http://torontoist.com/attachments/toronto_marcl/rogerstelevisioncity_rendering.jpg

Is this the old Olympic Spirit building? That tv monitor looks randomly glued onto the top of the building and not very well thought out. Would have been a great chance to make the biggest tv monitor in the country at that location, not just another standard box.

WTF is that crystal thing? Is that all going to be backlit plastic???

It appears to be a Torch condom. All round not a stellar proposal... looks like it was done on the cheap. Funny, they will merrily spend kabillions per year advertising Rogers or City Tv, but when it comes to building their home base they seem reluctant to making the building itself the biggest permanent advertisement that they have.

That had better be a quick "scribble"....

good start conceptually, now go back and make it A+

Sucks ass.

that would be kinda COOL... THE WORLDS BIGGEST TV... they can show theyre late great porn on the weekends and everyone can get a seat at dundas square... LOL dundas ORgy... maybe the zanza bar can provide the waitresses

As Jaye said:

This sucks ass.

That had better be a quick "scribble"....

You said it.

It's supposed to be done by Quadrangle Architects, so I'm not overtly concerned as of right now ...

The more I look at it the more I hate it. This area should be renamed to Cheap Square.

That has to be the most fundamentally flawed render I've ever seen.

that..thing..looks pretty poorly thought out :(

haha what the hell?

Why are we concerned what it looks like, when it could turn out worse than that, lol
History may repeat.... :(

However, I think it looks odd too, but hopefully that welcome thing is LEDs or sumthin, and not a bland poster that stays the same.

This is only a conceptual representation of of what it might look like. Hopefully it will get better as the idea is developed.

More here: http://torontoist.com/2008/03/a_first_look_at.php

Looks like a jumbled mess... fitting for one of Canada's greediest corporations.

I'd rather keep the Olympic Spirit than this.

Look on the bright side, at least Metropolis wont stand out as being particularly cheap and ugly.

Where's Harry and his crystal globe of water when you need him to save the day ... oh yeah, Hamilton.

I actually really like this. You guys are being so hard on it.

The "tacked on" screen for example, is on a strange angle that perhaps hasn't been thoroughly thought out-- or, it just adds to the chaos and jumble effect that animates the square.

Does anyone have Zaha Hadid on speed dial? We need her to save us from this pile of shit. Sorry thryve, but I can't muster even an ounce of love for it.

This isn't some random multiplex in Mississauga. This square should be one of the most iconic places in our popular culture. It needs to be as fantastic as the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Sydney Opera House, Times Square, or the Grande Arche de la Fraternite in La Defense in Paris. This is no place to be building some grade school Lego project.

This is the flagship of a $10 Billion communications conglomerate. It is mindboggling that people with the whole world at their finger tips and the money to experience and buy the best the world has to offer, possess the sophistication of a mall rat trolling Scarborough Town Centre.

Agreed. This design is shit and it belongs in a suburban mall. This project ought to be world class.

It just looks like it was whipped off in an afternoon with very little thought. I am not sure what the purpose of the "Torch" is now... it will have to be permanent signage instead of changeable.

I still think that this is a fake or just a poor conceptual image of what could be done. None of it really makes any sense!!

Unless Rogers told the designers they only had a couple hundred bucks to work with.

Agreed. This design is shit and it belongs in a suburban mall. This project ought to be world class.

Only world class cities build world class buildings.

The expression "World Class" makes my flesh crawl. Generally used by people who call
things "Classy".

The expression has the opposite effect of its intention, because if you have to ask, you're not. It suggests that you're aspiring to something that you haven't achieved yet. I understand the sentiment, but it does have the same effect on me as it does on you.

We should intuitively know if it is good enough and not accept anything we consider substandard.

It's hard to even tell what it is. Hopefully this is just a very preliminary concept of what's to come.

"sucks ass" is not a phrase I'm generally inclined to use. In this case, I'll make an acception.


It needs to be as fantastic as the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Sydney Opera House, Times Square, or the Grande Arche de la Fraternite in La Defense in Paris.


No...this is a place for crass consumerism...but at its best...not this kind of half-assed crass. Times Square is the odd man out in your list...nothing great about it...but it is first rate crass.



This is the flagship of a $10 Billion communications conglomerate.

No...their "flaship" is over on Jarvis. Oh wait...it's a crapper as well...perhaps this isn't a quickie scribble, but anaccurate rendering after all.




KGB

Blah Blah Blah......

"sucks ass" is not a phrase I'm generally inclined to use. In this case, I'll make an acception.





No...this is a place for crass consumerism...but at its best...not this kind of half-assed crass. Times Square is the odd man out in your list...nothing great about it...but it is first rate crass.





No...their "flaship" is over on Jarvis. Oh wait...it's a crapper as well...perhaps this isn't a quickie scribble, but anaccurate rendering after all.




