Graduate House - Univ. of Toronto

[jsoto3]

Have any of you ever seen this building, designed by Morphosis? I'm curious to know what you guys think of it and how this sort of design might fly (or not) here in Dallas. I love it! I was skeptical of the design until I saw it in person, but ever since I have been sold. I think that something like it would be an awesome addition to downtown Dallas, perhaps as consolidated student housing for the various uni's/colleges downtown (present and future).

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=25192&papass=&sort=1

http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=26909

http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/gradhouse/walk.through/index2.html

[gc]

jsoto,
honestly, i think it is a great looking structure. however, it would have to be showcased properly to be a success in Dallas.

how long would it take for people to consider it an eyesore? the reason i like it is the same reason others would call it out of place!

are you and the firm considering a design like this here?

[aceplace]

Garrett,

It is unusual, and would stick out like a sore thumb even in places like San Francisco. Oddly, Phoenix has buildings that look like that... their public library is what I'm thinking about.

DallastoPhoenix, do you agree? disagree?

But... if you travel along some of the back streets between Fitzhugh and Knox, east of the Katy Trail, you'll see residential architecture on the restored apt buildings that has a somewhat industrial look, albeit not as radical as this.

There was a Japanese architect I checked out in a San Francisco show, some years ago, that was much more unusual than this... his stuff definitely looked like a sci-fi movie...

Perhaps we need a separate district for buildings like this... to add to our collection of architecturally-styled districts. One buiding like this in a neighborhood of "urban Paris" apartment blocks would definitely shatter the mood... but a neighborhood of buildings like this would create its own atmosphere.

[Kelley USA]

It looks very bland and boring to me... If this was in DTD the city would be trying to bring it down to make way for a small park!

[evdallas]

I think its a great building. Dallas however will rarely get anything like this because people here want historical "style", not architectural innovation.

[hamiltonpl]

The few windows and the huge gaudy sign that says "UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO" make this building unattractive to me. What is innovative about this building?

[Kelley USA]

It's nothing but a big box... What if this same building was on the campus of Texas Tech in Lubbock or at A&M in College Station- would you still think it's great?

[aceplace]

It's a real question as to how that building will age. Maybe 20 years from now, people will laugh at it.

For a building that ages well, I really like Northpark Mall, at Northwest and US 75. It's one of the oldest shopping malls in the city, but still looks beautiful, classic, unique. Every other mall from that era now looks like garbage.

[jsoto3]

Ace,

I think you are exactly right about the issue of time. While I like this building now, I suspect it won't age well (aesthetically, not physically) and will probably be considered an architectural blunder, even by the majority of the architectural profession, just as most Modernist Urbanism is now. In response to Ace's statement regarding a possible location (district) of this style of architecture (which can be applied to a variety of building types), I have reconsidered and now think that the Stemmon's Indutrial District / Design District would be an interesting and probably more appropriate place to develop a district of this unique architecture.

In response to Hamilton's comments:
While the building appears to have few/small windows, I assure you that the interior receives abundant light. What you can't see in this photo is the courtyard inside. The courtyard facing walls are extensively glazed. The charcoal colored material with fins is actually precast concrete panels with integral color. Believe it or not, those fins are actually deep enough to entirely shade the windows in the summer. The south facade is completely covered by a layer of corrugated, perforated aluminum panels (partially seen on the right side of the photo) which also shade the windows. Regarding the 'gaudy sign,' it is undoubtedly a dramatic landmark that signals entry into the campus, it is one of the main gateways. Overall, I think the building currently fits relatively well (given contemporary aesthetic predilictions) in the eclectic and somewhat gritty neighborhood/campus, comprised of every conceivable architectural style from Victorian to Brutalist.

However, as a few of you have aptly pointed out, I agree that this building will face difficulty enduring the test of time.

BTW, most people in Toronto hate this building. I guess it is just (mostly) the younger generation of architects that care for this building (for now atleast).

Garrett,
RTKL currently has no project in the works here that would be even remotely similar to this. The closest would be the Cityplace West condo tower (Mondrian/Waverly?, we just refer to it as Cityplace within the office).

[tamtagon]

Didnt most people in Sydney hate the Opera House (to the extent that the architect refuses to visit), which is now the city's most memorable landmark?

[dallasag00]

That looks like a prison.