L Tower | U/C | 58 st | 205 m | St. Lawrence

[Innsertnamehere]

Isnt a future toronto render made by a UT member in the background of a Render for monde condos as well? We actually do have a surprising influence in the media, and construction industry. I think the developers generally consider us "expert normal people" and they probably look to us to see what the public thinks of their buildings.

[Taller, Better]

Media types do a lot of googling for fast info. Often when they google, websites like ours come up. They read the info they need. I imagine that it could be safely said that some architects are vain creatures, and probably google the names of their projects to see how they are being received by the public. These sites are more influential than people might realize, so our voice does count!

[sumisu]

The cladding is so ugly. I walk past it everyday, and it just gets uglier.

[MysticMcGoo]

I try to only look at it at nighttime now.

[Maximalist]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Isnt a future toronto render made by a UT member in the background of a Render for monde condos as well? We actually do have a surprising influence in the media, and construction industry. I think the developers generally consider us "expert normal people" and they probably look to us to see what the public thinks of their buildings.

I wish that "expert normal people" did have a bigger influence on how buildings are designed and constructed. Many of the people on this site have a much better aesthetic sense than your average architect/developer. I just don't think the influence is, in reality, as great as some would like to believe. If it were, then why are there so many hideous green/blue-clad boxes (along with the few nicer ones) in Toronto?

I agree that design work on Toronto buildings has gotten much better in recent years. Over the long haul, cumulative public opinion has (albeit slowly) exerted a positive effect. I just found it hard to believe -- and still do -- that it would have such a massive short-term impact that the first picture of the cladding on L-Tower would be posted on this site on Feb. 1 and within three weeks it would be coming down again because of public criticism of the first two floors of cladding. If only that were the case, we would have a much more attractive waterfront.

[Taller, Better]

Originally Posted by Maximalist

If only that were the case, we would have a much more attractive waterfront.

Actually, we do have a very attractive waterfront. Most people don't visit it much in the summer, but it is very attractive.
I'm always a little alarmed by the number of people who think developments like City Place are on the waterfront; it leads me
to believe that most people in our city aren't really familiar with the harbour of our city.

[ONE HUMAN]

Should we really be surprised that the cladding on a Toronto building designed by Daniel Libeskind is not up to par? One only has to look at the mismatched panels on the ROM Crystal to see where it's happened before. While the tonal differences on the ROM Crystal weren't by design, but rather vendor error, the fact that it was allowed to happen, is what's revealing. I guess starchitect Daniel L only has so much pull. So, we shouldn't be shocked that the L Tower will not look like the original rendering.

However, that being said, I think too many people on sites like these are quick to judge a project before it's completed, so let's hope the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

[AndrewJM3D]

I like how the R.O.M turned out. The high contrast between the dark windows and light metal looks great.

[MattToronto]

I agree. I really fell in love when I took a class in the OISE building down the street. You can see the crystals jutting out into the sky and out onto Bloor. It looks really cool and creates a great dynamic along that road.

[Maximalist]

Originally Posted by MattToronto

I agree. I really fell in love when I took a class in the OISE building down the street. You can see the crystals jutting out into the sky and out onto Bloor. It looks really cool and creates a great dynamic along that road.

You're lucky. I spent about five years in grad school at OISE and didn't fall in love with anything. But that was a long time ago. I agree about the ROM, I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I think that one of the reasons why the final product is not highly regarded in some quarters is because Libeskind set the bar so high with his original (and unworkable) design.

[Taller, Better]

I think the ROM was a huge jolt to the cosy architectural establishment of Toronto; firstly a premier job is given to a dreaded outsider, and secondly even though everyone said they wanted exciting architecture here, it scared the beejeebers out of most people when it arrived. It was more the type of thing to drool over when visiting another city, but not actually have happen here. Many of the attacks on it were down to a disgruntled architectural community (and the local media) miffed that a foreign "starchitect" got this plum job, and not themselves. I say Hallelujah, otherwise the ROM might have wound up looking like a larger version of the neighbouring Royal Conservatory of Music addition... tasteful, calming and a tad dull. Fresh blood is exactly what is needed in the Canadian architectural pool, and I say bring more of it in.

