City
Sexy Simcoe WaveDeck Waves Hello
Fun... sexy... unique. The sleek, curving design of Toronto's new waterfront WaveDeck isn't the only attractive aspect of the latest addition to our evolving waterfront. Today it was unveiled, coming in at half a million dollars under budget and opening two weeks ahead of schedule, after eight months of intense construction.
Acrobats danced across the deck at today's ribbon-cutting. The opening means the new $5.5. million urban dock is ready for tonight's Luminato finale, Cirque du Soleil (free, starting at 7pm).
The wonderful flamboyant new deck more than doubles the width of a pedestrian space that used to be grimly utilitarian. The deck is the latest in the Waterfront redesign by Adriaan Geuze, whose Dutch firm West 8 won Toronto's 2006 Waterfront design competition. Over time, a vibrant lakeside walkway will stretch from Bathurst to Parliament Street.
Alongside the acrobats, Toronto & Region Conservation was on hand to discuss the new fish habitat underneath and around the WaveDeck. Kids from nearby schools watched Gord MacPherson of Toronto & Region Conservation release fish, including foot-long bass and Northern pike, and a tiny scale-less catfish into their new habitat.
The fish haven't moved far -- they were captured elsewhere in the harbour earlier this morning. Apparently, if they like their new zone, with its specially-installed rock shoals, they'll stay. Let's hope they like the WaveDeck as much as I do.
"This wavedeck is unlike any structure you'll find anywhere in the world," said Toronto City Councillor Paula Fletcher at the opening. "The craftmanship on this wavedeck is just phenomenal. We're asking for 'wow' factors here at our waterfront." And for once, the city has delivered.
"Before" photo courtesy of Waterfront Toronto. All others by the author.
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Niiice, I like.
It does look good, and I'll be please to check it out, but must EVERYTHING be "sexy" now?
Sexy is the new sexy :)
I'm a little thrown by the knee-high railing that encloses the highest parts. Nothing says, "keep off" like these little fences. Are they fulfilling some by-law requirement? Considering the beautiful concept of the wave these seem out of place to me.
Those were added to keep skateboarders entertained to no end! ;)
This is what we have to get excited about in Toronto: an installation in an area of the city long overdue for improvement, not worth the trouble it takes to get there. I stayed on the Plateau of Montreal this week. Sigh.
I think some boarders are going to go swimming!
this place is a skate and bmx wet dream. They've basically just built the most expensive skatepark in the world. It does look really cool though.
wow it was under budget and ahead of schedule! that actually made me feel good!
Skateboarders will be there all hours now hahahaha. What a poor concept.. only in Toronto
Hmm, when this place ices up in the fall and bones are broken, lawsuit layers are gonna make a mint - including their clients! Oh yeah, this bridge will cost more than $5.5 million...
See signage --> http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacing/3619704739/in/set-72157619569819239/
Seriously.
This is so stupid in so many ways. One design grad gets something on their resume, and Toronto gets stuck with this for decades to come.
Asinine.
How do you build a wave deck, AND put RAILS on it, and then put up little placards saying "no skateboarding".
I think it looks great. Maybe the skaters could exercise some restraint and not wreck the thing for everyone... but they're selfish, destructive assholes, so no doubt it will be scratched, gouged and covered with tags within a week. you know, in other cities skaters are sexy, fit guys... here in Toronto it seems like they're all butt-ugly superannuated slackers. If I have to put up with skaters, they should at least be attractive, is all I'm sayin'.
I agree. The only solution is to shoot skateboarders upon first sight.
In that case it's a good thing I ride bmx and we're going to shred this place. Best spot ever!!!
I'll punch out any BMX'ers or skaters I see near here when I'm around. STAY OFF PUNKS!
Jamesmallon says we should just give up on improving Toronto and move to Montreal. Stephen says that skateboarders ruin everything, including this. Sean says that curvy surfaces will lead to lawsuits. Mike definitely hates it in "many ways" though I can't figure out exactly what they are (but it's something to do with skateboards and university grads).