KGB

The signage is great in Times Square.

Dream Brother, why do you hang around here? You're the biggest troll in the Toronto forums.

I seriously hope this is not the final design because this thing looks as inspiring as Metropolis and that isn't a compliment. I loath Metropolis and all it's third world splendor!

Metropolis is a disaster, but I love it's brutalistic facade on Victoria Street. There's a knee jerk tendency to vilify it, but it has a very powerful reassuring quality to it. It is a hulking monster, but makes no apologies for it. Too much of architecture is safe or traditional. This building's Victoria Street facade breaks from that and gives the area a feeling of permanence and solidity. In fact, I wish it looked even more industrial than it does. Taking cues from an oil refinery or space ship would have been even better. The Pompidou Centre in Paris comes to mind. As a matter of fact, the Pompidou Centre is exactly the type of building Metropolis should have been.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/57/158040209_3181355340.jpg?v=0

I suspect that this side of Metropolis was an afterthought for the architect, but it is the only side of this building that works. It's a success by accident.

The other 2 sides of Metropolis are awful.

Metropolis is a disaster, but I love it's brutalistic facade on Victoria Street. There's a knee jerk tendency to vilify it, but it has a very powerful reassuring quality to it. It is a hulking monster, but makes no apologies for it. Too much of architecture is safe or traditional. This building's Victoria Street facade breaks from that and gives the area a feeling of permanence and solidity. In fact, I wish it looked even more industrial than it does. Taking cues from an oil refinery or space ship would have been even better. The Pompidou Centre in Paris comes to mind. As a matter of fact, the Pompidou Centre is exactly the type of building Metropolis should have been.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/57/158040209_3181355340.jpg?v=0

I suspect that this side of Metropolis was an afterthought for the architect, but it is the only side of this building that works. It's a success by accident.

The other 2 sides of Metropolis are awful.

It's nothing at all like Pompidou in Paris. (as far as I remember it) I hate the corrugated aluminum, shantytown look of the building and the colour. Sheesh, that grey is a really ugly colour. Inside, it doesn't get any better. This is absolutely the cheapest looking mall in downtown Toronto. Hell, even second rate Duffrin Mall looks luxurious by comparison. It looks like a shantytown in the slums of Brazil. (They use the same cladding, anyway) At least if it was painted a nice metallic colour, it might have been an improvement. At the very least, they should have kept it to the level of the renderings and put the roof treatments to cover up the units on the roof. (at the very MINIMUM) They couldn't even keep the minimum standards of their own renderings.

That's why I'm concerned about the City building. In this rendering it looks a little too much like Metropolis for my liking. Do we really need more GREY in Dundas Square? Do we really need more aluminium siding and corrugated metal. (that's what it looks like to me) Where is the use of light and neon and some PIZAZZ? Give that square some creativity and colour. City TV should be bringing some animation to that square. A TV station is all about ENTERTAINMENT, bring some of that to Dundas Square, not more CRAPTROPOLIS SHIT! :ohno:

God, I hope Metropolis is not starting a disastrous trend in that neighbourhood. Once we set a new minimum standard, others might follow to save a few bucks and maximize profits. Younge St. could become the new urban, corrugated aluminum, shantytown-looking downtown for the 21st. century. :ohno::ohno:

I'm gonna boycott Metropolis, it's just too dull, cheap and depressing for me when I go in that place and I don't think the Cinema is gonna make it much better, so I'll just avoid the whole damn thing. :puke:

HOW CRAPTACULAR!
Kyle Rae, wake up honey and do your job! :bash: :bash: :bash:

I hate Metropolis too, and agree, it's nothing like the Pompidou Centre. My reference to Pompidou was to highlight that the Victoria street facade shouldn't be dismissed simply because it is a large, blank, industrial, metal wall, but also to point out what is still possible on this side of the building. My reference was a suggestion as to what this complex should have tried to attain. It was the perfect location for a Toronto version of the iconic French building.

The scale, proportion, and brutalistic quality of the Victoria Street facade is a welcome departure from the subtle modest gentleness of many local buildings. Corrugated aluminum isn't every one's cup of tea, but this side of the building has far greater appeal and potential than the other 2 sides of Metropolis. I do recognize that my view's regarding this aspect of Metropolis may not be popular, but I do think this exterior side of the building works. It just needs alteration. The inside is another matter. I haven't been inside, but imagine it to be quite horrific.



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/2307970697_1b132d7f5b_b.jpg

Wow it looks like a Borg ship from this angle.

EDIT: I actually kinda like it!

They should have used better materials and much more sophisticated detailing, but the 'bones' on this side lend itself well to a great streetscape. Good lighting, more exterior work to upgrade, heavy accents of primary colour, and the Victoria street facade of Metropolis can develop into a very good one. What I am attempting is to show the potential and avoid dismissal without a more in depth evaluation of it.

