Canada's 50 Tallest Proposals

[caltrane74]

I want GINZASTYLZ here! Lots of LED Lights, high-end signage, making this area so ultra rich. Thats what I always say, Gotta Bring the Cash yo! And then light that shit ONFYR! oh man just build it ALREADY... and whilst at it add in another 10 floors cause ur gonna sell out the building in 30 minutes anyway, and at extreme prices and retail can cover the costs of the additional hieght. If you build it they will come, Yonge and Bloor needs at least half the people of Yonge and Dundas if itwants to be the most sought after area in the city...

This building can do that...

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Wooster

I hate when ground floors are designed with just a long stretch of uninterupted glass. There's no visual rhythm. It's so boring to look at as a pedestrian.

Architects seem to love it for some reason. But from a planning perspective I agree, glass fronted ground floors are generally brutal. Even worse are overhangs and columns, or as is the case in many developments, both combined.

In this case I think existing built-form and busy nature of the intersection and surrounding area will let them get away with the base at grade though. It could use improvements but as a whole I quite like the podium... but then again maybe it's just the setbacks.

[Ramako]

I don't see the problem with uninterrupted glass when it's occupied by retail. I imagine that if an Apple store moved in the glass would either be covered with Apple posters, full of colourful displays, or both. They tend to be fairly creative with large, blank canvasses: http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/apple_store_catalog.html

[niwell]

^Yeah, if the apple flagship rumour is true than the base should turn out quite well. They always do something interesting.

[caltrane74]

Apple has a chase to make this intersection iconic, if they play their cards right it will work for them and the city too.....

[duper]

Originally Posted by niwell

^Yeah, if the apple flagship rumour is true than the base should turn out quite well. They always do something interesting.

Agreed. In fact, Apple might even request design changes to what's already planned. They seem to like the cube shape.

[Traynor]

interchange42

Here's something to look for, even though you will not see it: the building behind the balconies is not a rectangle. Each side of the building is angled two ways, with one angle running parallel to the street it fronts, while another portion angles out gently towards the street. The angling brings the building out toward the corner points of the balconies. If one were to pull those corner points out further, the building would look like a pinwheel from above... have I described that clearly?

I was having a hard time seeing this in my mind's eye so I did a quick sketch to better illustrate what interchange42 probably saw in the model.

The proportions are most certainly off but I think it demonstrates the unusual shape of the actual building. It will be interesting to see how the light of day will play off this added dimension to the glass.

[steveve]

Man! I WANT an apple store at Yonge/Bloor! If they were to make it as iconic as the glass box in New York i'm all for it! I'm hoping the retail section is worth exploring!!

***Do ya think we'll see WWIII when the units become up for sale?

[steveve]

ONE BLOOR EAST LAUNCHES

The new proposal looks fantastic at night time and i really like how the blue looks! Though i did like Bazis' original proposal, this project seems to go better with the neighborhood in terms of its height and overall design

READ the article at:

http://urbantoronto.ca/content.php?320-One-Bloor-East-Launches&nocache=1

Here's a little bit of what was posted bu Urban Toronto:

At night, the luminescent nature of the building's integrated roof-top mechanical penthouse becomes evident as lights glow through clear and fritted glass walls, marking One Bloor's spot at the centre of the city's uptown skyline.

[Nouvellecosse]

Looks great, but I kind of wish that a similarly-sized office project was being planned for the site. Somehow that would seem more urban and exciting.

[WhipperSnapper]

Let's keep it real. There hasn't been a market for a 40 storey office tower in Bloor/Yorkville even during the best boom years. The podium could of work though.

[caltrane74]

Im still dreaming about the old 1 bloor east, it had hieght, it would have been so tall, I miss it now. Can only hope they add in an extra 10 floors or something down the line.....

[bob1954]

Calgary wishes they had a couple like this. The condo/apartment market relly crashed there. This is much better than Aqua in Chicago!

[caltrane74]

calgary has got ranch stylez... kinda like a western verision of caledon.

[caltrane74]

March 25, 2010

Great Gulf is poised to introduce One Bloor, the company's newest
flagship condominium that will raise the bar for outstanding architecture
in Toronto.

The Location

- Southeast corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets; the gateway to
Bloor-Yorkville
- An iconic global address steps from high-fashion boutiques and
designer shops, such as Holt Renfrew, Cartier, Prada, Hermes, Gucci,
Chanel, and Louis Vuitton
- Walk to the Royal Ontario Museum, hundreds of restaurants, cafés,
services and more
- Direct access to both the Bloor and Yonge subway systems

The Building

- Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, One Bloor will rise to 65
storeys and offer 690 suites
- The neighbourhood will benefit from the proposed 100,000 sq. ft. of
prime retail space
- Concourse level shopping will be below grade, and retail in the first
two storeys of the podium will front along Yonge and Bloor
- The next levels of the six-storey podium will offer grand residential
terraces
- The spa-inspired amenities are situated on the sixth and seventh
floors, with spectacular outdoor amenity terraces on the roof of the
podium
- Balconies are configured to maximize views, and suites are infused
with natural light from massive windows
- 24-hour Concierge Service; Resident Superintendent for on-site
maintenance
- Underground parking with security monitored from Concierge station
- Visitor parking for cars and bicycles
- Custom-designed high-speed elevators

