I don’t really see the similarity. This building is basically opaque. The “blanket” is the cladding. The AGNS design – which has not been built - has a façade layer of glass that wraps internal corridors inside which are separate volumes.

https://www.kpmb.com/project/art-gallery-of-nova-scotia/

The design of the Toronto library is really going to turn on the material quality of the blanket. In the renderings, it has that magical shimmering render quality. This is hard, if not impossible, to achieve.

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New plans submitted here March '23 and a C of A app. for minor variance also submitted subsequently.

The latter has a letter of objection from someone in the area. (not enough parking..... yes, and also no housing)

Renders in the new docs:

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Material Board:

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The revisions have to do with addressing the Design Review Panel's concerns over the mess of hydro wires and guy wires for some poles.

The choice of how to resolve this conflict did not follow the DRP's recommendation and my hope that these would be buried.

Cover Letter:

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Also not addressed was the issue of a road diet/bumpout for the side street here (Chapman)
 
The height changed from 16.40m to 16.45m. I also updated any missing info in the database.
 
Permit Update:


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Shoring permit in progress, but some code issue outstanding.
 

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Construction tender and closure plan is up for approval at next week's Library Board meeting:


The tender came in way above budget, lowest tender, as awarded is resulting in budget increase of ~11M to just over 50M.

Branch will close at the end of June '25. (this year)

Estimated time for construction is ..... wait for it..........4 years!!! For a 4-storey building........??? @ProjectEnd could build this thing with @wopchop and a crane operator in less time, working weekends. LOL

Not sure if this shows in the Docs yet, but the contract award resulting in some VE'ing.

@Paclo may wish to investigate; as perhaps might @AlexBozikovic. Hopefully nothing substantive.

I will note that the architecture fees to Perkins and Will have doubled over the course of this project. Part of that is passage of time (5 years)........

Part of that is fees that are relative to construction costs.

That still strikes me as excessive. I'm not faulting the architecture firm here necessarily............. I am concerned based on other public sector projects about how under-baked the initial design was, and how many change orders have been made throughout the process.
 
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Permit update:

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Mechanical and Plumbing are ready for issuance as well.

Shoring is outstanding with a code matter noted last October.

New Building (above-grade) is outstanding with multiple issues.
 
Library is almost fully demolished now. Pics from yesterday, August 14th, 2025:

Looking into the site at its western extent, the library long gone on this portion of the site:

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Looking across the site to the north-east from the same location:

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Now looking due east across the site at the remnants of the library:

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