That said, this whole complex is a dud. It could have been and should have been so much more. We're stuck with it, so now the job is to see what can be done to re-invent it. Here's the link to Pompidou again. This picture of Pompidou shows that this kind of brutalism can work: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/57/158040209_3181355340.jpg?v=0

Only world class cities build world class buildings.

And only world class people, live in a world class city too right?
Sureee... :lol: I love the slums in London, not that i'm bashing them but world class is for sure overrated.

On a nice note, Toronto opened it's first 5 star hotel a month ago, The Hazelton. By 2011 or so we'll have 4 more (Trump, Ritz, 1 Bloor, and Maple Leaf sq) I don't know what's going on with Shang-La, I hear it's under construction and then I don't.

Alright, I am officially sick of the marketing PC sell-out multicultural-welcome-in-multiple-languages-with-faces-of-former-Benetton-models bullshit. Fuck off world! I'm vomitting it right back at cha!


Marketing, advertising, and graphic design is an empty, dark, pointless world.

As someone who does telemarketing for Rogers Home Phone, all I can say is WTF?!?

Really, if Rogers could put their customers ahead for once rather than their gross profits, it could be a fantastic company. Instead, Ted Rogers is slightly less respected than George W Bush.

http://torontoist.com/attachments/toronto_marcl/rogerstelevisioncity_rendering.jpg

... sorry I haven't been following this thread... so I know I must be repeating what's been said 100's of times....

but my GOD.... that is GASTLY.


Architecture is officially dead in Toronto.

What's wrong with the torch?????

Have architects in Canada used any other shape than a box??

Where's Harry and his crystal globe of water when you need him to save the day ... oh yeah, Hamilton.

lol - too funny.

Maybe we could have the Great Canadian New Year's Eve Box Drop?

It is the existing building... with what appears to be a very low budget new "look". I agree, the torch is a better element than the gift wrapped Christmas-present on a stick.

Was this render made by M. C. Escher?? It's just impossible.

Isn't there a bridge under the torch where the streetcars pass through?

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://torontoist.com/attachments/toronto_marcl/OlympicSpirit_23Oct07.jpg&imgrefurl=http://torontoist.com/2007/10/city_in_the_squ.php&h=624&w=640&sz=97&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=Hc3_AYZr_a6YCM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dolympic%2Bspirit%2Btoronto%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

Photos of the actual building.

Why does it look like they're chopping almost 2 stories off this building, maybe it's the angle of the shot.

I actually think the current building is fine, just add the standard branding to the side. Move the main entrance to the building to the south end near the parking lot. The base of the torch could be the new Speakers Corner and the upper levels could be used for broadcasting (i.e. Breakfast television, etc). The rest of the building would be free to divide up among offices/studios/etc.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://torontoist.com/attachments/toronto_marcl/OlympicSpirit_23Oct07.jpg&imgrefurl=http://torontoist.com/2007/10/city_in_the_squ.php&h=624&w=640&sz=97&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=Hc3_AYZr_a6YCM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dolympic%2Bspirit%2Btoronto%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

Photos of the actual building.

Why does it look like they're chopping almost 2 stories off this building, maybe it's the angle of the shot.

I actually think the current building is fine, just add the standard branding to the side. Move the main entrance to the building to the south end near the parking lot. The base of the torch could be the new Speakers Corner and the upper levels could be used for broadcasting (i.e. Breakfast television, etc). The rest of the building would be free to divide up among offices/studios/etc.


ITS A RENDER! NOT A PHOTO OF WHAT WILL BE THERE, THEY PROBABLY JUST PUMPED SOMETHING OUT, POSSIBLE DONE BY A STUDENT TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE WORKED ON IT. Im getting tired of some of you assuming that a render is the finished product, like ive worked in the architecture profession for a while now, and i can tell you something like this was done last minute and will absolutely not be the end of development. It is to convey ideas, such as the transformation of that god awful tower thing thats there into something which will act more like a beacon. And if you feel like that building is fine the way it is...... GET THE FUCK OUT OF TORONTO- that goes for all the trolls too(or whatever you guys call them). WE NEED MORE FUCKING CIVIC PRIDE, WE NEED TO BUILDING BEAUTIFUL THINGS WHICH WILL ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO A GREATER IDEA. sorry for all the caps, im tired and stressed lol. But seriously canadians need to start demanding for excellence and stop whining about it and just accepting it as thats how its done. change is a good thing....well sometimes.


