The Gaslight District | completed

[Acitta]

How far along has this project become? It has to surely be nearing completion by now as it started back in 2020 and the sales of the place started even before that. I bet it looks awful because the podium was looking atrocious back in mid 2021 unfortunately.

This forum seems to lack members from Cambridge to keep us up to date on projects down there.

[bravado]

How far along has this project become? It has to surely be nearing completion by now as it started back in 2020 and the sales of the place started even before that. I bet it looks awful because the podium was looking atrocious back in mid 2021 unfortunately.

It's on my bike commute and I can certainly say the podium is still miserable, grey, and stalinist-esque. I'll try and get some photos tomorrow perhaps.

[Bjays93]

How far along has this project become? It has to surely be nearing completion by now as it started back in 2020 and the sales of the place started even before that. I bet it looks awful because the podium was looking atrocious back in mid 2021 unfortunately.

This forum seems to lack members from Cambridge to keep us up to date on projects down there.

Not exactly true. I drive by multiple times a week. It's just not really worth photographing. I can totally step up my Cambridge photography game. There's a bunch of U/C projects that don't even have threads here lol. 

Anyway, yes both towers are topped out, the crane has been down on the first tower for many months and the exterior is fully complete, while the second tower is working on the mechanical penthouse last I saw.

[bravado]

I can’t tell if I’m colourblind or the whole world is greyscale…

[Bytor]

I can’t tell if I’m colourblind or the whole world is greyscale…

I know, those old stone buildings are so dull, boring and Stalinesque, amirite? What didn't they ever use nice brick fascias or intersting designs? Just that same old boring stuff which undoubtedly leads to mental health issues in urban dwellers. </sarcasm>

[bravado]

I can’t tell if I’m colourblind or the whole world is greyscale…

I know, those old stone buildings are so dull, boring and Stalinesque, amirite? What didn't they ever use nice brick fascias or intersting designs? Just that same old boring stuff which undoubtedly leads to mental health issues in urban dwellers. </sarcasm>

In all seriousness, the towers look quite "average" from the hill on St. Andrews coming into town, but if/when the Cambridge Mill hotel is built they're going to look properly amateur in comparison. Maybe even that other condo on Ainslie that's been radio silent for months...

[plam]

I know, those old stone buildings are so dull, boring and Stalinesque, amirite? What didn't they ever use nice brick fascias or intersting designs? Just that same old boring stuff which undoubtedly leads to mental health issues in urban dwellers. </sarcasm>

In all seriousness, the towers look quite "average" from the hill on St. Andrews coming into town, but if/when the Cambridge Mill hotel is built they're going to look properly amateur in comparison. Maybe even that other condo on Ainslie that's been radio silent for months...

Try telling a New Zealander "quite average" and they'll interpret it as "pretty bad". Maybe that's what you actually mean.

[neonjoe]

This podium vs DTK podium, who wins?

[westwardloo]

This podium vs DTK podium, who wins?

Somehow DTK wins this battle. At least DTK is not trying to be a historic district, it also has some windows. This project is such a shame as it could have been a truly unique area of our region. A scaled down version of the distillery district. 

I just don't understand the logic behind this. I get that it is cheap as fuck to build, but why not just have the garage open to the elements with unique metal or wood work covering it. I guess this would require them to actually spend a little money on a designer instead of asking stubbe's Precast what they think would look good. 

The towers themselves are horrendous. I think the biggest issue is the rectangular floor plate though. If they had done 3 or 4 square towers with the same grey, white and beige concrete panels it might have looked a little better.

[cherrypark]

This podium vs DTK podium, who wins?

DTK decisively but that is no credit to DTK being good. At least that one has some windows to break it up, street level engagement (spandrel and all), and the texture on the pre-cast is at least something a bit more interesting when you are close by.

[cherrypark]

I just don't understand the logic behind this. I get that it is cheap as fuck to build, but why not just have the garage open to the elements with unique metal or wood work covering it. I guess this would require them to actually spend a little money on a designer instead of asking stubbe's Precast what they think would look good. 

Not sure about Cambridge but if I recall, its not permitted by city standards to have new garages open to the elements like that. This is partly why the DTK one looks like it does as they were forced to change the design/materials selection. This was stated the architects in discussions around 30 Francis; not clear if it was that direct a correlation in the choices.

[Acitta]

I was also down there yesterday and took some pictures. 
I took a couple of the view from the rear. 
                   

[ac3r]

This podium vs DTK podium, who wins?

Duke Tower could easily win an Aga Khan Award for Architecture if it was running against this disaster.

[Bjays93]

I couldn't care less how the towers looked if the podium was nice too, but instead they've built this blight, and given cannon fodder to ever NIMBY in downtown Galt. 

There are very few cities in Canada with historical cores like Galt. Intensification is necessary but the number one priority should be preserving the existing fabric of the core, which this does none of, on a historical site no less.

[westwardloo]

I couldn't care less how the towers looked if the podium was nice too, but instead they've built this blight, and given cannon fodder to ever NIMBY in downtown Galt. 

There are very few cities in Canada with historical cores like Galt. Intensification is necessary but the number one priority should be preserving the existing fabric of the core, which this does none of, on a historical site no less.

I agree these towers will be used by NIMBY's across the region and I don't blame them. Developers/ architects should be blacklisted for 5 years from building in the region for contributing something like this to our built form. I feel bad for the residence of Galt. final much needed development was starting to take place and this was a good jumping off point. Mend the old with the new, but it was a huge swing and miss.