Ok, I just want to hear what everyone thinks is the ugliest high-rise or skyscraper in Toronto. I should note that residential commie blocks of Scarborough or North York, or anywhere for that matter are off limits.

The nightmare on Elm street.

One of those Victoria Park monstrosities. They're huge!
Maybe the Leaside blocks too.

The Toronto Star building, and its right by the lake which should have been used for something that wasn't as ugly as sin.

The Holiday Inn on King stands out as all-round bad in every way. Someone went out of their way to design this ugly thing...much worse than the apartment buildings, which are just more on the utilitarian side architecturally...which isn't so bad.

I actually like the Hilton building...kinda reminds me a bit of the Macmillan Blodel building in Vancouver...it has a sharp clean look. The recent subtle refurnb is nice too.






KGB

the hilton hotel concrete block

I'm going to go with this one too. I don't know what it is about this building but it just offends me whenever I pass by it. The windows of the place are especially a sore spot and it just doesn't integrate into surroundings at all.

EDIT: How did my post come up before Hillis's which is dated to have been posted 5 hours into the future?

The Holiday Inn on King stands out as all-round bad in every way. Someone went out of their way to design this ugly thing...much worse than the apartment buildings, which are just more on the utilitarian side architecturally...which isn't so bad.

I have to agree. It's one of the worst buildings I've ever seen. It looks cheap, it's a mess visually and it has no redeeming values architecturally.

There are quite a few towers in Toronto which I'm not quite fond of, espeacially the concrete blocks but the Marriot Hotel Plaza at the Hudson Bay Centre on Bloor st. is truly the worst especially the parking garage thing (in the is pic (http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=200198) which makes Bloor st east look really gray :(

There are quite a few towers in Toronto which I'm not quite fond of, espeacially the concrete blocks but the Marriot Hotel Plaza at the Hudson Bay Centre on Bloor st. is truly the worst especially the parking garage thing (in the is pic (http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=200198) which makes Bloor st east look really gray :(

How could I forget this?!!!!! Easily my most hated in TO. At least Hilton actually attempts something. Not this!

What about this building?The 1001 Bay St. (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=112632). I'm sure everyone has seen this building before. How could you miss it!? The purple glass make it stick out like an eyesore. The building itself really isn't that bad, it's just the purple glass crap. :(

I actually really like the Hilton Hotel

"(in the is pic which makes Bloor st east look really gray )"
But this isn't the view on Bloor Street. The apartment views on the south side of the tower are spectacular

My Choices

-Holiday Inn on King
-almost windowless yellow concrete box by the Canada Life Tower
-brown 50s office box south of the St Andrew's condo tower (symphony place?)
-Harbour Point
-Westin Harbour Castle

wow, I'm surprised nobody hass mentioned Jorgensen Hall at Ryerson...

sorry for the tiny picture but we all know it and loathe it:
http://www.ryerson.ca/ua/photo/exterior/jorg/1990swideair.jpg

the hilton hotel concrete block

What's the matter with Jorgensen? Don't you like the windowless concrete box look? ha!
It's enough of a drag to be at a library on the weekend but this monstrous cement block is truly sad. (the only exception is the interior main floor which is undergoing renovations, it looks great so far!)

I would also like to add the Neill Wycik CO-OP Hotel/Residence across the street from Ryerson on Gerrard St. E.
Why on earth was that narrow beige condo built on NW's west side??? It's an eyesore that hangs on to the building like an albatross. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to show.

Jorgensen Hall is so over-the-top brutalist, it deserves some kind of warped respect.... it is definetely ugly...just a "good" kind of ugly...if you know what i mean.






KGB

^ I agree, I kind of like it.

Robarts Library

it's not the brutalism, it's just not functional. It's interior spaces have no respect to the human race, and the building occupies the block as if some child was trying to ram a square peg into a square hole, but on a diagonal.

Also, any building that commits the terrible sin of having a roof painted green to look like old copper. This is wrong in the worst of ways. The only one I can think of is the Rogers complex at Jarvis and Bloor.

The Thomson buildings at Bay and Queen are Bland (note the capital B), and the Sheraton is ruthless in it's massing.

Is Robarts Library the one at the corner of Younge and Bloor? A big concrete thing?

Is that Toronto's Main Public Library?

I remember a nice atrium inside--but it had a weird sculpture that looked as if the place has been toilet-papered by hoodlums the night before.

Jorgensen Hall is so over-the-top brutalist, it deserves some kind of warped respect.... it is definetely ugly...just a "good" kind of ugly...if you know what i mean.
I do know what you mean, but nonetheless, it had to be mentioned in this thread!

