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Westin Harbour Castle (?, ?, ?)

The shot below illustrates the difference in grades even in downtown Toronto. I'm on the 26th floor of a condo on Wellesley (less than 3 km from the waterfront, where the hotel is) and yet I'm looking DOWN at the top of the 'revolving' restaurant, which is on the 33rd (or 34th depending on sources) floor of the hotel.

IMG_1132.JPG
 
It's so painfully obvious what should happen here:

1) Build an iconic tower with a hotel and conference centre along with the proposed office space at 11 Bay (across the street)
2) Tear this sucker down and replace it with a wide open park/piazza
3) Rebuild Jack Layton Ferry Terminal

We have one shot to get it right... so of course it will never happen
 
ProjectEnd said:
Why is tearing down an excellent, >50-year-old, complex in the year 2022 "painfully obvious"?
Click to expand...

I get the feeling we won't come to an agreement here, but in my view this complex is downright hostile to pedestrians in a location that should be the most welcoming to pedestrians in the city. Opening this space up would create an iconic space in a city that is sorely lacking in them. The towers themselves are not bad to look at, but the podium is so bad it overrides any of that in my view. It's obvious to me because of the opportunity of the location at the foot of Yonge St and the gateway to islands, perhaps the city's best feature. I understand the embodied carbon argument, I just think this is a unique case in the city that would justify the cost.
 
mikeyteeth said:
I get the feeling we won't come to an agreement here, but in my view this complex is downright hostile to pedestrians in a location that should be the most welcoming to pedestrians in the city. Opening this space up would create an iconic space in a city that is sorely lacking in them. The towers themselves are not bad to look at, but the podium is so bad it overrides any of that in my view. It's obvious to me because of the opportunity of the location at the foot of Yonge St and the gateway to islands, perhaps the city's best feature. I understand the embodied carbon argument, I just think this is a unique case in the city that would justify the cost.
Click to expand...
You make some excellent points; the current building has a very hostile street presence and the pedestrian access to it is bizarre. It MAY have been fine when the hotel was really in an industrial area and virtually all access was by car, but no more! That said, I am not sure it should be demolished but agree that it's a close call! The Conference Centre on the north side of QQE is going to be redeveloped, perhaps its beauty and elegance (ha!) will distract us.
 
tripwire said:
I was recently in Quebec City (for the first time) and found Westin Harbour's cousin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hôtel_Le_Concorde I was shocked at the similarity. I couldn't track down if it was the same architect though.
Click to expand...

The architect of Hotel Le Concord was Dimitri Dimakopoulos according to the Wiki your linked to above.

When you follow the link under his hame, the Habour Castle is not listed as among his works:

1653581478386.png


That said, ya know who would probably know?

@ProjectEnd
 
tripwire said:
I was recently in Quebec City (for the first time) and found Westin Harbour's cousin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hôtel_Le_Concorde I was shocked at the similarity. I couldn't track down if it was the same architect though.
Click to expand...
Revolving restaurants were all the rage in the 70s. Toronto used to have 3: CN Tower's, the Westin's (or Hilton's at that time), and another one on top of a since-demolished hotel around Bay & Dundas.
spacing.ca

A dizzy history of revolving restaurants in Toronto - Spacing Toronto

Nothing epitomizes space age urbanism quite like the revolving restaurant. Imagine sitting at the top of a modern skyscraper, the lights of the city twinkling below, enjoying a rib eye steak or prawn cocktail served in a wine glass. In the background, there’s light piano music and the faint...
spacing.ca
 
Rascacielo said:
Revolving restaurants were all the rage in the 70s. Toronto used to have 3: CN Tower's, the Westin's (or Hilton's at that time), and another one on top of a since-demolished hotel around Bay & Dundas.
spacing.ca

A dizzy history of revolving restaurants in Toronto - Spacing Toronto

Nothing epitomizes space age urbanism quite like the revolving restaurant. Imagine sitting at the top of a modern skyscraper, the lights of the city twinkling below, enjoying a rib eye steak or prawn cocktail served in a wine glass. In the background, there’s light piano music and the faint...
spacing.ca
Click to expand...

Good link; but that Holiday Inn near Bay and Dundas wasn't demolished.

It's a University of Toronto residence today.
 
milkycontent said:
It's so painfully obvious what should happen here:

1) Build an iconic tower with a hotel and conference centre along with the proposed office space at 11 Bay (across the street)
2) Tear this sucker down and replace it with a wide open park/piazza
3) Rebuild Jack Layton Ferry Terminal

We have one shot to get it right... so of course it will never happen
Click to expand...
Are you proposing that the State (city) buy the property? Otherwise, perhaps the owners who, you know, legally own it, quite like it as it is.
 
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