azzo

ITS A RENDER! NOT A PHOTO OF WHAT WILL BE THERE, THEY PROBABLY JUST PUMPED SOMETHING OUT, POSSIBLE DONE BY A STUDENT TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE WORKED ON IT. Im getting tired of some of you assuming that a render is the finished product, like ive worked in the architecture profession for a while now, and i can tell you something like this was done last minute and will absolutely not be the end of development. It is to convey ideas, such as the transformation of that god awful tower thing thats there into something which will act more like a beacon. And if you feel like that building is fine the way it is...... GET THE FUCK OUT OF TORONTO- that goes for all the trolls too(or whatever you guys call them). WE NEED MORE FUCKING CIVIC PRIDE, WE NEED TO BUILDING BEAUTIFUL THINGS WHICH WILL ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO A GREATER IDEA. sorry for all the caps, im tired and stressed lol. But seriously canadians need to start demanding for excellence and stop whining about it and just accepting it as thats how its done. change is a good thing....well sometimes.


azzo


Wow... I'll say you are stressed. So uptight you didn't even bother to follow the link he gave before you exploded into a volcano of flying spittle. This time take a deep breath and follow the link:
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...icial%26sa%3DN

See? it is a photo.
By the way, you think this proposal is "excellence"?

Why is it called Rogers Television City?

i like the welcome idea in different languages...its like welcoming people to what hopefully will one day be a great Y/D Square. But that render really sucks. Theyre better off just taking down the Olympic Spirit sign and replacing it with Rogers and CityTV signs instead...or maybe just CityTV, theres already too much Rogers in this city...

ITS A RENDER! NOT A PHOTO OF WHAT WILL BE THERE, THEY PROBABLY JUST PUMPED SOMETHING OUT, POSSIBLE DONE BY A STUDENT TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE WORKED ON IT. Im getting tired of some of you assuming that a render is the finished product, like ive worked in the architecture profession for a while now, and i can tell you something like this was done last minute and will absolutely not be the end of development. It is to convey ideas, such as the transformation of that god awful tower thing thats there into something which will act more like a beacon. And if you feel like that building is fine the way it is...... GET THE FUCK OUT OF TORONTO- that goes for all the trolls too(or whatever you guys call them). WE NEED MORE FUCKING CIVIC PRIDE, WE NEED TO BUILDING BEAUTIFUL THINGS WHICH WILL ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO A GREATER IDEA. sorry for all the caps, im tired and stressed lol. But seriously canadians need to start demanding for excellence and stop whining about it and just accepting it as thats how its done. change is a good thing....well sometimes.


azzo

Hmm, to respond or not. That is the question.

Well to begin, that's quite a return after a 3 month hiatus of posting here. The post sounds like it was written by an 18 yr old.

Anyway, I seriously doubt that some architecture student would have been enlisted to produce a render for release to the public, not in a million years. If you think then render, even as a beginning of thought, is better than the current product than I worry for the firm you work. How long is a while in the architecture industry by the way?


Now that I'm done ranting. I presented an alternative idea to the render. If you can't deal with that I suggest you get off any discussion board or else present your own critique. Sorry had to get one more in.

So has it begun undergoing reno or what? No word in over a month?
Design changed? Let's hope.. lol..

It's meant to be done by Spring 2009 as they move in there apprently, so my guess if it hasn't started soon, it should by Fall, it looks like it'll be a quick job done by the current render.

So has it begun undergoing reno or what? No word in over a month?
Design changed? Let's hope.. lol..

It's meant to be done by Spring 2009 as they move in there apprently, so my guess if it hasn't started soon, it should by Fall, it looks like it'll be a quick job done by the current render.

It started a few months ago. The ads on the exterior are all now CityTV and Rogers ads, the inside has been gutted, and thats about it for now.

It is the existing building... with what appears to be a very low budget new "look". I agree, the torch is a better element than the gift wrapped Christmas-present on a stick.

I think a big silver bubble on a shortened torch would look great. (similar to the bean in Chicago) You would be able to look up at everything going on from above, no matter which side of the building you are on. Call it 'City' and you have a new landmark on the square, that relates to what is inside the building.

Since Rogers owns City though, maybe it can be a red reflective bubble?

It's almost as if multiculturalism was a person and 'threw up', this is the unsettling result. I am definitely not impressed with this monstrocity, I wish they could have kept citytv in the old john st building (some sort of rogers-ctv deal) OR build a half-decent building.

I just hope to see some exterior progress this year, or summer :) It's an eye sore to that square, and I know some are ok with metropolis and some aren't but it works at the moment. O.S doesn't, it's ugly and needs a facelift more than most celebs :P

Looks like Roger television is going for a more serious look. No bull shit advertisement or nothing.

Congrets for not selling out Ted Rogers.

Maybe oneday Rogers will turn into the CNN for Canada.

Looks like Roger television is going for a more serious look. No bull shit advertisement or nothing.

Congrets for not selling out Ted Rogers.

Maybe oneday Rogers will turn into the CNN for Canada.

Selling out? What does that even mean?

And CNN? You're kidding, right?

^^ I guess it means taking no short cut's by having large advertising billboards for Nike or Adidas to help pay the rent.

