Canada's 10 Tallest U/C

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Looks a lot taller than in the renderings.

Because the renderings showed a building 10 storeys shorter. They upped the height twice (first from 65 to 70, then 70 to 75 stories) without updating the renders.

[WhipperSnapper]

Glass looks spectacular in those closeups

[dleung]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Rounded corners would have ruined BA2. It goes for simplicity, adding corners would ruin that. KPMG tried for a sort of modern internationalist style there.

BA2 is a lot of things, including "modern", bland, un-designed, but definitely not international style. Boosters getting their box-defending jargon mixed up.

Caltrane loves to rationalize every sub-par skyscraper as "filler" or "throwaway", but even in Toronto there's not that many chances to do a 200m office tower. And to end up with a glass box every single time borders on comical.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Everytime I see a picture of a tower from Younge street it always look to me like it's a tower drop in some shabby small Ontario town.

Well, judging by that pic, a small Ontario town that has gay baths, African wig stores and a hair salon started by punks in the 80s.

[caltrane74]

Box or no box, no skyscraper fan would ever trade Toronto's ten best office towers for Vancouver's. Just saying.

No disrespect or anything.

[WhipperSnapper]

The design is very simple. Don't think anyone is denying that. It does have a basic boxy mass and a basic single skin curtain wall. Doesn't mean it was any easier to create. This isn't some crude PoS like 88 Scott. Engineering and costs probably are cheaper. Why should that matter though?

BA West and if you want to get technical FCP are the only 200 metres glass box office towers. None of the active proposals are either. This one is 196 metres so infill is appropriate. Toronto or Canada for that matter doesn't have a market that demands covers of architectural magazines. BA East is definitely a compromise I can accept. A decent, simple "box" is better than a tastelessly decorated one or some awkward pile of conflicting ideas.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Box or no box, no skyscraper fan would ever trade Toronto's ten best office towers for Vancouver's. Just saying.

No disrespect or anything.

Well obviously. Office towers are so boring in both cities it wouldn't be worth trying to trade.

Now Vancouver residential for some office towers, that would definitely help Toronto out.

[WhipperSnapper]

Better yet, send all the Vancouver developers home.

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Better yet, send all the Vancouver developers home.

Lol!

[vanman]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Better yet, send all the Vancouver developers home.

Including Westbank?

[caltrane74]

10 York - 224 meters

[Mrs Sauga]

Originally Posted by dleung

but even in Toronto there's not that many chances to do a 200m office tower. And to end up with a glass box every single time borders on comical.

LOL @ "every single time". BA and BA2 are the only 200m glass boxes. You make it sound like there are like 10 of them. The other 200m plus proposals are not boxes.

And yes, box or no box, Toronto still has the best group of office skyscrapers in the country. And we're talking architecture, not height... Montreal and Calgary have some great ones too, but Toronto is still tops. Vancouver has been proposing some nice little ones too lately but it doesn't cancel out the crap that's already there.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by vanman

Including Westbank?

Honestly, I'm fine with the Vancouver companies operating here. We have Frèed, Harhay, etc. Allied would find a new development partner too. Westbank is just one of many. They brought Heneriquez to the city too. Love Woodwards but, most of their work showcases everything wrong with Vancouver architecture. Artisit that don't know when to put down the brush.

[yaletown_fella]

Originally Posted by dleung

BA2 is a lot of things, including "modern", bland, un-designed, but definitely not international style. Boosters getting their box-defending jargon mixed up.

Caltrane loves to rationalize every sub-par skyscraper as "filler" or "throwaway", but even in Toronto there's not that many chances to do a 200m office tower. And to end up with a glass box every single time borders on comical.

Aw well, fuck the skyline. Im more concerned with the details vs the shape of the building. While I consider the building to be filler, I love the marble and lighting in the Bay Adelaide I lobby. While Calgary's Telus Tower is is an absolutely stunning tower, the ground level isnt quite as classy imho (to be fair im only judging from renderings)

Toronto's architectural forte will always be in its single family home neighborhoods and midrises, not its highrise design.

I'd rather the city build 'boxes" and put more money into the public realm, fixing potholes, cracked pavement, dead trees, rusty lightpoles etc.

[WhipperSnapper]

BA1 turned out much nicer at streetlevel than the renderings suggested. Same could happen with Telus Sky. The rendered interior public spaces are exceptional though.

[LeftCoaster]

Wow the glass on Brookfield is amazing. Should make what is a very simple tower quite stunning.

Vancouver developers are only playing by the rules set up by the City of Toronto, and for the most part doing exactly what local Toronto developers are doing (with a few notable exceptions). It's up to the City to force the developers to do more, and not expect them to do anything more than they are bound to do.

[WhipperSnapper]

Vancouver developers in Toronto are attracted to larger sites that allow for perimeter block planning with few exceptions. While the scale of the massing is decidedly Toronto in nature, the designs are reminiscent of Vancouver's towers despite being from local firms. You have a base usually a podium; you have the main tower component; You have a identifiable penthouse/crown. Pinnacle Centre would be right at home on the peninsula at around 2/3rd scale.

[caltrane74]

Harbourplaza - two towers /224 meters/236 meters

[Coldrsx]

Stantec


http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/...pspob8ihhg.jpg
XtendEdmonton on c2e

[caltrane74]

10 York - 224 meters