Spacing Contest

In an attempt to improve Toronto's public space, Spacing Magazine came up with the ThinkToronto urban design competition. My favourite ideas included the following:

* Giving eyes to the PATH - for those unfamiliar with the downtown financial centre of the city, the PATH is a large, convoluted underground mall that connects clothing stores, coffee shops and food courts with banks, law firms and other prestigious Bay Street offices. It's great in the winter but can be quite confusing for those who aren't regular PATH-takers. By placing convex reflective surfaces (known as oculi) above the PATH, pedestrians will have a better idea of where they are in the downtown core, as the PATH is extremely easy to get lost in. The oculi will also offer rays of sunshine to those suits & ties who don't get out much.

* 5 Minutes - this winning entry helps locals and tourists decide where to go within 5 minutes of getting off the subway. It proposes using red touchscreen signs at transit station exits, that tell users where they can find the nearest bakery, record store, park, museum, etc. I think that this concept should be connected to toronto.com's website OurFaves, which features the favourite local places of Torontonians, in order to make the system even friendlier.

* Facebook for the Subway - Springboard, is an online social network for subway riders, that would show the profiles of other passengers in your car who subscribe to the service. Their profiles would include a photo, which stop they get on & off at and their interests which can be matched up to yours, offering an easy method to chat up that cute guy you always see on your morning commute. I love this idea as it makes riding the subway more exciting and interactive.

Hotel Gansevoort in Toronto

I recently read that the uber trendy Hotel Gansevoort of New York (also with a location in South Beach) will be opening up in Toronto in 2011, most likely at the end of the summer in order to reap the benefits of TIFF.

The picture above is a projection of what the asymmetrical and LEED certified hotel & condo will look like in Toronto.

For those of you who don't follow celebrity gossip, Hotel Gansevoort is a sylish mecca for movie stars, famous DJ's, party girls and high rollers.

Naturally I assumed that the hotel would open in Toronto's trendy King West District which features many upscale dining and entertainment options, but few hotels. Aside from the Soho Metropolitan, the aging Travelodge is the only hotel I can think of in the area and it's truly an eyesore on the rapidly gentrified King & Portland 'hood. With Freed's new high end condo being constructed across the street, the Travelodge would've offered the perfect venue for Gansevoort goodness.

Instead, The Gansevoort will be opening in the John & Richmond Entertainment District which I found quite surprising. Although the notoriously touristy/905ish zone has slightly increased its cool factor with the addition of Circa, drawing hipsters over from Queen West to check out the latest Parisian DJ's, Toronto's Entertainment District is still one worth avoiding if you don't feel like getting your stilletos stuck in puke, or being bombarded with flyers for crappy clubs.

Perhaps The Gansevoort will revive the area with some much needed style? Or will it be transformed by its surroundings and develop a trashy image? Who knows? At least one thing's for sure; it will offer its guests close proximity to the best late night burritos and street meat in town!

Style in Progress

Check out these local graffiti artists getting down and dirty in the summertime heat, to make our city walls more decorative. Such was the scene during the annual Style in Progress event a few Sundays ago in the alleyways around Queen & Portland Streets in downtown Toronto.

Although many of the designs looked quite similar and tended to blend into one another, these two realistic images of men's faces caught my eye for their simplicity and lifelike nature.

Most passerby's don't recognize graffiti tags as they all seem to get lost in the business and commercialization of the downtown core. However, a calm face that appears to be watching you with wisdom is a great way to humanize the streets.