The Murano stands on the east side of Bay Street, occupying the site of a former parking lot running north from Grenville to Grosvenor Streets, and east from Bay to a service laneway. Murano closes this block-long gap in the streetedge with a restrained, formal podium enlivened by a band of decorated glass by Toronto photographer Barbara Astman, which wraps around the three principal building frontages at the second floor level. The podium anchors residential towers at the north and south ends of the site, in keeping with a City planning strategy that promotes the strong marking of street corners. In contrast with the podium, the towers are tall, slender and clad entirely in transparent glass, providing residents with views south to the towers of the financial district, and northeast to the UofT campus. A landscaped courtyard on the podium roof provides a secluded urban green space and meeting place for residents. Significant height and density variances were negotiated with the City, on the basis of the quality of the building design.
The Murano
DEVELOPER
Lanterra Development
ARCHITECT
architectsAlliance
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
NAK Landscape Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
H+R Developments
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Comments
Yawn. Yet another reason to avoid that stretch of Bay St.
not only is bay street really windy, but it is the toronto black hole of inappropriate bulky structures that never look done (example: ALL OF THEM).
I was impressed by the beautiful "tree branches" plate glass art installation and thought they really reminded passersby of the building's namesake. I love the sleek and clean lines of the not-quite twin towers. The buildings do not overwhelm but rather complement the area. Everything about Murano was airy and beautiful...
Until I saw the exposed concrete pillars. They make the development seem surprisingly -and shamefully - unfinished. It's like seeing someone wearing a two-piece suit but with sweat socks and runners(huh?!) It really does not work. I hope the developers come back and do SOMETHING about those exposed columns. Polish them, clad them, paint them. Give the man a proper pair of dress socks and leather dress shoes(!)
By the time I finish typing this and posting it I will have forgotten what this building looks like. And I will be glad.
I like the podium's incorporation of the artwork, and the towers are quite sleek. The lighting element at the top leaves a lot to be desired. The unclad concrete columns might not age well with grime and patching after several decades.
Plus ca change ...
Not that horrible as long as you don't look down. As with everything street level in Toronto, a hideous mess. It does blend in with the general decay though.
architectsAlliance and Quadrangle are doing such boring crap
The Murano.. faceless... souless... like that person you met at the bar last week and took home when you were drunk. The more you think about this building the more you want to forget it ever happened.
more boring rectangular and "plain jane" tall buildings