^^ I guess it means taking no short cut's by having large advertising billboards for Nike or Adidas to help pay the rent.

Why would you call that selling out? And why would you oppose such a thing?

I prefer a more reality type of news, not the bulony they tell you because it what you want to hear.

Also, Roger makes enough money, it doesn't need to sell advertising space on it's property.

Also, Roger makes enough money, it doesn't need to sell advertising space on it's property.

Ya that makes sense :ohno:

I was in the area last night , and the empty Torch building looks so lonely and sad... like a
missing tooth in a smile. The sooner it springs to life, the better. Their cameras will get a birdseye view of the performing stage, but sadly only from behind... the shot will be from the left of this picture:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j251/dawnd_01/Autumn%202007/winter%202007/Summer%202008/IMGP7352i.jpg

I was in the area last night , and the empty Torch building looks so lonely and sad...


Check out the North east corner... its all cracked and falling apart.

That building is complete crap. We finally get a nice, modern public square, and they are going to ruin it.

Damn Rogers, first "The Rogers Centre," now they ruin Dundas Square. What landmark will be ruined by Rogers next? CN Tower Rogers Tower? Yonge to Rogers Street? Sure, Rogers has done a lot of good for this city, but c'mon. That building looks rediculous.

Hopefully the aluminum is the same as the aluminum the used on the Birds Nest in Beijing.

If that's the case it should be OK right.

That building is complete crap. We finally get a nice, modern public square, and they are going to ruin it.

Damn Rogers, first "The Rogers Centre," now they ruin Dundas Square. What landmark will be ruined by Rogers next? CN Tower Rogers Tower? Yonge to Rogers Street? Sure, Rogers has done a lot of good for this city, but c'mon. That building looks rediculous.

Rogers didn't ruin anything. They're just moving in after the fact. It's Rogers that might actually fix the place up.

Rogers didn't ruin anything. They're just moving in after the fact. It's Rogers that might actually fix the place up.


Well, I just think Rogers likes a good deal...I don't think integrity is their big strong point. They don't exactly have a great track record...Skydome...their own head office...abandoning the great Chum Building...now this...Rogers doesn't have a lot of flair and generally goes for the bottom line...I wouldn't hold my breath for greatness.



KGB

Well, I just think Rogers likes a good deal...I don't think integrity is their big strong point. They don't exactly have a great track record...Skydome...their own head office...abandoning the great Chum Building...now this...Rogers doesn't have a lot of flair and generally goes for the bottom line...I wouldn't hold my breath for greatness.



KGB

... I agree.

Look at OMNI - two channels and it's nothing more than a re-broadcaster of old fox shows.

Even SunTV has more spark vs. Omni.

CityTV realized the value in content - and have profited from it - think of the money they generated from Fashion Television and other inhouse shows.

Do you really think Rogers will keep making shows like Ed the Sock?

I love Ed the Sock. Those girls in the hot tub crack me up.

if Rogers drops Ed the Sock, CTV will be sure to pick it up

I miss Fromage. I still can't believe Much Music didn't do it this year.:(

I LOVED Fromage. One year they chose one of my ALL TIME FAVOURITE VIDEOS as the Big Fromage of the Year!!!

SHEwFoo_KA0&feature=related

The philistines that run Rogers are cancelling all the Speaker's Corners.

Well, let's face it, City Tv has been a shadow of its former self for quite a while. I remember when it was truly interesting...The New Music...The Shulman File...City Lights....Speakers Corner...and of course, the infamous Baby Blues.

It was at one time, television revolution with a guy named Moses at the helm (the one who drove around in the vintage white Jag XK 150...not the one who went up the mountain).

Now....it isn't.




KGB

In the words of Moses Znaimer: "It's not the show, it's the flow"

On second thought I'd have to say the majority is right on this project. :wtf: are you doing Rogers?

Leave the Olympic Spirit alone.

Take over the hotel beside it. Those old buildings are more suitable for broadcasting. Look at what Much music has done with theirs, it's and iconic building the city loves and enbraces. Rogers City TV should do the same, pick the hotel not the Olympic spirit.

Take over the hotel beside it. Those old buildings are more suitable for broadcasting. Look at what Much music has done with theirs, it's and iconic building the city loves and enbraces. Rogers City TV should do the same, pick the hotel not the Olympic spirit.

The hotel would have to be for sale in order for that to happen, and its a pretty busy hotel so I dont see that happening any time soon.

Leave the Olympic Spirit alone.

??? Olympic Spirit is a pile of crap, not a heritage building. If they want to renovate it I say go for it. I doubt they could really make it any worse.

^^ The inside might be crap but the outside still looks pretty nice. It should be the headquarters for another bid. Rogers City TV I think would be better served if they had more space. The hotel is a nice heritage style building with lots of floors. It will over look Toronto Life Square and give a nice view of 1 Bloor and Aura when built.

