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Design panel appointed to watch over waterfront
Architects will vet developers' plans
Public process could raise stakes
JOHN SPEARS
CITY HALL BUREAU
It won't take Toronto long to know whether the city's ambitious plans to renew its waterfront will shine or sink into mediocrity, says architect Bruce Kuwabara.
Kuwabara chairs the new Waterfront Design Review Panel, and yesterday the names of a dozen architects, planners and engineers who will join him were announced by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp.
The panel's job will be to encourage, cajole, prod or embarrass developers into coming up with the best designs for both public spaces and private buildings along the waterfront.
"The first few buildings that come out of the blocks must be exemplary," Kuwabara said in an interview. "You can't have a bunch of mediocre buildings and wait for a really good building. They all have to be operating at a higher level, and hopefully within that there are some that are really inspired."
The first test will be the development of the West Donlands area, which nestles in the crook of the Don River where it turns sharply westward just before it opens into the harbour.
Development proposals will likely come before the design review panel by the fall, said Kuwabara. The panel will meet publicly with developers and question them closely on every detail.
He suggested they will examine how each new building connects to the sidewalk; its materials, like colours of brick and window styles; and how well the public spaces work.
The review panel won't have formal power, Kuwabara said. But since much of the development will take place on land owned by some level of government, the waterfront corporation will be able to use design standards set by the panel to choose among proposals.
Janet Rosenberg, a landscape architect who will sit on the panel, said public opinion will be a powerful tool because past waterfront developments, such as the massed condos at Harbourfront, have been so disappointing.
"The people of Toronto are so angry with development that's happened in the past, and (the) lack of development that's happening now, that the stars are aligned for good things to happen," said Rosenberg, who is working on the new HTO waterfront park near Queens Quay W. and Spadina Ave.
Paul Bedford, Toronto's former chief planner, will also sit on the panel. Like Rosenberg, he thinks a public design process will persuade developers to hire top architects rather than submitting the cheapest possible designs.
"If the developer says, `Screw you,' I think it's going to get a lot of visibility," Bedford said. "I think people rightfully expect more. I think they're going to get it."
Other members of the panel are architects George Baird, Tania Bortolotto, Peter Clewes, Renée Daoust, Siamak Hariri and Donald Schmitt; landscape architects Greg Smallenberg and Charles Waldheim; planner Ann McIlroy, and engineer Peter Halsall.
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Lets hope that what the believe will be the case, when it comes to decision time. I think there are some very good people on this panel and it could make for some interesting discussions- but i will reserve judgment until the first proposals are dealt with..
p5
Architects will vet developers' plans
Public process could raise stakes
JOHN SPEARS
CITY HALL BUREAU
It won't take Toronto long to know whether the city's ambitious plans to renew its waterfront will shine or sink into mediocrity, says architect Bruce Kuwabara.
Kuwabara chairs the new Waterfront Design Review Panel, and yesterday the names of a dozen architects, planners and engineers who will join him were announced by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp.
The panel's job will be to encourage, cajole, prod or embarrass developers into coming up with the best designs for both public spaces and private buildings along the waterfront.
"The first few buildings that come out of the blocks must be exemplary," Kuwabara said in an interview. "You can't have a bunch of mediocre buildings and wait for a really good building. They all have to be operating at a higher level, and hopefully within that there are some that are really inspired."
The first test will be the development of the West Donlands area, which nestles in the crook of the Don River where it turns sharply westward just before it opens into the harbour.
Development proposals will likely come before the design review panel by the fall, said Kuwabara. The panel will meet publicly with developers and question them closely on every detail.
He suggested they will examine how each new building connects to the sidewalk; its materials, like colours of brick and window styles; and how well the public spaces work.
The review panel won't have formal power, Kuwabara said. But since much of the development will take place on land owned by some level of government, the waterfront corporation will be able to use design standards set by the panel to choose among proposals.
Janet Rosenberg, a landscape architect who will sit on the panel, said public opinion will be a powerful tool because past waterfront developments, such as the massed condos at Harbourfront, have been so disappointing.
"The people of Toronto are so angry with development that's happened in the past, and (the) lack of development that's happening now, that the stars are aligned for good things to happen," said Rosenberg, who is working on the new HTO waterfront park near Queens Quay W. and Spadina Ave.
Paul Bedford, Toronto's former chief planner, will also sit on the panel. Like Rosenberg, he thinks a public design process will persuade developers to hire top architects rather than submitting the cheapest possible designs.
"If the developer says, `Screw you,' I think it's going to get a lot of visibility," Bedford said. "I think people rightfully expect more. I think they're going to get it."
Other members of the panel are architects George Baird, Tania Bortolotto, Peter Clewes, Renée Daoust, Siamak Hariri and Donald Schmitt; landscape architects Greg Smallenberg and Charles Waldheim; planner Ann McIlroy, and engineer Peter Halsall.
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Lets hope that what the believe will be the case, when it comes to decision time. I think there are some very good people on this panel and it could make for some interesting discussions- but i will reserve judgment until the first proposals are dealt with..
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