Flatiron, no this is the Toronto Reference Library (and it's "Yonge", not "Younge" :) )...
http://www.utoronto.ca/museum/images/museums/archive/metref.jpg


Robarts is one of UofT's libraries...
http://en.wikipedia.org/upload/3/33/Robarts_front_750px.jpg

http://www.utoronto.ca/ams/news/98/images/robarts.jpg

If you're into animal shaped brutalist, then this is your peacock (or is turkey?).

Here it is from a different angle...
http://en.wikipedia.org/upload/1/11/Robarts_corner_750px.jpg

in it's entirety...
http://www.newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bios/02/historical_images/1972RobartsLibrary.jpg

algonquin, I do agree with you about the interior... it's a mess.

No...the Toronto Reference Library is not it...I have a bit of a problem the way it meets the street, but it's interior is so well designed as a library, the atrium really works, and the outside shape is very nice...on the inside, it really has a good sense of place. it's a very nice mid 70's aestetic...plus it's just so well used....you can't really dislike that building. I also think Moriyama was really on his game at that time.

The Robarts Library ( 1973 ) is the central collection of social sciences and humanities materials in the University of Toronto Library System (UofT has 30 llibraries). It is a massive building...one million sqft. And contains 7 million books, plus 5 million in micro form. And has over 400,000 volumes in its Slavic and East European collection. ...plus over 1/4 million maps.





"the building occupies the block as if some child was trying to ram a square peg into a square hole, but on a diagonal."

There's a good reason for that actually...Why is it triangular? There are 1000 study carrels in the library, EVERY ONE of which has a window. These carrels were an important priority in the design of the building and the triangular shape helps accomodate them.

At the time, there had recently been a lot of criticism of the "row of rectangles" marching up St. George St. A triangle means that there is less inequality between the "front" and the "back" of a building. The building is more dynamic from the outside and furthermore allows the optical illusion of being less massive in appearance than it really is.


http://img86.exs.cx/img86/6692/PICT0692.jpg

http://img86.exs.cx/img86/2351/PICT0855.jpg

http://img86.exs.cx/img86/6688/PICT0888.jpg

http://img86.exs.cx/img86/8673/PICT6931.jpg







The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in part of the building is a magnificent space...it's six story atrium is almost as impressive the collection of books...

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/fisher/tour/mezzanine-stacks/mezzanine-stacks1.jpg

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/fisher/tour/mezzanine-stacks/mezzanine-stacks2.jpg

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/fisher/about/images/about-image2.jpg







KGB

No...the Toronto Reference Library is not it...I have a bit of a problem the way it meets the street, but it's interior is so well designed as a library, the atrium really works, and the outside shape is very nice...on the inside, it really has a good sense of place. it's a very nice mid 70's aestetic...plus it's just so well used....you can't really dislike that building. I also think Moriyama was really on his game at that time.

The Robarts Library ( 1973 ) is the central collection of social sciences and humanities materials in the University of Toronto Library System (UofT has 30 llibraries). It is a massive building...one million sqft. And contains 7 million books, plus 5 million in micro form. And has over 400,000 volumes in its Slavic and East European collection. ...plus over 1/4 million maps.





"the building occupies the block as if some child was trying to ram a square peg into a square hole, but on a diagonal."

There's a good reason for that actually...Why is it triangular? There are 1000 study carrels in the library, EVERY ONE of which has a window. These carrels were an important priority in the design of the building and the triangular shape helps accomodate them.

At the time, there had recently been a lot of criticism of the "row of rectangles" marching up St. George St. A triangle means that there is less inequality between the "front" and the "back" of a building. The building is more dynamic from the outside and furthermore allows the optical illusion of being less massive in appearance than it really is.



The homas Fisher Rare Book Library in part of the building is a magnificent space...it's six story atrium is almost as impressive the collection of books..



KGB

those pics are impressive of the interior. My first impression of the building is the entrance, I think, which has a ridiculously low cieling. For such a large building I'd hoped for something grand.... like the rare book library.

As for it's shape... triangular is fine. The problem is that the lanscaping is a complete afterthought... just a bit of lawn on each forgotten corner (the side opposite to St. George, and along Harbord). It's like they just didn't care. If they had bothered to solve how the building meets the street on this side, it would be much improved.

As for the Reference Library... never really liked it. I've always though that Toronto mysteriously lacks a great space for a library. Something that exhalts the idea of learning. Something grand. Toronto's libraries are dissapointing in this sense... with the excpetion of the Lillian H. Smith library on College St.

http://peach.mie.utoronto.ca/events/lego/lego-060901-room2.jpg

the interior is fantastic but I can't find a pic

There's a risk -- I hate, truly hate, to say this- that the HVE complex at Cityplace - if it's decked out in brown pre cast, could be HORRIBLE. Same with Waterparckcity -- seems to have brown pre-cast. Could turn out freaking not so great.

