and as depicted on the floor diagram http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/attachments/digdown-jpg.85250/
The diagram indicates a width of the walkway as being 1/3 that of the moat. The rendering alludes to much less, and perhaps is taking licence with the sense of space that the depiction portrays.

I'd be very interested in seeing the architect's detail drawings of the walkway, from both vertical and lateral aspects.

 

[interchange42]

Here's a look south along the Bay Promenade with the Concourse level above, with the stairs to the tracks above that.

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[mdrejhon]

Here's a look south along the Bay Promenade with the Concourse level above, with the stairs to the tracks above that.

View attachment 85252

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Yep... This is the two levels, pictured here --

The lower level being the massive level (stairless) "pedestrian expressway" straight to TTC through a wide 20-door-wide Moat that is level with the bottom level. Level bee-line from the TTC gates to the six-escalator/stairs wide area, just like I said earlier... Middle is an atrium but the second level is a square just like York concourse.

The atrium might be bigger (not sure), but it is still two levels.

 

[interchange42]

I'm still having trouble visualizing the walkway as described and as depicted on the floor diagram http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/attachments/digdown-jpg.85250/
The diagram indicates a width of the walkway as being 1/3 that of the moat. The rendering alludes to much less, and perhaps is taking licence with the sense of space that the depiction portrays.

I'd be very interested in seeing the architect's detail drawings of the walkway, from both vertical and lateral aspects.

Just cross-reference the plan with the shot that @MetroMan posted earlier on page 227, or that I posted on page 226, of the "take-off point" for the bridge, to check its width.

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[wopchop]

A note of reality: If the canopy (which looks incredible) is glass paned...errr...how tough can they make that? If something heavy were to be tossed onto there from the sidewalk above and immediately to the north, it would be catastrophic. Ostensibly the heaviest accumulation of snow X a co-efficient would be a starting point, but what strength would be needed to satisfy the needs of safety for those below?

Edit: OMG! And (dare I raise this?) Bomb proof?

http://www.cpni.gov.uk/advice/Physical-security/ebp/Blast-resistant-glass/


http://www.cpni.gov.uk/about/

Not really. All overhead glazing needs to be laminated. Meaning even if it did break, it is retained in the opening by the lamination layer.

We actually looked at early design drawings for these canopies 3 to 4 years ago, but I can't remember if blast-resistant glazing was a requirement. I would not be surprised if it was, though.

 

[steveintoronto]

We actually looked at early design drawings for these canopies 3 to 4 years ago, but I can't remember if blast-resistant glazing was a requirement. I would not be surprised if it was, though.

Hopefully the Feds are on top of it, as it *should* be required. I was reading-up on it last night, the science has come a long way, including even '1/4" glass laminated with fibres that shatters one side, remains intact the other', 'glass' being a euphemism, it's really an acrylic or equivalent.

Needless to say, it must also be capable of a very heavy weight being dropped on it without failing, it would be such an obvious and easy target for malfeasance.

 

[TransitBart]

So for the uninformed (comme moi) - the Bay reno is not going to produce a mirror image of the York reno? These renders loot like something completely different. Which does make sense since the bus station is not on York Street. Silly me. I like uniformity to the extent that I figured one would be a mirror image of the other.

 

[Megaton327]

So for the uninformed (comme moi) - the York reno is not going to produce a mirror image of the York reno? These renders loot like something completely different. Which does make sense since the bus station is not on York Street. Silly me. I like uniformity to the extent that I figured one would be a mirror image of the other.

The Bay concourse level will be a mirror of York. Those photos are of the lower level, which will have some differences.

 

[TransitBart]

The Bay concourse level will be a mirror of York. Those photos are of the lower level, which will have some differences.

The lower level on the other side was to be all retail, no?

 

[mdrejhon]

The lower level on the other side was to be all retail, no?

Yes... But the food establishments are concentrated on the York side.
This side has retail big enough to be, for example, to include a theoretical Apple Store.

There is a layout of retail somewhere earlier in tbis thread, though I think there is some flux.

 

[MetroMan]

Just cross-reference the plan with the shot that @MetroMan posted earlier on page 227, or that I posted on page 226, of the "take-off point" for the bridge, to check its width.

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It's not very wide considering that it's going to be interrupted with iron pillars every 10ft for the canopy — unless the canopy has been redesigned and will rest on the moat and the station's existing pillars.

Walking through the York concourse to the subway, I got a better understanding of the spatial layout of the station.

The TTC exit is one floor below the York Concourse correct? The Bay Concourse will be level with York with a double height court open below that will be level with the TTC. I get it now.

Still, there are a lot of ramps to slightly adjust the heights of different wings and the exits to the moat. Will they be able to eliminate these ramps and keep everything level amongst their different floors?

 

[Northern Light]

Yes... But the food establishments are concentrated on the York side.
This side has retail big enough to be, for example, to include a theoretical Apple Store.

There is a layout of retail somewhere earlier in tbis thread, though I think there is some flux.

I know i'm gonna get shot at................(only metaphorically, I hope)

But what is the big deal w/Apple stores?

No, I'm not obtuse about the brand, or what it makes/sells.

But the stores themselves I find overwhelmingly banal. Yes, some are in nice buildings, most aren't.

But they feel like office space to me, and rather sterile.

I hasten to add that their tech doesn't change that often....and its price tag is such that impulse buys ought not to be that common.

I just can't fathom why everyone seems to want one on every second corner..........that seems even less appealing than Starbucks on every second corner!

Granted, a step up on McDs or Dollarama.........

 

[steveintoronto]

It's not very wide considering that it's going to be interrupted with iron pillars every 10ft for the canopy — unless the canopy has been redesigned and will rest on the moat and the station's existing pillars.

I'm still unclear on how much space there is on that walkway as the pictorials published aren't listed as being "to scale" . If they are, then the drawn renditions are way out of perspective. I'd really like to see the actual architect's drawings on it, specifically a separate walkway drawing so as to visualize how they are going to deal with those pillars.

I was looking at depictions the other day that showed the pillars supporting the canopy superstructure. (btw, the pillars are historically extant, they occur at regular distances throughout adjacent areas within the original building according to the floor diagrams I've viewed). (Edit: Some *appear* to not go above the original ground floor level, again, I need more detailed drawings to discern that)

It would help if the artists' renditions weren't so fantastic. (in the truest sense of the word, they're either software derived or enhanced, and the reflections shown, for instance, are impossible with the sources of light that will occur).

Notice how everyone is having a mental orgasm while tripping the light fantastic? lol...

I've Googled for more detailed drawings, no luck.

 

[PinkLucy]

I know i'm gonna get shot at................(only metaphorically, I hope)

But what is the big deal w/Apple stores?

No, I'm not obtuse about the brand, or what it makes/sells.

But the stores themselves I find overwhelmingly banal. Yes, some are in nice buildings, most aren't.

But they feel like office space to me, and rather sterile.

I hasten to add that their tech doesn't change that often....and its price tag is such that impulse buys ought not to be that common.

I just can't fathom why everyone seems to want one on every second corner..........that seems even less appealing than Starbucks on every second corner!

Granted, a step up on McDs or Dollarama.........

I much prefer to buy online from them. The stores are madhouses.

 

[interchange42]

Let's not get into a "what's the deal with Apple stores?" in this thread please. I'm not against speculation about an Apple store in Union in this thread, but not an existential question about the store as a whole here. There is a thread for the Apple store in the retail section: keep the existential talk for that thread please.

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