The hotel would have to be for sale in order for that to happen, and its a pretty busy hotel so I dont see that happening any time soon.

I'd disagree that it's busy since I've never seen anyone going in and out the times I've been down there, but that's arguable though. Either way I don't think it's a good spot for a hotel and if sold can be built better elsewhere.

erase

I'd disagree that it's busy since I've never seen anyone going in and out the times I've been down there, but that's arguable though. Either way I don't think it's a good spot for a hotel and if sold can be built better elsewhere.

I walk by it every day to and from work, not to mention most nights. There are always bus loads of people being dropped off or departing from the hotel. Even in the early hours of the morning there are people coming in and out of the place. Its also served by the airport express bus service to Pearson. Its doing fine where it is.

And how is it not a good spot for a hotel? Its in one of the best, if not the best locations in the city for tourists and the business traveller. Its close to everything.

How much can they actually charge for a night's stay? Eventually taxes on the place will have to sky rocket, it's just too good of a location. Personally I'd prefer a place further away from the square but within walking distance.

The hotel is just perfect for a braodcast center. The view looking north for will be great for nightly news. Maybe just rent the top few floors and convert the bottom for office use.

I see guys doing some kind of construction work inside but so far, nothing to the outside. I wonder when they will start tearing that building down and renovate the outside? I want to see some serious changes.

Keep on watching it, keep us updated if any changes.

Hope nothing is done to the outside, just add a Rogers CityTV sign should be good enough. It can be coverted baack to Olympic spirit if Rogers moves later on.^__^

So far nothing done on the outside, anyone know when work is going to be done on the outside if any at all? They said March it'll be done and ready on air a few months ago, so I'm guessin they should start anytime now.

I hope Rogers puts up something on the east side of the building so people driving west on Dundas get some screens/signage. I hate that they treat the eastern part of the square as the ass end. It should have been open in all directions. I hate the Times Square comparison, but signs truly face in all directions there, inviting/pulling you in no matter what angle you approach the (non) Square.

... you are talking about Rogers .. the company that's wasting your cell phone fees trying to get the Bills to move to Toronto.

Their executives clearly aren't too focused on what's good for Toronto.

Watch CityTV be run into the ground .. unless you think OMNI is a good station???

New hoarding has/is gone/going up around the building. Looks like exterior work will begin soon!

Watch CityTV be run into the ground .. unless you think OMNI is a good station???

OMNI is a great station. Maybe not to you, but to thousands of us FOBs, it's a great station (their multi-lingual news programs kick ass). In fact, OMNI is a better reflection of the cultural diversity of Toronto than CityTV.

the hoarding is going up...

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/loop429/IMG_0436.jpg?t=1219840643

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/loop429/IMG_0437.jpg?t=1219840675

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/loop429/IMG_0438.jpg?t=1219840700

finally :) now let's hope for the best! lol

What is that building under construction to the east of Olympic Spirit? The new Hakim Optical?

What is that building under construction to the east of Olympic Spirit? The new Hakim Optical?

Yep!

This is American styl : ) very nice

Walking by Torch today, (or what was formally called "The Torch") I noticed what I think might be some good news. Those huge metal units (VAC units?) that were located on the roof, are now gone. I hated those very visible units, as I do the ones on Toronto Life Square. It looks like they are gone and a railing is being built on the roof. I assume it's being turned into some kind of roof patio, for filming the city. (Is a restaurant on the roof a possibility?) Anyway, anything that gets rid of those ugly metal boxes, is a HUGE improvement. The huge sign on the west side is also gone, hopefully replaced by a HUGE LED screen. (That would be nice) Anyway, it gave me a bit of hope that something better is yet to come. I can only wish the same for TLS.

Was that room there before? I sure hope they cover those new, huge VAC units. That would make a big difference. That was one of my major peeves about Torch. (as it is with TLS)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/torontovibe/5Jan5-09018.jpg
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/torontovibe/4Jan5-09017.jpg

January 24

There is a new CTV sign on the old CityTV building on Queen West.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/3234404447_8283b4b53f_b.jpg

Some structural changes on Torch/City Tv.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/torontovibe/March8th-09043.jpg


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/torontovibe/March8th-09042.jpg

Lookin good. Any change is good change on Torch.

Cladding is going up. I'm not sure if that's black glass or some other material but I like the colour. I'm glad it's not that ubiquitous grey.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/torontovibe/DOWNTOWN-April26-09028.jpg

The glass is almost all up and it looks like the VAC units on the roof will be covered up. (Thank god)

http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww136/Mollywoodtoo/HistoricJarvis-MAY29-09349.jpg

http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww136/Mollywoodtoo/HistoricJarvis-MAY29-09352.jpg

Taken June 13th

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3623288069_20d871ef14_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/3623288125_d2651a9433_b.jpg

u r bacon

January 24

There is a new CTV sign on the old CityTV building on Queen West.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/3234404447_8283b4b53f_b.jpg

... btw ... that signage is too low .. the old City logo you could see from University.