"My first impression of the building is the entrance, I think, which has a ridiculously low cieling. For such a large building I'd hoped for something grand.."


Yes...the one major fuck-up on the building...but it's Queen's Park's fault. Access through the second floor rather than the ground floor was a result of the provincial government demanding that 3 floors be added for its own use, near the end of the design process when it was too late to incorporate them effectively. Adding one to the bottom was the easiest way at the time.

So there ya go.


I don't think any kind of major landscaping would be appropriate for the site...the basic trees and grass seem best suited to the building. I'm pretty sure this was intentional, not for lack of budget...the uni is usually pretty good about landscaping on campus.






"I've always though that Toronto mysteriously lacks a great space for a library."


You aren't impressed with either the Central Reference or Robarts???

hmmm...perhaps another UofT library might impress you...what about the Koffler Centre? You can't tell me the 1907 great hall of that building isn't impressive. Oddly enough, this is the old Toronto refernce library, before the one at Yonge & Bloor was built...UofT bought it in 1980.









KGB

"My first impression of the building is the entrance, I think, which has a ridiculously low cieling. For such a large building I'd hoped for something grand.."


Yes...the one major fuck-up on the building...but it's Queen's Park's fault. Access through the second floor rather than the ground floor was a result of the provincial government demanding that 3 floors be added for its own use, near the end of the design process when it was too late to incorporate them effectively. Adding one to the bottom was the easiest way at the time.

So there ya go.


I don't think any kind of major landscaping would be appropriate for the site...the basic trees and grass seem best suited to the building. I'm pretty sure this was intentional, not for lack of budget...the uni is usually pretty good about landscaping on campus.






"I've always though that Toronto mysteriously lacks a great space for a library."


You aren't impressed with either the Central Reference or Robarts???

hmmm...perhaps another UofT library might impress you...what about the Koffler Centre? You can't tell me the 1907 great hall of that building isn't impressive. Oddly enough, this is the old Toronto refernce library, before the one at Yonge & Bloor was built...UofT bought it in 1980.




KGB

didn't know that about the Koffler Centre... still not good enough!

I'm thinking on the scale of NYC public library, or the National Library in Paris.... and I don't mean scale as in collection, but as in civic pride

I realize I am probably in the minority—but I’ve never been much impressed with the New York Public Library. It seems overdone to me and it echoes like a tomb.

Some of the interiors are nice, I suppose, if you care for that sort of thing. I think they’re oppressive. I also don’t see why anyone would find them “civic.”

Grand Central and the Metropolitan are much better Beaux-Arts Designs.

I like the lions.


The new National Library in Paris is butt-ugly IMO--looks like a cellophane imitation of the Albany Mall.

The building I hate the most is the Mining Building on College Street. Absolute monster.

I think the NY public library is an impressive building...but all those grand Beaux-Arts buildings look impressive to me....but they all seem far too interchangeable in a general sort of way....and every city has a collection of them....they are all different, and some are better than others...but you know what i mean...they all seem to have the same effect on me....to the point where I just don't get too excited by them.

Just nit-piking.


I like the TO refernce library...it doesn't feel like some kind of Union Station "great hall" thingy...it is very big, but homey feeling.

I mean com'on...how oppresive can orange carpeting on the walls be. LOL!!






KGB






KGB

Com'on...you guys are actually picking building that are kinda cool.

How about that mixed-use building at Spadina & Bloor...the offices on a square slab, with apartments above it. There a few of them though ( a really hideous one at Dundas & Bloor), so maybe it doesn't count...should be a standout building I guess.

I'm gonna stick with Holiday Inn




KGB

I think I'm alone here, but I like the Holiday Inn. Sure it's a little 80s retro, but I like the white and lack of concrete. One have to give it some marks for evoking such emotion from everyone.

I can't stand the Robarts Library. While the brutalism one has to admire in the same weird way that so many do in Jorgenson Hall, my main problem is the horrible sense of context. UofT has some beautiful architecture, especially with its historical buildings. From anywhere on campus, however, this huge monolith is there staring at you. You can't escape it! It's massing is just so inappropriate and it sticks out of the campus like a knife in a stab wound.

That being said, I still have a hate on for the Graduate Centre at UofT - I know KGB and I have locked horns on this one before, but I just can't stop thinking about how it looks like a garrison for the Berlin Wall. I hope that current comeback of metal side-panelling ends soon before Toronto becomes a collection of toolsheds.

