Northern Light
Superstar
Tis indeed so.
Here's your source:
https://www.toronto.ca/city-governm...714951&pid=230304&title=259-LAKE-SHORE-BLVD-E
Look in the Planning Rationale for most of the renders.
- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
Tis indeed so.
Here's your source:
https://www.toronto.ca/city-governm...714951&pid=230304&title=259-LAKE-SHORE-BLVD-E
Look in the Planning Rationale for most of the renders.
I encourage all to read our front page article detailing the revisions to each of the Quayside Block 1 Buildings:
urbantoronto.ca
Buildings 1C1, 1C2 and 1C3 all remain 12-storeys with affordable rental units however are no longer proposed as mass timber and Teeple Architects have replaced Adjaye Associates.
Additional updated renderings of the public realm & 'community forest' around Building 1C:
Resubmission Reworks Quayside Multi-Tower Plans in Toronto's East Bayfront | UrbanToronto
A revised proposal for the western portion of Quayside introduces new phasing, refined tower forms, and an increase in affordable rental housing. The plan now features four towers, three mid-rises, and various community amenities in Toronto’s East Bayfront.
Buildings 1C1, 1C2 and 1C3 all remain 12-storeys with affordable rental units however are no longer proposed as mass timber and Teeple Architects have replaced Adjaye Associates.
Additional updated renderings of the public realm & 'community forest' around Building 1C:
Attachments
thamal3
New Member
Thanks for sharing, this is horrific news so is it safe to assume all the proposed condos in this area will be completely overhauled? City of Toronto has no regard to livability, what a shame I was looking forward to what was to come.
junctionist
Senior Member
The long podium proposal along Queens Quay East is awful, even when the facade is broken up into smaller volumes with alternating shades of grey. I feel that Waterfront Toronto is failing on making Queens Quay East into an attractive street from a pedestrian's perspective in terms of what has been built so far and what's getting approved. The streetscape feels like an afterthought with the buildings with sterile walls of glass on the south side and now this overly long podium proposal. Everything that's getting built is subject to Waterfront Toronto's oversight.
If you want to see what works, walk along Queen Street West and observe the narrow facades with varied designs and colours, as well as narrow storefronts. I filled out one of those Waterfront Toronto surveys for feedback on the Villiers Island district masterplan. I made the case that narrower facades make for more attractive streetscapes and to set aside a part of the project for dense, narrow buildings that could be built by individuals and small-scale developers (like what had happened on Queen Street West in the late 19th century).
The feedback doesn't seem to have made a difference. Big developers don't want to mess around with narrow facades because doing so costs more. The only parties that get to build here are the biggest developers, and that's a shame.
If you want to see what works, walk along Queen Street West and observe the narrow facades with varied designs and colours, as well as narrow storefronts. I filled out one of those Waterfront Toronto surveys for feedback on the Villiers Island district masterplan. I made the case that narrower facades make for more attractive streetscapes and to set aside a part of the project for dense, narrow buildings that could be built by individuals and small-scale developers (like what had happened on Queen Street West in the late 19th century).
The feedback doesn't seem to have made a difference. Big developers don't want to mess around with narrow facades because doing so costs more. The only parties that get to build here are the biggest developers, and that's a shame.
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Northern Light
Superstar
You're welcome.
I wouldn't go quite that far, it is disappointing that's for sure.
Yes, building 2 is staying fairly close to what was planned; but Building 1A, which is now 1A1 and 1A2 is a complete re-design, and not for the better.
Other buildings we don't necessarily have new renders for just yet.
But you'll see what we have across the various different Quayside threads.
Or, as @Paclo posted, have a look at the story that's up:
Resubmission Reworks Quayside Multi-Tower Plans in Toronto's East Bayfront | UrbanToronto
A revised proposal for the western portion of Quayside introduces new phasing, refined tower forms, and an increase in affordable rental housing. The plan now features four towers, three mid-rises, and various community amenities in Toronto’s East Bayfront.
