I was forwarded the following concept sketch from Greg Heil, chair of the Windsor Heritage Committee:
Following the news that came out about the TD move to build a new HQ in downtown Windsor on the site of the old Manning House.
Mr. Heil, who is an Architect sketched up this idea, as a possible way to incorporate the old TD Bank facade that’s in storage, into the new building.
He’s sent the sketch along and asked me to post his idea, and see what the readers of IM.com thought about it?
TD had proposed a glass box, but this is a great chance to reuse that TD facade…
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Maybe if they put Patrick O'Ryan's on top of the spaceship? :)
We can only wish and pray that the new TD building ends up looking like the sketch above. Let's hope that TD incorporates lots of retail space into the ground floor of the new building. We don't need TD giving us another dead zone downtown like Scotiabank or the RBC did.
It looks like someone spliced a tape of The Jetsons into Back to the Future. Looks like they had to stick a facade somewhere, so might as well stick it on a contemporary glass building. That mixed-period look just doesn't set well; eclectic is great, but mixing two extreme periods gives the impression that the facade couldn't be better used in a more suitable format, so instead of losing it, just stick it in front of a new building. Recycling gone bad.
I'm all for preservation, but that concept just looks silly--and I'm being really charitable here. In Toronto, they have new construction among preserved WHOLE buildings, not just facades. Nice try...
Keep in mind Steve the facade has been in storage since 1999... What do we do with it?
I think resuing the TD Facade, on the new TD building is a win-win.
If anyone thinks that we'll get anything different than a glass box you're crazy... I like the idea, keep in mind this is only a quick sketch. The guy that drew it, isn't on the project, he was just using it as an example of how it could be reused. As Shawn pointed out above it happens all the time in Toronto. I would rather have only the facade to look at than nothing at all...
Making an un-educated guess, I would imagine the reason behind constructing a glass box is to make it both modern looking and (more importantly) cheap. It would be nice if the bank used all those huge profits they have been making up until recently (and they may be, still) to build something that would stand another hundred years. In that way, using the old facade would be easier. But I am not holding my breath. So, having a choice between a design that uses the facade, or one that does not, I would be happier with one that does use it.
It shocks me that nobody at TD wants to use a piece of their own history in the construction of a new building.
as mentioned already, i only hope that there is some retail storefront added so as not to make it a dead zone like what has happened with the other banks. I'd be all for the use of the old facade though.
Something that not many people have mentioned as they praise this new construction downtown though...they are shutting down 2 existing TD Banks in the downtown core. So really, this helps downtown how?
I want it all - and I want it NOW!
Mixing the old with the blatantly new would actually be preferable. I don't know if you've ever seen an old building that the owner put an addition on but tried to match the building materials and architectural style, but unless you spend a veritable fortune it normally comes out looking like ass (to use Andrew's term) The juxtaposition between old and new plays out very well in this sketch.
I hear ya, David II. It seems that very few people are interested in the past. It's old? Throw it away!
Andrew - do you know how much the city is shelling out per year to store the facade?
Chris - I'm not sure. But it's stored at a city owned building, so the cost in reality is likely minimal, although I'm sure there is a bloated cost on paper somewhere...
As for retail, don't hold your breath. From what I understand this will be a single tennat use. TD is not interested in sharing with anyone. Ground floor will be a bank, that's it.
Adriano, as far as I know only the bank at the corner of Ouellette and Wyandotte will become vacant. Where's the second one?
Andrew : University at Victoria? (the other branch)
i think you're right there john.
i don't know about that glass hat. do we know if it's only supposed to take up the itty bitty corner like in the drawing? if so, why tear down patrick o'ryan's?
i thought this was supposed to be a 4 story building, why only use 1 floor?
i don't know if that idea will even fly in this city. it's not like you can put stucco on glass in 5 years.