Two honourable mentions: one, the provincial courthouse on Jarvis south of Dundas, and the Delta Chelsea. If there was one hotel in need of a makeover, that would be it.

cheers

yeah, the delta chelsea is hideous

Waterparkcity might turn out not so great.

Waterparkcity might turn out not so great.

good choice... I was trying to think of something recent. All of that grey cladding... yuck. And it looks horrible from the back!

Slabs.. All of them are horrible.. Well, there are a few exceptions, but comon, their slabs..

My vote goes to a little noticed by far one of the ugliest buildings ever built - it's a condo/apartment tower just North West of Dundas and Bay. Half a block over from the Bus terminal.

There is this condo tower built on top of a parking garage. The building is pure concrete and has these hidiously ugly concrete 'blinders' that poke out about half a meter at random locations - function unknown. The building has no respect for the street or itself. Sadly it would survive any war!

If anyone knows this building and can post a picture - many thanks!!!

Second choice - UotT library.

I'm going to go with this one too. I don't know what it is about this building but it just offends me whenever I pass by it. The windows of the place are especially a sore spot and it just doesn't integrate into surroundings at all.

EDIT: How did my post come up before Hillis's which is dated to have been posted 5 hours into the future?


What the hell... I'm thinking the same thing

My vote goes to a little noticed by far one of the ugliest buildings ever built - it's a condo/apartment tower just North West of Dundas and Bay. Half a block over from the Bus terminal.

There is this condo tower built on top of a parking garage. The building is pure concrete and has these hidiously ugly concrete 'blinders' that poke out about half a meter at random locations - function unknown. The building has no respect for the street or itself. Sadly it would survive any war!

If anyone knows this building and can post a picture - many thanks!!!

Second choice - UotT library.

OMG I must retract my last post, as this one takes the cake! It's horrible, yet innocuous enough that I completely forgot about it. I'm so glad you brought this little gem up. For those of you that haven't seen it, it's worth the trip downtown. Tito would be comfortable in this place!

I nominate all the ugly slabs in the city that were unfortunately covered in that hideous sheet-metal-esque cladding to extend their life span. Especially horrid are the ones that have cladding covering only those parts that needed some exterior repairs while the rest was left intact. Talk about turning what were once just eyesores into a complete abominations. Shame on the city for allowing this to happen.

While I'm at it, shame on the city for covering the bottom of the Lawrence Ave bridge over the Allen Rd with real sheet metal. Just what we all need -- more unnecessary ugliness.

"There is this condo tower built on top of a parking garage. The building is pure concrete and has these hidiously ugly concrete 'blinders' that poke out about half a meter at random locations - function unknown. The building has no respect for the street or itself. Sadly it would survive any war!"

It is also a heritage property - not imposible (yet) to demolish but not worth the time and effort either

I nominate all the ugly slabs in the city that were unfortunately covered in that hideous sheet-metal-esque cladding to extend their life span. Especially horrid are the ones that have cladding covering only those parts that needed some exterior repairs while the rest was left intact. Talk about turning what were once just eyesores into a complete abominations. Shame on the city for allowing this to happen.


hear hear.. thats up there with the faux copper green

^ faux copper green is the devil

The Crossways at Bloor and Dundas.

The Crossways at Bloor and Dundas.

good call..

i think the monstrosity thats across the street has been mentioned as well.

How about the Novatel in North York? This pic doesn't do it justice, but it's fugly as hell...

http://www.toronto-hotels-travel-discounts.com/toronto-novotel-new-york.jpg

another nasty one is at the southwest corner of Adelaide and University. I don't know it's name, but it has this bullshit pomo-scaffolding decoration that makes it look unfinished... it's truly horrible. I don't think it's very old either.

Sheraton hotel on Queen St across from Osgoode Hall/

Yes, the Sheraton is pretty ugly. Eww.

My vote goes to a little noticed by far one of the ugliest buildings ever built - it's a condo/apartment tower just North West of Dundas and Bay. Half a block over from the Bus terminal.

There is this condo tower built on top of a parking garage. The building is pure concrete and has these hidiously ugly concrete 'blinders' that poke out about half a meter at random locations - function unknown. The building has no respect for the street or itself. Sadly it would survive any war!

If anyone knows this building and can post a picture - many thanks!!!


Take your pick (the spot you described is sorta on the border between these two shots, so I'm including both)

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/547/2507office1.jpg
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/547/2507yb.jpg

I'm not sure if it's visible though.

Oh well, taste is so subjective.

