TORONTO TYPE

There’s something surreal about approaching a gigantic letter U. It’s a Sesame Street moment.

This letter stands near the sales centre for a new condo development called U Condominiums. The name seems to be a reference to the proximity to U of T, but it’s also a seductive call-out—”you”—to a potential buyer.

The reflective surface of this letter got me thinking about the self-regarding aspect of condo-buying, the desire to craft an ideal image of your life through your home. Stand in the right spot and you’ll see yourself mirrored, though with a bit of a funhouse effect.

Move to another spot and you’ll see the entrance to St. Basil’s Church reflected. So there’s a tension between two types of building, secular and sacred. A place that’s all about “U” and another, where you are asked to step beyond yourself.

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