Canada's 10 Tallest U/C - Page 46

uzi · #**901** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 3:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

So... how is it possible that Aura can have its stunning light feature ready to go before it's even finished construction, yet Trump has been complete for years and has only tested its light feature a handful of times?

in both cases the developers love teasing us. they love to imagine faces and reactions of skyscraper geeks when something new happens.

Chadillaccc · #**902** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 3:55 AM**

haha I guess so, those jerks!

middeljohn · #**903** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 3:56 AM**

^^^
Highly doubt they'd spend all that money ~$200/ft on LED accent lighting and not get RGB. Not a huge cost adder. Curious whose product they installed.

isaidso · #**904** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 6:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzi

with those lights Aura looks like a Tron edition building at night.
looks nice with the lights. they need to fix those light which are not working properly.

The renderings would suggest that the strips aren't uniform... which looks better imo. There aren't any lights that aren't working. This is what it will look like.

isaidso · #**905** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 6:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

I can't begin to fathom how someone would think Yonge looks like hell though. It can be seedy for sure, but that's part of the charm of the street. Not everywhere needs to be super gentrified and full of fancy stores/bars/restaurants.

I appreciate seedy and odd ball shops. My issue with Yonge has always been the low quality/low brow nature of many of the buildings. They'd be butt ugly in the worst suburban strip mall in Scarborough. That they're on Main Street Canada has always been a shock to me.

Charming? I suppose the poor in Rio think favelas are charming. Torontonians are just used to Yonge looking like shit. Familiarity doesn't mean its ok. I'm on Yonge every day and still find it jarring how god awful huge swaths of Yonge are. It's vibrant, but it's the nastiest crap hole of a main street I've ever come across. Gerrard to Bloor that is.

I'm very interested to see 5ive Condos effect on its adjacent strip of Yonge. Yonge will need another 10-15 years of development before it starts looking decent. In 2030 we'll then have to turn our attention to the paving, asphalt, lamp posts, etc.

caltrane74 · #**906** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 10:38 AM**

Also the streetscaping.... Yonge needs wider sidewalks and lay by cut outs for cars in addition to a grade seperated bike lane, maybe - Trees?. Then with ongoing gentrification, Yonge will get up to par.

niwell · #**907** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 1:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

I appreciate seedy and odd ball shops. My issue with Yonge has always been the low quality/low brow nature of many of the buildings. They'd be butt ugly in the worst suburban strip mall in Scarborough. That they're on Main Street Canada has always been a shock to me.

Charming? I suppose the poor in Rio think favelas are charming. Torontonians are just used to Yonge looking like shit. Familiarity doesn't mean its ok. I'm on Yonge every day and still find it jarring how god awful huge swaths of Yonge are. It's vibrant, but it's the nastiest crap hole of a main street I've ever come across. Gerrard to Bloor that is.

Most of the buildings could be fixed up very easily. It's a matter of signage and renovation - the architectural bones are solid. Equating them to the worst suburban strip mall in Scarborough is verging on insanity, and makes me think you have never been there (Scarb, that is). There are some examples of ~1950s infill on Yonge that could easily go, but I never want to see the most historic buildings get torn down. Even if they remain rundown. Similarly, there are some very easy streetscape improvements that could be done.

Five condos sets a good example for historic preservation which is better than teardown. I do worry about Yonge becoming a bit bland if it is repeated ad nauseum. Bank branches and the chain stores willing to sign a long-term lease don't make for a vibrant street. This part of Yonge has almost always been seedy and it is a part of Toronto's history whether you like it or not.

If that's the "nastiest crap hole of a main street" you have ever come across I'd hazard a guess you haven't traveled much. Or simply stick to the ultra-gentrified and/or touristy parts of town. I also know you have a very different idea of what Toronto should be which I personally find abhorrent.

FYI I work on College very close to Yonge so I also see it every day.

OTSkyline · #**908** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 2:15 PM**

Wow... Aura...

LOVE the crown, the lights and the silhouette of the tower and curved roofline at night. This one's a beauty...

Beedok · #**909** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

There are some examples of ~1950s infill on Yonge that could easily go, but I never want to see the most historic buildings get torn down. Even if they remain rundown.

That's something I strongly disagree with. Actually urban post war development is probably some of my favourite cityscape around. They're much rarer than those older buildings which pretty well every city in Canada has blocks of in their core. If you've got to protect something than the rarer one seems more worth it.

WhipperSnapper · #**910** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 3:48 PM**

The majority of the post war infill is cheaply built either from ground up or rebuilt prewar structures.

I'm very worried about Yonge since every proposal beyond Five covers at least a half block with multiple, faceless CRUs and massive towers with 10 plus units per floor. The street needs a little help and intensification is key to that but, block busting to take on the form of Bay Street is regrettable to say the least. The combo of Canderel and G+C doesn't help things either.

caltrane74 · #**911** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 8:23 PM**

A lot of the proposals are not designed around the older building stock, but the newer
"pre-war" shell type commercial buildings. Those that are not, seem to be respectful of their surroundings, like 1 Yorkville, Massey Tower, and FIVE Condos.

WhipperSnapper · #**912** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 9:43 PM**

You're missing the point. The scale, massing, proportions of these proposals have the character of Bay Street. I was hoping for better on Yonge.

Chadillaccc · #**913** Posted **Aug 29, 2014, 1:52 AM**

By Matt M on FB

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...07&oe=54619776

caltrane74 · #**914** Posted **Aug 29, 2014, 3:01 AM**

Almost finished up.

4 years, and 7 months so far.

ssiguy · #**915** Posted **Aug 29, 2014, 3:07 AM**

At first I was rather ho-hum about Aura but now with the lights up, it really looks great.
That's what I get for making judgements before the product is finished.

travis3000 · #**916** Posted **Aug 29, 2014, 4:31 AM**

Aura looks gorgeous. Many of us didn't realize that all this time we had a new skyline icon in the making. You know that you have something special when regular non-skyscraper geeks are talking about it. And I was downtown last night and people on the street were stopping and taking pictures!