City
North Building of The St. Lawrence Market to Face Wrecking Ball as Green P, Court Rooms and 4 Storey Structure Await
The City of Toronto launched a design competition yesterday for the St. Lawrence Market fallout shelter, er, I mean, North Building. The competition brief calls for architectural teams to design plans that will replace the ugly and underused brown box of a building currently standing at Jarvis and Front with a new four-storey, multi purpose facility. It's about time.
The massive concrete structure that is the North Market building has always been an eyesore for me. Built in 1968 (and looking every bit the part of a Cold War-era bomb shelter), the building has since lost relevance--now, it's used only on weekends for farmer's and antique markets (both longstanding traditions in the city).
The North Market building is actually available to rent during the week, but, well, who would rent it? The acoustics suck and it lacks standard building facilities, like drain systems, power outlets, and, ahem, washing areas.
It really seems like the odd man out in the St. Lawrence Market complex, composed of the North Market building, the St. Lawrence Hall (pictured above) and the South Market (pictured below).
All that is going to change, with the help of Toronto's best and brightest architects (fingers crossed). The City is planning to use the new North Market building to house the farmer's market and antique market, plus the Toronto Court Services' court rooms, administrative offices and a 250-space underground Green P.
It seems as if a competition is a win-win. It will generate some fresh ideas for the North Market site, stimulate competition for the best design, and engage the imagination of Torontonians. Plus, it's about time the potential of the North Market building was realized.
Stage one of the competition ends on January 8, 2010 and stage two ends on June 2010, when a winning design is announced. (Before you start designing, better check out the rules.)
The new building is expected to be completed and operating in 2014. The area considered the birth place of Toronto is FINALLY receiving an architectural facelift. (Remember when City Council first approved the redevelopment of the St. Lawrence Market North building initiative? I don't. Because it was seven years ago.)
So, architects, the City outlines three things it is looking for with the new building: sustainable design, energy efficiency and urban design excellence.
Ready... Set... Design!
St. Lawrence Market photo by Metrix X, St. Lawrence Hall photo by Uncle Lynx
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Or outer cladding that changes colour with the sun or changes with the wind
This building had better rock or I'll be pissed
DO NOT F*CK THIS UP TORONTO
Would make for a different and interesting venue though.
ANY INDIE HIPSTERS WANT TO GIVE IT A SHOT?
In contrast, a real design competition should allow all interested parties to submit a design, and the winners should be judges by a group including design professionals.
The article says the current building is underused but I've seen some excellent amateur boxing matches there during the week.
Hope the new building will be built of stone and bricks to match the aesthetics of the old and established buildings in the immediate area. It should NOT be made of glass and aluminum like the new ugly condos.
Jarvis and University are the only 2 streets in the core that can handle any sort of traffic. Let's not make the same mistake the city made when the new condo was put up on the south-east corner several years back: set the damned building back and widen the street!
For the time being, until the competition is over, the farmers and the antique market dealers will be in the current North Market building. Some time later next year or early 2011, the City will be relocating the farmers and the antique market vendors to a temporary market structure at 125 The Esplanade, where the Saturday Farmers Market and the Sunday Antique Market will continue to operate during the construction period of the new North Market building. A page on the City's website talks more about it at http://www.toronto.ca/stlawrence_market/design/tempmarket.htm
AlexM
City of Toronto
Name the new building after the Egg Man who passed away this week. I'm sure there will be something in honour of him tomorrow.
That's so sad. I didn't know he passed. Lovely people who sell great eggs. Always passed a smile on. Naming the north Market after him is a great idea.
I would not dare presume in this myopic city that they would actually widen Jarvis to 6 lanes (like every other city in the world has from Paris to Vancouver), but common sense dictates if they set the 'new' building back a lousy 15 feet or so (which could easily be compensated for with a creative 2nd story cantilevered overhang over Jarvis itself, connecting to the south market building as well) they could put in a measly left turn lane to Front St. Maybe a 'lay-by' would be an asset, too, since parked trucks choke the right lane of Jarvis all weekend to unload their crap.
The trouble with the bicycle/transit fanatics is they want EVERY street reduced to their level. The fact is every city on earth have arterial roads that criss-cross their downtowns. Jarvis is that aterterial road.
I know I am contacting both Smitherman and John Tory, offering my financial and physical support to whomever views Toronto in terms of the overall city, not just south of Bloor.
Read. Bong water is for public school students.
I've lived downtown all my life. I was at UCC for 10 years. To narrow down a North Market would also mean to manipulate the southern part of the intersection as well. But I guess you missed that part of traffic flow. It's also where one of the service garages are.
And again to suggest that this be done in order to get you through, is simply ridiculous. But I guess Toronto is all about you. Or I guess it's the single person car drivers that want downtown to service their illegal driving habits, and their schedule, and their parking needs. It's this kind of crap that keeps Toronto a second rate city. If you like that, go to Markham or Mississauga. Plenty of mall parking for you there.
And nobody wants SOB to turn into another suburb, as most Torontonians think they are disgusting.
Apparently, reading comprehension has escaped you: what I suggested was a left hand turn lane for southbound Jarvis. Since the north building is being torn down, it's hardly a big deal and would do wonders for the thousands of drivers who use lower Jarvis every day.
You're the one turning this person, my friend. Who do you think are in all those cars on a Sunday, going south? Do you think they are commters, too?
Last time I looked, driving was legal. Get a life, buddy. (I could close by saying, "just because you can't afford a car.." but I won't)
Maybe your spatial calculations defy logic: Throwing a left hand turning lane doesn't mean the same re-merging south of the intersection for Southbound traffic. Just shoving in a turning lane means you divert all traffic for both Northbound and Southbound traffic. Maybe your experience with intersections is highly limited.
If you have complaints about traffic on Jarvis, use another road. I know it would take a full minute out of your very busy day, so perhaps consider using an alternative way to move around. Like a bike. They're faster anyway.
And it isn't being torn down. It is being replaced. With something much more useful to the city than a convenient lane for road hog cars like you. Last time I looked, downtown was full of cars, and drivers don't want to give anybody else, including pedestrians, any more room, because they have no clue how to walk or bike. I have a very nice car with a 2 car garage downtown. But I have 3 bikes which do more service to both myself and the city. And the market, which I absolutely love, completely shadows useless drivers like you that bitch about not being catered to hand and foot.
Besides, in spite of the crap going up here, one mustn't look further than some of the buildings being put up by firms such as aA, Diamond+Schmitt, Teeple, Hariri Pontarini, and more find examples of great local buildings. That is unless your idea of great world-class architecture is vulgar Dubai-esque fantasy-land schlock.