... btw ... that signage is too low .. the old City logo you could see from University.

They've added a balcony where the old logo was, Ivan Fecan, needs his palace in the sky

Lots of people were milling around City TV today, so I decided to ask a few questions about the junk in their trunk. (The HVAC units on the roof) I asked 3 different guys who looked like they knew what was going on. My question was, will the HVAC units on the roof be covered up.

First guy said "I don't know", second guy "Probably not" and third guy "NO, they will not be covered up". I told them I thought that was terrible and they just kinda shrugged. lol So I guess I'm gonna have to deal with those ugle MoFo's being in every shot I take of Dundas Square. :-(

DAMN YOU, ROGERS AND CITY TV!!!

I wanted to jump in front of the camera while they were live, with John Tory, and scream out in disgust but I was too timid! lol

New renders show a more attractive project!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QseH-QYr-Kk/RngGs3xLw4I/AAAAAAAADYc/-Cr-rA7wfOU/s320/NEIGHBORHOOD.jpg

:nuts:

I'm gonna boycott Metropolis, it's just too dull, cheap and depressing for me when I go in that place and I don't think the Cinema is gonna make it much better, so I'll just avoid the whole damn thing. :puke:

Excuse me, sister, but this is a commercial square similar to Times Square, not a chi-chi building in Paris. If you don't like it, you don't have to see movies there; perhaps the Bloor Cinema is more up your alley. And if you want chi-chi bullshit, go to Paris and live there.

Excuse me, sister, but this is a commercial square similar to Times Square, not a chi-chi building in Paris. If you don't like it, you don't have to see movies there; perhaps the Bloor Cinema is more up your alley. And if you want chi-chi bullshit, go to Paris and live there.

That was uncalled for.

I don't remember Molly insulting someone for disagreeing with him.

He--and I--are not expecting something from Paris, we are expecting innovative and user-friendly architecture that looks like something other than the toolkit used to glue it together with. This is not incompatible with "a commercial square."

We are entitled to our opinions.

And you think Times Square isn't full of "chi-chi bullshit?" Never been there, eh?

Somehow I get the feeling that Professor X has been with us before under a different name. Oh well, a couple of weeks breathing space may help him cool off and stop insulting people. If not, strike three and it's over.

Excuse me, sister, but this is a commercial square similar to Times Square, not a chi-chi building in Paris. If you don't like it, you don't have to see movies there; perhaps the Bloor Cinema is more up your alley. And if you want chi-chi bullshit, go to Paris and live there.

And what exactly from my post lead you to believe that I was expecting something "chi-chi"? Is Atrium on Bay chi-chi? Is Scarborough Town Centre chi-chi? Is Duffrin Mall Chi-chi? :) Yeah, it must be, it has a Walmart!:lol: All those malls are far from chi-chi yet they all have tiles on the floor, real ceilings, no exposed pipes, you can't see the insulation on the ceiling, they have double space escalators and they have a design that makes some common sense.
(Shouldn't the main entrance of this mall be at the corner of Yonge & Dundas, instead of the east side of Dundas?:ohno:) What a stupid place to put the main entrance!

As we all know, Metropolis can't even measure up to these average malls, and this is in Toronto's busiest pedestrian intersection, right beside our most prominent square. It should have been the coolest mall in Toronto. It should have been a serious tourist attraction, with cutting edge amusements & entertainment.
And YES, Bloor Cinema is much more up my alley, thank you very much!:lol:

I wasn't looking for Yorkville glamour, or "chi-chi" as you call it. :ohno: I was looking for urban, cutting edge cool! I was looking for entertainment, fun, POW, pizazz, art, colour, technology and something a little different. Oh, we got something a little different, lol, but in a bad way. I can honestly say, that no other mall in Toronto looks like Metropolis, thankfully!

If you actually checked around the net a bit, you would see that in Toronto, it's almost a consensus on this topic. TORONTO HATES THIS BUILDING! I have seen no other new building in this city receive as much scorn as Metropolis, so if you actually like it, well, you must have a unique sense of taste.

I almost never go into this building, even though I pass by it many times per week. I have not seen a movie in there either. It actually depresses me to go inside, or should I say, irks me. I really hate this building but that might change soon. From what I've been reading, it is up for sale and it looks like it is slated for big changes. Some people are even saying it might be enlarged, with a hotel added on top, so there is hope. You got to have hope! (Check out the thread on urbantoronto.ca)

As for Paris, I fricking LOVE Paris and I wish we had a bit more of that Parisian style here. As much as I'd like to live in Paris for a year or so, Toronto is my city. I'm one of the few people who was actually born in downtown Toronto (on University Avenue) and I ain't going anywhere. This is my city and I have just as much right as anyone else, to state my opinion and make myself heard. I want the best for this city because I think we are capable of it and we deserve it. So I am going to keep doing everything I can to make sure my city does the right thing.

