City
Design selected for St. Lawrence Market North
The winner of the St. Lawrence Market North Building architectural competition is Adamson Associates Architects and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, also known as the "red team."
The team was one of five short-listed in February for the competition to design a new North Building in the St. Lawrence Market Complex. Their concept involves creating a five-storey atrium to allow for natural light and ventilation, and a covered street to connect the North and South markets.
All in all, looks pretty great.
According to Peter Berton, the professional advisor to the design competition, the seven person jury spent two days debating the decision. They finally "unanimously" agreed on the winning design. This is interesting considering the jury included a wide range of people from Christine Couvelier, an expert on food market design, William Greer, a former chief architect at the Toronto Historical Board (now Heritage Toronto) and Russell Smith, an author and columnist for the Globe.
Adamson has a history of pairing with more celebrated architects, like they have done with Foster and Partners on the Hearst Tower in New York. Richard Rogers, the principal of Rogers Stirk, is most famous for his Lloyd's Building in London. This will be the first Rogers' building in Toronto.
The design competition generated a lot of interest from the community. Over 1,000 comments were submitted to the jury from concerned citizens, many of which were passionate and well-thought out. As Pam McConnell reiterated throughout the presentation, St Lawrence Market is one of the city's "special places" and ensuring it works well is a huge priority for many members of the community.
With such high levels of emotion about the project, there has already been some controversy. In a no-holds-barred editorial in the Bulletin ("Downtown Toronto's Best Read Community Newspaper"), the author Frank Touby claims that by holding an international competition, the city essentially voided all of the community's concerns about the new building. And the winning building's very modern-looking steel and glass exterior will likely cause concerns it does not "respect" the neighbourhood's architectural character.
When this new building is finally completed in 2014, it will have been over fifteen years since the redevelopment process began in 1998. For those who still want to enjoy its bounty, the North Market's farmer's market will continue during the building's construction at 125 Esplanade.
Additional reporting by Robyn Urback
Discussion
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Congratulations to the team and for all votes to this project.
Why didn't they pick the one that looked closest to the original structure and fit well with the south building.
Congratulations Toronto, despite impossible odds, you've actually managed to get uglier.
I really dislike this and it's going to look worse without all the render magic.
Anyone who is concerned these will turn out poorly should investigate the rest of Adamson's and Rogers's portfolio.
And for those commenting on the "pipey" design - does it scare you or something? Have you never seen anything outside of North America? Have a look at some of Rogers' other world class designs - the Lloyds building in London, or the Pompidou Centre in Paris for example. These must really scare you! lol
Toronto tore down its past and is now stuck with a lot of ugly 70's crap. Now they are tearing down ugly 70's crap for "new designs". You think they'll last more than 40 years?
and to those of you who can't seem to accept any criticism of new architecture, its not an attack on trying new styles or being adventurous, its all about context. build some adventurous new office buildings or condos, just stop forcing all this crap on older stuctures where its completely out of context (like the ROM)
Many, many people in the commmunity question Touby's credibility. He's seen as a bitter old fart with an ax to grind and a long-term vendetta against the city. It would be physically impossible for Touby to look around and gauge the St. Lawrence community, because his head is perpetually stuck up his a$$.
Many, many people in the commmunity question Touby's credibility. He's seen as a bitter old fart with an ax to grind and a long-term vendetta against the city. It would be physically impossible for Touby to look around and gauge the St. Lawrence community, because his head is perpetually stuck up his a$$.
Many, many people in the commmunity question Touby's credibility. He's seen as a bitter old fart with an ax to grind and a long-term vendetta against the city. It would be physically impossible for Touby to look around and gauge the St. Lawrence community, because his head is perpetually stuck up his a$$.
Wait, it's life: Where differing opinions are allowed. I'm sure those of us you deem unworthy to have a negative opinion of this muddled, hulking building, appreciate many new buildings in and around Toronto. Casa, the AGO addition, etc.
Wait, it's life: Where differing opinions are allowed. I'm sure those of us you deem unworthy to have a negative opinion of this muddled, hulking building, appreciate many new buildings in and around Toronto. Casa, the AGO addition, etc.
Wait, it's life: Where differing opinions are allowed. I'm sure those of us you deem unworthy to have a negative opinion of this muddled, hulking building, appreciate many new buildings in and around Toronto. Casa, the AGO addition, etc.
The new design for the market or Mayor Miller's tie?
I am thrilled that the project did not try to copy and resurrect masonry finishes, and pre-1900s details and workings. Those brick 'authentic history' facades are fine in small doses as brief glimpses to historical influence - but we must grow up past these clingy sentimental feelings. They always remind me of old people wearing too much make-up, trying to look dignified and alive, but just looking pathetic and worn.