EastWest by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: TRV006000
Publisher: Coach House Books
Published: 1998-01-15T16:00:00+00:00

EJR

By pushing the floor slab edge and the outer column line beyond the tower’s facade, the eye is refocused on the structural patterns and away from the enclosing walls, which are then free to accommodate the contingencies and impurities of human occupation. The squinting eye can almost recapture the giddy energy of the early 1920s when people were declaring that “new living demanded new forms.”

190 St George is an elegant solution to the continuous-balcony apartment type. The bold, white slab edges and exposed structure stand out crisply against the simple steel handrails and mostly glass enclosure wall – but I understand the apartments are difficult to furnish or hang pictures in because they’re mostly glass-walled. The prow of the east and west balconies add a suitably minimalist-expressionist touch.

The building is one of the earliest condominium developments in the city, which may account for its better level of finish and well-kept appearance (condominium corporations having to take care of their investment by law).

It is also a reminder of a time when a new development strategy could link itself with the notion of progressive architecture – and still be considered marketable. 190 St George shows up the more recent Georgian-style condo-hulks being erected in the name of “preserving resale value.”

[Also notable is the pair of continuous-balcony gems at 10 Avoca Avenue, southeast of Yonge and St Clair (1971, Seligman and Dick Architects).]

Ian Panabaker

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