This is not entirely on the City, by any means. There is a development consortium leading the work here. WaterfronToronto will have had input as will the City.
I don't think the City has no care for livability. These designs aren't atrocious overall, though there are some very real shortcomings.
But....the City and WT here have agreed to too little ambition and that really isn't acceptable.
beepboop
New Member
Buildings 1A1/1A2 are a Rezoning, not a building design (and there are no renderings) so I think it's premature to comment.
1B (Henning Larsen) looks great, very similar to previous design in a lot of ways.
No comment about the rest of it. -__-
Northern Light
Superstar
The Teeple 1C stuff (Queen's Quay fronting midrise(s) are the most affronting letdown.
But the remassed 1A1/1A2 certainly are a more dull shape, if nothing else, compensated for that with materiality will be a challenge. Best of luck to them and us.
goodcitywhenfinished
Active Member
The street level experience still looks pretty good.
Is the QQE rebuild still contingent on the “lrt” moving forward?
Is the QQE rebuild still contingent on the “lrt” moving forward?
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
The varying tint of the brick didn't help an iota with the mass - but made the ensemble look incoherent.
AoD
AoD
drum118
Superstar
I stand to be corrected.
The streets to to be built with porovision the proposed ROW east of Yonge to Cherry Street with TTC doing some work at Parliament that needs to happen sooner than later. It will be interesting if the city planning going to 100% design work with the 2026 budget as well what plan will move forward, I am still on record for building the east-west line and blocking off Bay Tunnel until funds can be found to do the tunnel and loop since it is the lion share of the cost of the extension.
TTC has stated in the past it cost $25 million per km of double trackwork to be built on the surface and should be higher today. There is the cost to build the new portal along with the wye for Bay St as well a wye connection at Cherry St. A guess would be about $350 million to build QQE line not including the Yonge infill nor the tunnel and loop area or the existing Cherry St line extension..
TossYourJacket
Senior Member
Oh good, more grey. Just what this city needs!
beepboop
New Member
I don't like the new design either but I need to ask you which renderings you are looking at because almost none of the depicted building is grey.
Fun fact: if the previous building had exposed timber at its exterior as depicted (though not sure how that would ever be achieved from a practical POV), it would have turned grey within a couple years of completion... greyer than this new design in fact.
Not trying to be dismissive but it would be really nice if the discourse here could go beyond "Toronto buildings are so grey." We get it, there are way too many drab, window wall towers in Toronto. But critique the real issues. Zurich is a city full of grey buildings, and they are executed skillfully. Paris is the cliche example of a city tourists flock to, yet it's overwhelmingly beige and grey. There are lots of critiques one can make about the new design of this building, but looking at it and shouting "grey" isn't really getting at the issues.
Also — I'd contend that colour isn't really the defining issue when people in Toronto complain about the buildings and their cladding, it's the quality of materials. Materiality is a huge element in architecture and construction, and it supersedes any notion of "colour".
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TossYourJacket
Senior Member
The street level rendering with the "Slow Brew" makes it look pretty grey (also the park space is very grey outside of the plants). But yeah in retrospect overall it's more Greige than Grey. Still, not exactly an exciting colour pallet.
Northern Light
Superstar
Uninspired, flat, and lacking a truly warm tone. It has some colour modelling that is adjacent to warm, its just too...... muted.
But colour is hardly the biggest failing here.
It's banality, it's boxiness. And fairly brutish massing (a 12-storey streetwall is a lot) with no offsetting benefit to justify that 'alot'.
DarwinP
Active Member
We just can’t get it right can we? After what we got with Aqualuna I thought maybe we could change direction and build good architecture in our waterfront. This proves Aqualuna will be the unicorn in the waterfront. Expect nothing but more mediocrity for the rest of the projects coming up in this area. When you have mediocre developers, a mediocre waterfront Toronto board, and mediocre city leaders, you end up with..you guessed it, mediocrity.
Let’s focus on the positive I guess, which is hopefully, affordable housing for those who need it.
Let’s focus on the positive I guess, which is hopefully, affordable housing for those who need it.