News   Apr 03, 2020
 9.1K     3 
News   Apr 02, 2020
 10K     0 
News   Apr 02, 2020
 3.3K     0 

CN Tower - Office to Residential Conversion - 111m (364')

The lower street-facing sign could go but the upper neon sign should stay -- it is historical and gives remembrances continuation along with the actual building.
With or without the lower signage - and there are some things I would love to do with the podium floors that would work equally with or without it - the tower deserves to keep her exterior and her crown intact including the CN worm signage. She is the only tower anywhere that I am aware of that has two concave and two convex facades and she deserves to be celebrated, not demeaned, regardless of what happens to her interior, for her uniqueness and her style.
 
Last edited:
The plan -- an extremely poor use of space; layout is entirely wanting (and this is not a comment related to residential conversion). Ken is 100% correct in his criticism.
 
The 4 units in the middle of the building (2 on the east side and 2 on the west side) are awful, but the rest are somewhat decent.
 
As a layman, I do not understand why it is bad. The units seem reasonably decent, imo. Unironically, care to explain why it's bad?
As posted elsewhere:

“Nobody asked me but this is an absolutely terrible configuration that fills the floor with terribly configured suites.

“For starters, there are way too many suites that are way too small - it's as if the direction was to maximize the number of units instead of maximizing their liveability and saleability/income.

“The floor works much better with larger suites properly laid out than what they show here - likely 12 rather than 16. While that caters to the mid/upper range in the market, it also provides better ratios for parking per suite etc. Furthermore, it reduces the number of kitchens and bathrooms and suite entry doors and demising walls etc. so it should reduce construction costs.

“Why would anyone back all of the bathroom plumbing fixtures against the corridor walls instead of ensuring that most of them are back to back which minimizes both construction costs and noise transmission?

“For residential use, 4 elevators is likely more than adequate. Why not decommission one bank entirely rather than having to upgrade and maintain them and reclaim the shaft for storage lockers on each floor?

“Eliminating that bank of three elevators would also allow access to the mechanical/service spaces on the floor to be accessed other than through the stairwells (which is likely an operational as well as a code-compliant pain in the a$$).

“Why recess the full width of the suites facing the elevators instead of simply recessing the suite entry doors in an alcove that would generate some visual interest with proper lighting etc.?

“Who in their right mind would place a tub/shower on a glazed exterior wall in a building where you have perimeter heat?

“Why woiuld you place a bedroom - where you want to be able to have things dark - on a glazed corner instead of your living space?

“Why in a two-bedroom unit would you make the master bedroom the smaller of the two?

“Why would you lay out a third of your one-bedroom units such that the bedrooms have no window?

“This is clearly a case, from a design perspective, where "less is both more and better"...”

I could probably expand on that but you probably get the point. :)
 
My understanding is that the only reason it is up there is due to the cost of removal and that CN probably likes the freed exposure, but I could see it being removed due to corporate direction should exterior renovations occur.
Chop it in half and turn them sideways. CN becomes UZ. Everyone’s happy. Signs stays. No confusion lol
 
^ That type of elevator is easily replaced for a more modern version. You are right some of them could be replaced for storage spaces (new floor of course).
 
Chop it in half and turn them sideways. CN becomes UZ. Everyone’s happy. Signs stays. No confusion lol
Urban Zone Properties. I like it, let's do it, need to keep those progressing lights in the skyline! Haha
 

Back
Top