This is our time, we have to make the most of it. If more people demanded the best in architecture, design and city planning, this city would be a much better place to live. We never should settle for the stinking, pile of dog crap, formally called "Metropolis" and then "Toronto Life Square". As of now, it has no name because even Toronto Life, smartly, backed out of their deal and DO NOT want their name on this building. That right there has got to tell you something.

Anyway, this shed is going to be redeveloped, so WE ALL WIN! This of course, just proves me right from the start. Demand better and you will get it, eventually. Bye Bye PenEquity, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
And stay the hell in the suburbs, where you belong!

Somehow I get the feeling that Professor X has been with us before under a different name. Oh well, a couple of weeks breathing space may help him cool off and stop insulting people. If not, strike three and it's over.

Hey I don't mind a good insult or barb but let's face it, a drag queen could teach this boy a lesson in that department. There wasn't much bite in his bark lol (like going to Bloor Cinema is a huge insult. I actually love that place:lol:)
I can understand him thinking I'm a bit chi-chi. He's probably seen me around Goodhandy's with my Hermes handbag. :lol:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/711768--for-television-stations-it-s-hip-to-be-on-the-square

Yonge-Dundas Square is no longer just a square; it's a television studio.

Now that Citytv and Omni are moving into the neighbourhood, Toronto's newest public space has also become virtual space.

The two stations, purchased recently by Rogers, have taken over the premises of what was Olympic Spirit, a showcase for sport. It opened in 2004 and failed instantly, as did the city's bid for the 2008 Games, which went to Beijing.

But as it turns out, the building makes a much better TV studio than it did an athletic attraction. Though it's not much to look at on the outside, it has something even more important going for it than appearance – location. Sitting on the east end of the square on Victoria St., it is fully a part of the city. This is especially important for Omni, the multicultural station that was hidden down on Lake Shore Blvd. W. near Bathurst St.

If that's the good news, the bad news is that the building is barely visible behind the stage and accumulated clutter at the east end of the square. Word is that much of it, including a cheap metal shed that looks to have been purchased from Canadian Tire, will be removed. It can't happen fast enough.

But as architect Ted Shore points out, "Media connectivity is not the same thing as physical connectivity. The location is ideal."

Shore's firm, Quadrangle Architects, has worked for various media organizations, from CBC and Global to Chum and Citytv.

"The idea in this project was to bring the two stations, Omni and Citytv, together," he explains. "The technical components are shared, but the two stations are distinct."

Indeed, those differences can be seen in the architecture of the two newsrooms. Citytv's is exactly what you'd expect, all light and transparency, lined with screens. The equipment defines the space and there's no attempt to create the sort of illusory spaces associated with traditional television programming. Of course, at this point, Citytv has been around long enough that its brand of studio-less TV has itself become conventional.

The workstations, small and open, seem designed to encourage the organized chaos that is the newsgathering process. No one would want to spend any more time than absolutely necessary actually sitting at one of these desks.

Then there are the views; to the west, Yonge-Dundas Square and the whole commercialized apparatus of giant video screens, billboards and 24-hour-a-day advertising. There's no more succinct an image of the North American big city in the 21st century. To the east, an equally urban vista looks down Dundas, where corporations aren't quite so interested in filling every available surface with their ads. It is a grittier landscape, more real perhaps than the corner of Yonge and Dundas.

The Omni newsroom, one floor below, feels more ordered and hierarchical. It is a more self-contained space, quieter and subdued.

The street-level studio looks onto the square. Without MuchMusic, however, which remains at Citytv's former premises on Queen West, there's a noticeable absence of kids; they're all over at the square tossing basketballs.

The obvious problem with the remake is the façade, which has little street presence.

"The new Citytv building needs to have a front door on the square," argues architect James Brown, whose office, Brown and Storey, designed the square. "Citytv should claim the square and create a better image of itself."

That may still happen; though the new owner, Rogers, isn't known for its architectural intelligence, the project is far from finished. Stay tuned.

Christopher Hume can be reached at chume@thestar.ca

though the new owner, Rogers, isn't known for its architectural intelligence


How true.

Two best lines from the article:
"Word is that much of it, including a cheap metal shed that looks to have been purchased from Canadian Tire, will be removed." and:
"Rogers, isn't known for its architectural intelligence"

:lol:
Old Fumey still comes up with some zingers....

o0aFWHqCFV4

quick update from dundas square...

Thanks for the update!

by me


IiEG5rHlP50

I can't read it! Am I going blind?