Frank Gehry to scald Toronto eyes with aesthetic horror-show

[czsz]

WTF!?!?

Back story: Toronto is getting not one, but three new Gehry skyscrapers, and this is to be their base. See http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...rvishs-king-street-in-toronto/article4577221/

Oh, they're demolishing a historic theatre to build this, too.

 

[Matthew]

Architects are the bane of cities.

 

[Arborway]

I believe the gimmick has run its course.

 

[briv]

I agree that at this point Gehry has become passé. This design already looks dated 15 years. Some of his stuff I think is actually very good, but this doesn't appear to be up there with his best work.

But at least they're trying here. In Boston we tear down historic theaters for cheap-as-dirt precast-clad garbage and above-ground parking garages like this:

 

[czsz]

Fair point. But at least juvenile miscreants can still enjoy TPing the Kensington. Gehry's preemptively done it for them in the project above.

 

[datadyne007]

The 80-storey towers are rather intriguing:

I have never really been a fan of Gehry though. His older stuff with found/recycled materials and such is quite good, but the crumpled surfaces just gets old. Form should follow function and Gehry doesn't believe in that. The Guggenheim worked because it was a new concept and symbolized Bilbao's renewal. The WDW Concert Hall works quite well too (once they fixed the death ray panels). Everything after these two buildings is just blase. He took a really special concept and just abused it to no end. Spruce St was a breath of fresh air because it was his first tower and the result was quite nice. Perhaps he should keep refining his tower design principles instead of ridiculous sculptural bases.

 

[Ron Newman]

Oh, they're demolishing a historic theatre to build this, too.

Depends on your definition of 'historic'. The article you linked to says:

The theatre has been open for 19 years.

 

[Beton Brut]

Yesterday:

I disdain most of Gehry's work. Nonetheless, Beekman's a stunner.

(This menacing shot was captured through the car-service sunroof.)

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Well... 3/4th of it is.

But the views.... jaw dropping.

 

[czsz]

Depends on your definition of 'historic'.

Yeah, I'd confused it with another theater I guess.

Anyway, today in weird developments with this complex, Gehry was forced to defend the complex by saying "believe me, it's not trash" and a city councilor called the towers "vertical sprawl":

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/1...banal-but-dont-worry-every-city-is-like-that/

 

[bostonbred]

Fair point. But at least juvenile miscreants can still enjoy TPing the Kensington. Gehry's preemptively done it for them in the project above.

IAM thinkin KEnthingtON look LIKe ROLL TP come on.

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