Let's all get worked up over this! Who wants to start a petition or something? Let's go, fellow BlogTO grandpas! Get off our lawns with your new-fangled curves! In my day a deck was flat and we liked it!
^LOL well said!
although i have to agree that the signage for "no skateboarding/blading" is so out of the way and teeny.. a little silly.
It looks nice, but FIVE(5) freaken million dollars for a wooden deck/bridge?!?!? You've got to be kidding me!!!
Why won't anyone notice this crazy price! This is pure example of corruption in this city: e-health, TTC, city council... wow, its all about the untendered contracts and kick backs
So all this money invested, will the city just close it during late fall, winter and early spring where the insurance claims on people sliding all over the place will outweigh the value?
I saw it last night in person and I do not understand it. What is with the railings cutting through the middle? If I want to go over the tallest section, I have to cross railings? I can imagine when it gets wet or icey...sploosh! It could almost be like a slide into the water. Also, I guess it is useless $4 million dollar projects like this that we have to pay $150 permits to repave my driveway. We have to pay for it somehow.
Haha! Well said. :)
I saw this today, while visiting the "1000 Tastes of T.O." foodie fair - the structure was quite beautiful. Tones of kids playing on it, with plenty of comfortable seating available - I especially loved the curved benches lining the dock's edge.
A definite improvement from the concrete wasteland it used to be.
love it -- it's quite beautiful and adds another great site to toronto's waterfront.
the people who dont like it can stay in the 905 where they live anyways
I checked this out two nights ago. I too was thinking it would be a great spot to skate on. The planks are all on a 40 degree angel so it would be next to impossible for someone to skateboard on it. The bmx'ers are a different story though.
Is it located around downtown Harbourfront area ?
The entire downtown Toronto harbour front has been given away for free to a hi-rise skyscraper developer - meaning the entire waterfront has been privatized. There was no tender to decide who got this 60 billion dollar freebe.
After being privatized, the Federal government takes your tax dollars and gives millions and millions to the privatized waterfront. Not only has this privatized usurping of our waterfront taken place - even worse the privatized entity (called Harbourfront Centre) has privatized the sidewalk (where HFC trucks are parked every day) and roads in the surrounding neighborhood!!
HFC doesn't have the 10,000/year tourist buses (bringing tourists to Harbourfront Centre) park on Harbourfront Centre's 4 gigantic parking lots. Instead these 10,000/year tourist buses are parked for 1 to 6 hours at a time on the roads directly under NO PARKING signs in the neighborhood. At the same time these buses are idling for HOURS at time.
As well these illegally parked buses remove one lane of car traffic - which causes grid lock and lots of slow moving idling cars. The pollution is incredible! And so is the all night and day noise pollution - because of lack of design knowledge when it comes to public sound strategy.
So what's then? The Federal government takes more money out of your bank account - and gives this privatized entity another $40,000,000 to build these BRIDGES TO NOWHERE. These bridges have no function - whatsoever. That is unless you have one half of your ass removed so that you then can sit on the sloped seats on these Bridges to Nowhere . Only in Toronto.
Toronto's Waterfront has been sent to the "Hall Of Shame" by one of the world's outstanding organizations PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES. Toronto continues to be the "Armpit Of Bad Design"
http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/list?type_id=2
Two and a half months later I come back to check on this post and holy cow, Harry Pasternak has taken up my call to arms! Now we'll see some action. Harry also brought up many other points about the waterfront, he's not just content to bitch about the bridges like some of your other small-minded complainers. Let's try to accomplish the following:
1) Tear down the Bridges To Nowhere and demand Bridges to Somewhere.
2) Close Queen's Quay to all traffic. Are there not enough east/west roads already?
3) End the private ownership of the waterfront: Return all waterfront land to the people (the government). People living in the condos will be given a deadline to move out, and the taller buildings demolished entirely.
Who's with me? Let's die angry!