I actually like like the Sheraton. It is a great example of that concrete style (I'm sure that word applied to this building makes some of of you dizzy).

I really like Robarts. I like the turrets, too. Nothing like the appearance of a well-armed library. Don't be late with the books.

The building I can't get over is the Holiday in on King. Something really went wrong. It is ugly, out of place and would make a better addition to the global collection of ugly hospital buildings. Instead, it is a fine example of really ugly hotel architecture. Recycle, re-orient and reface.

"another nasty one is at the southwest corner of Adelaide and University."

Ah yes...I agree...an expensive complete retrofit of an older simple office building...gone VERY wrong. They's be better off saving all that money and keeping the building the way it was.


I agree with the NYCC Novotel as well.

One thing I notice that is a common theme with the worse looking buildings...they are all examples of deliberate designs attempted to actually be "stylish"...yet they have gone terribly wrong.

Buildings that are just designed more plain or utilitarian are almost never actually "ugly"...just boring generally....but never as bad as badly designed "stylish" buildings.






KGB

TStar

You know what Building I love? I absolutely love 1 King west.

Have you been to Gerstein Science Library? I like the study rooms areas, but overall inside it's a bit of a dissapointment. There is a lot of concrete, only the front stairs area looks decent. Robarts is OK on the inside, they need more study rooms and yes it's really ugly everywhere.

Take your pick (the spot you described is sorta on the border between these two shots, so I'm including both)

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/547/2507office1.jpg
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/547/2507yb.jpg

I'm not sure if it's visible though.


Thanks for the post - it's in the bottom left hand corner of the second picture or right above city hall in the first picture (infront of the base of the building is a large white billboard).

Sadly from this distance it kinda blends in - don't know what that says about the city!

I don't think too many take pictures of it! But that whole area south of sick kids is one of the most bleak spots in the city. St. Jamestown would be proud!

New here.... but long time reader of the threads.

Thoughts:

the OCA building on the stilts... very unique... but I find it rather ugly. A box on insect legs. However I applaud the daring audacity of that kind of design.

The Hiliday Inn on King Street is definitely awful.

That green tin-looking office complex at Jarvis and Bloor with the walkway. Yuck!

Just about any of the buildings that make up York U.

My love affair with the Skydome has long since ended. I now find it rather ugly. Domes in the downtown core tend to look bad in any city to me.

"'Just about any of the buildings that make up York U."

Are you mad ?!?! (or just haven't been there in a long time)

Umm... no, I'm not mad. I find them horribly cold and ugly. Is a different opinion to yours deemed crazy? The only building that MIGHT be interesting to me is the Fine Arts slanted one.

i think the crossways at bloor and dundas has some competition with the building on the opposite corner!

I'm not too thrilled about the looks of Waterparkcity!!!
And, I hate to say it and hope I'm wrong, HVE at Cityplace looks a bit too pre-cast with not enough blue glass....

It's much better to not make a pooch job of buildings visible from the Gardiner.

OK, the high is fine... and HVE and Waterparkcity are just going to be a few of many going up, (and the quantity of buildings is truly quite something!) but let's try to scar the city with - um - pre cast!

130 Adelaide West really bugs me.

But I have to say, the HBC tower at Bloor & Yonge, just cause the base is so hideous and kills the street area. I have to agree with the poor York U collection, but atleast its hidden away. Unless you live/work there are go to school there, there is no reason to be up there.

There's a real beastly on Elm St., I think - nightmare on Elm--- It's an above ground parking lot with a boxy slab on top-- and it's freaking HORRIBLE!!
It's visible in the first picture-- the next building directly north of City Hall.

It's one of the most appalling buildings ever constructed-- as bad as any 1970's university campus buildings.

The Nightmare on Elm St. (77 Elm St)


http://img134.exs.cx/img134/5711/77elmstb5ds.jpg

http://img134.exs.cx/img134/5756/77elmsta4qx.jpg

77 Elm gets my vote

Yes, nightmare on Elm St gets mine too. From some angles it really looks butt ugly.

i cant really say, there are just so many damn ugly buildings

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but having taken a leisurely stroll downtown today, I'd like to ammend my vote.

Although the dealership I mentioned on Yorkville (just a stone's throw from 18 Yorkville) is wretched in its own right, at least it's "relatively" out of the way. I gotta say, though, that the Strathcona building near on York near the intersection of Front, York and University, is hideous. What's up with that awful paneling? What were they thinking? That stretch of street deserves much better. I nominate that over 77 Elm just because the former is surrounded by decent-looking buildings right in the CBD, and seems like just a bit of work on the facade could work wonders for it, whereas 77 Elm is just a lost cause.