Tag Archives: high-rise

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20150115. Under the stars and beyond the tracks stand the West Lodge Towers.

20150115. Under the stars and beyond the tracks stand Parkdale'sLocated in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, these curved 1965 modernist buildings are also known as the Bnai Fishel Towers. They were opened by then Premier John Robarts. Although initially quite luxurious, they fell into decline quickly. Recently the balconies were replaced – perhaps additional renovations were completed to help lessen the infamy of the complex.
I could not resist posting this image despite its low quality – I lived here for a short while when five years old!

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20140822. Modernist high-rise demolition cross-section in Regent Park, Toronto.

20140822_1945-2We should applaud the revitilization in Regent Park but should also appreciate the design of these modernist towers before all five are gone.

They were very unique. John Bentley Mays did a good job describing these apartments: “Every one of the five high-rises is a stack of 97 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, each disposed, like a small townhouse, on two floors. By eliminating corridors on every second floor — the elevator skips the floors without hallways — Dickinson was able to open out the common area in each apartment to the width of the whole slab. The results: a sense of spaciousness, light coming from two directions, good cross-ventilation and views of Lake Ontario for almost every resident of the towers.”