Toronto W Hotel Toronto | ?m | 9s | Larco | a—A

Don't know the financials/ownership issues but rather than turning this fortress into a wall of glass, I could see a dozen or two window "punch-outs" (not flush but slight overhang on Bloor Street) turning this sow's ear into an an acceptable "imitation" silk purse. Would prefer a masterpiece make-over but just aiming low.

I'm talking about the precast mega-wall of course, not the marriott.
 
Approved at the CofA:

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So, according to the plans, that concourse entry is going to be getting a b.f. (barrier free?) lift. My hope for those with challenges, that this is not a hydraulic lift (like in nearby Longo's). Those things require a trained operator for (legal) use, and don't match modern ideas of what's truly accessible (as for most people they will require someone to help).

I personally don't need it, but having traversed this city for a couple of years with a baby stroller, I've become woke to accessibility issues, and wish city council would do more than just consider help-required lifts as a checkmark for "accessible".

Does anyone know the plans for this lift?
 
So the hotel should have closed down this week for the exterior work to commence. In conjunction with that work, the hotel has closed to be renovated and will reopen in 2020 as a W Hotel.

PS - I missed the earlier rumours. But no longer a rumour, that is for sure.
 
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I love brutalism but IMO it's fine to hack into brutalism and update it in jarring ways — it has many, many flaws and so realistically these buildings need to adapt over time. But it's important that additions are made with some degree of grace and respect to what the original form was trying to do. The Manulife centre situation down the street fails this standard so awfully I don't even like to think about it, but this one feels like it passes the test as, well, good enough. The bottom section seems bland and will probably look bad once it's assembled with spandrel, but the upper part and the entrance (?) to it (is that an elevator?) seem appropriately like a Bond villain's lair or something so it may end up complimenting the existing structure in an interesting way. We'll see! I like the overtly futuristic aspect of it.
 
Marriott sign coming down

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concrete_and_light said:
I love brutalism but IMO it's fine to hack into brutalism and update it in jarring ways — it has many, many flaws and so realistically these buildings need to adapt over time. But it's important that additions are made with some degree of grace and respect to what the original form was trying to do. The Manulife centre situation down the street fails this standard so awfully I don't even like to think about it, but this one feels like it passes the test as, well, good enough. The bottom section seems bland and will probably look bad once it's assembled with spandrel, but the upper part and the entrance (?) to it (is that an elevator?) seem appropriately like a Bond villain's lair or something so it may end up complimenting the existing structure in an interesting way. We'll see! I like the overtly futuristic aspect of it.
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Definitely agree- while Toronto's urban brutalist structures (not the ones in natural settings) are usually interesting to a degree once you get above the podiums, nearly every one of them fails on the street level from an urbanistic point of view.

Not that it was something inherent to the style, as it was probably more of a product of their time (contextual urban decay and a city-in-a-building mentality)- but that time has past and the ground levels of these buildings need to be reimagined and reconnected to their surroundings.
 
www.prnewswire.com

Marriott International To Debut The W Hotels Brand In Toronto

/PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) has signed an agreement with Larco to bring W Hotels' bold design, signature Whatever/Whenever®...
www.prnewswire.com www.prnewswire.com

TORONTO, Sept. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) has signed an agreement with Larco to bring W Hotels' bold design, signature Whatever/Whenever® service and innovative programming to Toronto for the first time, underscoring growing demand for luxury in Canada and the brand's boundary-breaking approach to design.

W Toronto will feature an indoor/outdoor lobby bar and lounge equipped with a DJ booth/recording studio.

W Toronto will feature an indoor/outdoor lobby bar and lounge equipped with a DJ booth/recording studio.

The 9-story, 255-room property located at 90 Bloor Street East in Toronto's fashionable Yorkville neighbourhood, will be surrounded by high-end boutiques, galleries and design studios as well as chic cafes, polished bars and fine-dining restaurants. The $40 million design transformation, which began in July 2019, will reimagine the property's guest rooms, restaurants and amenities. The property is expected to open as W Toronto in Summer 2020.

"We are applying a unique, vibrant sensibility to the upcoming W Toronto, one that has not been seen before in Toronto," said Paul Cahill, Area Vice President, Eastern Canada for Marriott International. "The exciting evolution of this property into Toronto's first W hotel is consistent with the ongoing evolution of this Toronto neighbourhood whose vibrancy, sophistication, and density continues to grow. This is a strategic location for the brand, and we foresee it welcoming international business and leisure travellers, but also becoming a destination for urban thrill-seekers."...
 
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