X is a multi-unit residential development located at the corner of Jarvis and Charles, just south of Bloor Street East. X marks a place of historical, topographical and urban transition. It is a five-minute walk from fashionable Yorkville, and from the walking paths that wind through the Rosedale Ravine and Don Valley. It stands at the hinge where two significant 19th century Toronto streets meet, and marks the transition point between the historically significant Jarvis Street and Rosedale neighbourhoods. X is a Miesian glass-clad tower which rises 44-storeys over a three-storey podium. A public art installation by Shayne Dark marks the entrance to a striking double-height glass lobby. A wide range of resident amenities are housed on the top floor of the podium, while the rooftop features an outdoor pool and patio by Toronto landscape architect Janet Rosenberg.
X The Condominium
Comments
At least they didn't say Le
At least they didn't say Le Corbusiesque!
No so Mies
Mies is doing back flips in his grave over this one.
Why those small coloured panels every so often? It's as if they manufacturer ran out of black panels, and decided to through some primary colours into the shipment just so see if we noticed. Oh, I noticed alright....
Homage to Mies, not carbon copy
Come on, what kind of criticism is that? Some minimalist variation was needed in the design, and you were supposed to notice. The architect wanted to pay homage to Mies' work, rather than to rip it off.
Lighten up, Mies purists
I mean, come on, they call the TD Centre Miesian even though he only consulted on two of the buildings there, would gag over the old stock exchange mash-up and basically handed over the Seagram plans for a nice cheque and never set foot in the city again. This is a pretty fab condo, all things considered.
Mies
Actually, Mies planned out the entire complex, the interiors, the underground, the public space in the middle,and even the way the building's positioning and proportions. This was also the first and only time he ever planned out an entire complex, something he always wanted to do.
The fact that the other three tall black buildings didn't really involve him wouldn't have bothered him - he wanted architects to do that. Even one of his famous quotes is "It is better to be good than to be original."
The only reason he didn't come back or talk much about the plans is because he died before it was ever completed - I wouldn't doubt that the world's perception of Toronto's architecture would be a lot better if he had stayed alive. Maybe even the TD Centre would be his most famous work, instead of the Seagram.
Eye catching
I was watching a Maclean's video recently of Wells & Coyne on a balcony talking about the election. I was completely distracted by the building in the background since, knowing where they were, I was not aware of a building like this in the area. If a building can catch my eye like that it has something going for it. I think it's a nice addition to an area in need of sprucing up and distraction from the Roger's monstrosity nearby.
There is no Jarvis and Church
There is no Jarvis and Church intersection. There is a Jarvis and Charles
I have serious issues with
I have serious issues with the roofs of these buildings what with water towers and air conditioning units just stuck on the top without any thought to how they impact the design.Surely if one knows one is going to have to include these on the roof one should have the forsight to design with them in mind
Don't get me started!
I walk by this everyday to work and it never ceases to amaze me how ridiculous it is. The red 'art' is just dumb and annoying. There isn't any retail space at it's base (and it's only steps away from Bloor St!) and the over all look reminds me of the Studio Line Hair Gel from L'Oreal in the 80s. And to think they're building a sister-building right next door! What fun.
Somewhat Miesian, but marred by clear imperfections
It's hard to do a homage like this one because Mies van der Rohe, a master of Modernism, was a perfectionist who scrupulously chose the materials and finishes of his projects, including the Toronto-Dominion Centre. The T-D Centre, one of his greatest projects and skyscraper complexes anywhere, demonstrates incredible attention to detail and refinement of his design vision, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality; the banking pavilion at King and Bay, for instance, was a further advancement of his column-free pavilion design and one of the final ones before his death in 1969. He designed the furniture in the lobbies of the complex, he chose the granites, and he even designed a font for the complex.
The building is among the better condominium towers in recent memory with many Miesian details along with the original ‘Mondrian’ touches of colour. From some angles, it’s beautiful. Yet ultimately, X is disappointing as a homage to the work of Mies van der Rohe. Having the real thing in our city, it's hard not to notice the cheap outs in this building like the massive mechanical box on the roof instead of a sleek flat roof, the comparatively cheap furniture in the lobby, the lack of bronze-tinted windows or true floor-to-ceiling panes of glass. There are too many mullions in the glass as well.
One of the most glaring issues with architectAlliance's X the Condominium is the massive mechanical box on the roof, which the photographs here do not show. It really detracts from the monolithic sleekness of this tower, and sleekness is critical to the Modern aesthetic. Mies integrated the mechanical elements seamlessly into the design. The fact is that the developer didn't do a bad job with this project, but wasn't ready to even try to match Mies' attention to detail.
I really like this because a)
I really like this because a) they tried to be different and b) they knew they'd get the Mies jabs.
It has good proportions.
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No
Don't say Miesian. Just don't.
The red sculpture is nice though. Like a stretched poinsettia, for no reason at all.
Here's a tip. Buildings should rely on their shrubbery to draw the eye away.