[MattToronto]

Originally Posted by Maximalist

You're lucky. I spent about five years in grad school at OISE and didn't fall in love with anything. But that was a long time ago. I agree about the ROM, I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I think that one of the reasons why the final product is not highly regarded in some quarters is because Libeskind set the bar so high with his original (and unworkable) design.

I go to OCAD University, just taking a Business course at Rotman that happens to use space there. The view is worth the brutalist tower.

[ONE HUMAN]

You all seem to be missing the point I was making. I wasn't talking about the style of the ROM Crystal, which I like, but I was specifically referring to the mismatched panels that make up the cladding. The panels are two different tones or shades, which was not intended, and quite frankly, looks like shit when viewed up close. Since everyone is complaining about the cladding on the L Tower, I was simply stating how this isn't the first time that a Daniel Libeskind designed building in Toronto hasn't lived up to the rendering.

[Taller, Better]

But as you pointed out it was vendor error, and they were working to a strict deadline to get the ROM completed. Making a new custom made set of panels would take months.

[InTheBeach]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

But as you pointed out it was vendor error, and they were working to a strict deadline to get the ROM completed. Making a new custom made set of panels would take months.

I understand that this is the story, but having some knowledge about material sourcing, I call BS (not on you, but on the people selling this explanation).

This was not stopping the inside from being completed.

This really comes down to standards, and our standards are low.

If this happened to me at work, someone's ass would be in a sling, and I would have had my material to spec.

Toronto is one of the only places I know where you can dig up paving stones and put down asphalt patches.

[Taller, Better]

Originally Posted by InTheBeach

Toronto is one of the only places I know where you can dig up paving stones and put down asphalt patches.

Every Canadian city I've visited patches with asphalt. I think American cities do too, but I can't really remember.

Offtopic, with regard to our many group discussions on the subject, I paid attention this last time I was in London, and the bulk of the sidewalks are concrete poured to the same size as the stone squares in the poshest part of town. They are definitely not all stone as previously assumed.

[MissyC]

I love the sidewalks on Bloor and in the financial district in Toronto. So easy to walk on and in fact and I do really mean this; you guys know I travel a lot and have seen many places, the sidewalks in many cities are simply aweful for women or those like me who rather walk on heels, but at least in Toronto, Los Angeles, Chicago or San Francisco, I don't need to look in front of me and be worried that I might get hurt, but I can really use my eyes to see other things. Here, in most European cities, you have to really watch where you walk!

Off course it is due to these cobblestones and the far longer history of many cities here ... but at least they can make better sidewalks I think.

[InTheBeach]

Maybe I wear blinders when I am travelling, because to me it is far worse here, and regardless, I am more concerned with keeping our house in order.

It annoys me to no end when utility companies dig and dash (D&D). Maybe the patch work gets replaced in a couple of years. But by then more D&D has happened. Arghhh!

I think you guys need to see some neighbourhood streets - they are worse than downtown.

[Taller, Better]

Blinders when travelling are very common; we tend to accept other cities at face value and put our own city under a microscope. I think anyone who really pays attention will note that all North American cities do their normal sidewalks in a very similar fashion. The best maintained and most high end ones are in the tourist areas, and once you fan out from the downtown core they degrade somewhat. I think we are all concerned with keeping our own house in order, but before we automatically assume we are the worst in the world (which seems to be our default assumption) we should pay attention to what goes on in other cities too. As I said earlier, we have always regarded London's sidewalks as the ne plus ultra (and many of them are), but even they vary from magnificent to dingy and uncomfortably uneven, and most of them are indeed concrete slabs:

They patch with asphalt in London, too:



typical older suburb sidewalks:





tourist area stone paving:



Concrete paving squares:



For the many people who think gum thrown on the sidewalk is just a local Toronto thing:



Paving breaks there too, just like here:



I totally agree with Charlotte about real cobblestone streets. They look magnificent and very "Ye Olde" but they are a pain to walk on, especially in the rain.

[large]

TB, you forgot the most common sight on a sidewalk in London



Still better than the cladding on L tower though