The Amenities

- Over 27,000 sq. ft. of Cecconi Simone-designed resort-inspired
amenities on the sixth and seventh floors, plus an additional
19,000 sq. ft of outdoor amenity space on the seventh floor by
Janet Rosenberg + Associates, landscape architecture and urban design
- The sixth floor includes a large spa area with three treatment rooms,
plus separate his and hers cold plunge, hot plunge, jet massage,
experience showers, Laconium and Tepidarium steam suites, ice
fountain and change rooms. On this level, there are also outdoor
terraces, lounges (one a look-out fireplace lounge), a sculpture
garden, bar, dining room, caterers' kitchen, and a billiards room
- The seventh floor amenities area will have two pools: a year-round
indoor/outdoor pool and an outdoor pool, beautifully landscaped
outdoor terraces with fireplaces, spa/hot tub, foot baths,
state-of-the-art fully equipped fitness cardio rooms, kinesis/Pilates
room, yoga/spinning room, steam rooms, change rooms, plus carefully
crafted relaxation areas

The Suites

Features and finishes will be available in Silver (floors 8 to 38),
Gold (floors 39 to 59) and Platinum (floors 60 to 65)

- One-bedroom, one-bedroom + den, two-bedroom, two-bedroom + den
designs from 530 to 1,727 sq. ft.
- Luxurious Silver appointments include approximately 9-foot ceilings;
pre-engineered hardwood flooring throughout; gourmet kitchens with
27" Blomberg stainless steel fridge, 30" black ceramic glass
cook-top, built-in 30" stainless steel oven, built-in stainless steel
microwave, 30" slide-out hood fan, Cecconi Simone-designed cabinetry
(all drawers with soft close drawer system), pull-out two-bin recycle
system, choice of granite or Corian(R) countertop, single-bowl
stainless steel under-mount sink with contemporary polished chrome
faucet, porcelain tile backsplash, Cecconi Simone-designed island
with display niche, prep area in granite or Corian(R) and Corian(R)
eating table with an integrated trough for ice, candles or growing
herbs; ceiling-mounted track lighting complete with pendants over
island (as per plan), stacked brand-name 24" white washer/dryer;
master/main bathrooms with Cecconi Simone custom-designed cabinetry
and custom-designed Corian(R) sink with polished chrome wall-mounted
faucet; and unique mirrored wall cabinet above vanity; white soaker
tub (as per plan); polished chrome accessory package; frameless glass
shower enclosure (as per plan); emergency voice communication system,
smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detector; future technology-ready
high-speed Internet access; rough-in for future suite security; and
pre-wired for cable, TV and telephones (as per plan)
- Among the Gold and Platinum added features and finishes are solar
screen window coverings in kitchen, dining, living areas (as per
plan); blackout screens in master and second bedroom (as per plan);
Sub Zero 27" fully integrated fridge/freezer, Wolf 30" glass
cook-top; Wolf 30" built-in stainless steel self-clean convection
oven; Asko fully-integrated dishwasher with stainless steel interior;
Sub Zero 24" built-in 46-bottle wine fridge with glass door;
Sub Zero 24" built-in fully integrated under-counter bar
fridge/freezer; upgraded pre-engineered hardwood flooring throughout,
stone/glass backsplash; main bath porcelain floor tiles or choice of
marble floor tiles; rough-in for future window covering automation;
and Introductory Home Automation System

The Team

- Builder-Developer: Great Gulf
- Architects: Hariri Pontarini Architects
- Interior Design: Cecconi Simone Inc.
- Landscaping: Janet Rosenberg + Associates, landscape architecture and
urban design

For Information

- Register now for the public preview at www.onebloor.com
- For an overview of Great Gulf's communities, visit
www.greatgulfhomes.com

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Im still dreaming about the old 1 bloor east, it had hieght, it would have been so tall, I miss it now. Can only hope they add in an extra 10 floors or something down the line.....

I definitely see additional floors added if the market holds over the next couple of years. Maybe not 10 though

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

calgary has got ranch stylez... kinda like a western verision of caledon.

The tract housing looks like tract housing anywhere but, the custom stuff is quite modern. Even the inspired craftman style is modern in comparison to the chateauesque they tend to build here.

[steveve]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Im still dreaming about the old 1 bloor east, it had hieght, it would have been so tall, I miss it now. Can only hope they add in an extra 10 floors or something down the line.....

I'm feeling you man... Bazis' 1BE had it all (kind of...not really).. Its height was crazy! and the tower was sleek!

Imagine where we would have been now IF the project continued after they demolished those buildings! We would probably have been at least 15 stories up by now!

And maybe we'll see a height increase for the tower... I mean, theres much more room for adding more stories/potential!

But if you miss the old 1BE's height, don't forget AURA could see a height increase down the road...

[WhipperSnapper]

Bazis' One Bloor was taller and that's it. I'm not that enthused by its replacement but damn glad it wasn't built. We really lucked out there.

[steveve]

Yorkville is really getting washed with Blue glass these days.. First Casa, Crystal Blu, now 1Bloor! Crazy stuff happening... Yorkville will be a place of old and new!

I think the podium of this new proposal is much better than Bazis'... It seems to have more retail space

I still miss the height of the old 1 bloor but i'll get over it (probably not)

Anyone else have any other ideas on what we you would/could have seen going here instead of this?.. and what type of design you would have liked to see..