Tower Renewal Wins Toronto Urban Design Award
On Monday September 21st, the Mayor’s Tower Renewal Opportunities Book was awarded the Toronto Urban Design Award of Excellence in the Vision and Masterplan category. For more information, view the Fact Sheet and Jury Report, or visit the City’s Website. Congratulations go to the full Tower Renewal team, including ERA Architects, The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, the City of Toronto, and countless local and international partners. [ Leave A Comment ] Posted by Graeme Stewart on September 29, 2009 | Permalink | No Comments » A Vision of Tower Renewal
The Greater Toronto Area contains a heritage of nearly 1000 post-war concrete residential tower blocks located throughout the region. The presence of this remarkable collection of modern housing represents an architectural, planning and construction legacy unique to North America. (For more on the history, visit here). This inheritance of high density neighbourhoods provide significant opportunities to create a sustainable, prosperous and connected region, able to meet the challenges of the 21st Century; accommodate growth, alleviate poverty and help grow the green economy. [ Leave A Comment ] Posted by Graeme Stewart on August 13, 2009 | Permalink | No Comments » Gallery - Public Space & CommerceFor well over a decade, Europe’s extensive heritage of tower block communities have experienced extensive renewal and neighbourhood reinvestment. A key aspect of this has been to provide tower neighbourhoods with the diversity and activity of a vibrant neighbourhood found in the city centre. Two key strategies in this regard have been the introduction of commerce as well as public space into areas previously conceived of as primarily residential. The following photo collection, taken in 2006, documents a series of tower blocks throughout Western, Central and Eastern Europe, in various stages of renewal, achieved through both grass rootes initiative and large scale master planning. For picture information and larger view, click fullscreen mode. [ Leave A Comment ] Posted by Graeme Stewart on August 4, 2009 | Permalink | No Comments » Gallery - Aging ModernThe Concrete Tower in the Park is the perhaps the most definitive housing innovation of the 20th Century. Built in abundance in response to the housing shortages following the war, it has found a unique position in the housing stock of jurisdictions throughout the world. Approaching their 40th, or in some cases 50th birthday, these utopic structures have begun to show their age. The following photo collection, taken in 2006, documents a series of tower blocks throughout Western, Central and Eastern Europe, in various stages of repair. [ Leave A Comment ] Posted by Graeme Stewart on June 26, 2009 | Permalink | No Comments » Urban Agriculture and Tower Renewal
This past spring, the Design Exchange hosted Carrot City; an exhibition examining the potentials of achieving future food security, sustainable food networks and engaged communities through urban agriculture. Tower Renewal participated in this project, contributing research related to the potential for urban agriculture within Toronto’s post-war tower block communities. The following is a review of the exhibition by Canadian Architect: [ Leave A Comment ] Posted by Graeme Stewart on June 15, 2009 | Permalink | No Comments » Concrete Toronto - Concrete Boston
This past May and June, Pinkcomma gallery in Boston hosted an exhibition on Concrete Toronto Published in 2007, Concrete Toronto catalogued Toronto’s remarkable heritage of concrete builidngs built throughout the region in the booming 1960s and 70s’ - including it’s unique stock of tower blocks. With a wealth of spectatular Concerete buildings in Boston, Pinkcomma and over,under architects are currently in the process of editing their own concrete compendium: Concrete Boston. Follow these links for more information on the exhibition, Pinkcomma gallery and Over,Under Architects. [ Leave A Comment ] Posted by Graeme Stewart on May 26, 2009 | Permalink | No Comments » Jane’s Walk - Towers on the Ravine
Day: May 3rd A NOW Magazine article on the walk can be found here.
Perhaps the two physical features that distinguish Toronto are it’s extensive ravine system flowing throughout the city, and it’s heritage of nearly 1000 high-rise ‘tower in the park’ apartments found throughout the region. On Kipling Avenue, north of Finch, these two features merge, creating one of Toronto’s most unique neighbourhoods. [ Leave A Comment ] Posted by Graeme Stewart on April 23, 2009 | Permalink | 1 Comment » |
         May 5th 2008 - Tower Renewal Project, Festival of Architecture and Design May 6th 2008 - Maytree Foundation Urban Leadership Conference May 14th 2008 - Harbourfront Centre, Reading Series, Concrete Toronto May 25th 2008- Concrete Music, The Music Gallery May 27th 2008 - Toronto the Good, The Fermenting Cellar May 29th 2008 - St. Lawrence Centre Forum, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts July 3rd 2008 - Fringe Benefits at the Design Exchange |
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