Remember that $500 million, 7,000-seat waterfront venue Toronto was supposed to get? Well, its designers may find themselves back at the drawing board soon, after the city's review panel shut down its space-age silhouette for being too futuristic.
According to Daily Hive, the Toronto Design Review Panel met with OverActive Media — a design firm partially owned by Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. the Weeknd — to go over their plans for the Lakeshore Blvd. e-sports venue.
"I think the scale is wrong," panellist Heather Rolleston said in the meeting. Fellow review member Joe Lobko also had less-than-favourable comments for the current design, calling for "a little less Deep Space Nine and a little more Toronto."
"Will this stand the test of time? I'm not so sure about that," co-chair Gordon Stafford said of the proposal. "You can get all the dynamic that you are so clearly trying to put into the function of this building and give it a different set of clothes."
While the panellists were excited about the possibility of a cutting-edge new venue for the city, they voted unanimously against the design in its current form. That feedback will be sent to City of Toronto staff, who will present the case to council committees.
As previously reported, the so-far-unnamed venue, which was slated to be completed in 2025, will host events "driven primarily by premium music and entertainment bookings," with a focus on hosting e-sport tournaments.
Take a look at the rejected design — rendered by architectural firm Populous back in February — below.
According to Daily Hive, the Toronto Design Review Panel met with OverActive Media — a design firm partially owned by Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. the Weeknd — to go over their plans for the Lakeshore Blvd. e-sports venue.
"I think the scale is wrong," panellist Heather Rolleston said in the meeting. Fellow review member Joe Lobko also had less-than-favourable comments for the current design, calling for "a little less Deep Space Nine and a little more Toronto."
"Will this stand the test of time? I'm not so sure about that," co-chair Gordon Stafford said of the proposal. "You can get all the dynamic that you are so clearly trying to put into the function of this building and give it a different set of clothes."
While the panellists were excited about the possibility of a cutting-edge new venue for the city, they voted unanimously against the design in its current form. That feedback will be sent to City of Toronto staff, who will present the case to council committees.
As previously reported, the so-far-unnamed venue, which was slated to be completed in 2025, will host events "driven primarily by premium music and entertainment bookings," with a focus on hosting e-sport tournaments.
Take a look at the rejected design — rendered by architectural firm Populous back in February — below.
