Organic, whimsical, a monster or a flying saucer — the new Steeles West subway station design makes a statement.

What that statement says probably depends on who’s looking or listening.

The entrance will sit north of the York University campus on the dividing line between Toronto and York Region. It has been designed by British “starchitect” Will Alsop, best known in Toronto for the futuristic Ontario College of Art on stilts.

The station, on the Spadina subway extension, will open in 2015 and is expected to be used by 3,810 commuters in the peak morning rush by 2031, according to the TTC.

The distinct façade will be made of Corten steel, which has a copper component that weathers to a rusty patina.

“It develops this rich oxidized surface,” said Celia Johnstone, lead designer with the Spadina Group Associates that includes Alsop and Stevens Group Architects in Toronto.

The bits of steel protruding from the façade are called shadow-casters.

“It adds dimension to the façade instead of being flat,” she explained.

Johnstone used the word “tough” to describe the design, which is meant to be monolithic and suggest permanence. It’s a departure from “the kind of slick high-tech design we’re all used to,” she said.

The landscaping will be white and grey concrete with low maintenance, rust-coloured plants that blend with the sculptural building, said Johnstone.

The station incorporates 12 bus bays for the TTC and five York Region bus bays, as well as two cool roofs and a green roof. There will be a commuter parking lot with 1,850 spaces on the nearby hydro corridor.

Thumbs up:

“In being distinctive, it suggests infrastructure need not be mundane,” said David Lieberman of the U of T Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.

“Its exuberance, its colour is a great leap forward,” he said, adding that the bus shelter could be “spectacular.”

Corten steel has a sculptural quality that “can be quite remarkable,” he said.

“It’s interesting and artsy,” said TTC rider Valerie Wong, 22. “It’s a good point of reference to meet people.” says Wong, who rides the subway daily for her commute from uptown to downtown.

“It’s classier than most subway stations, “It looks a little more welcoming than some of the other suburban stations such as Kipling or Islington. I think it would be nice to have something different looking than most,” said Andrew Evans, 23.

Thumbs down:

“The super graphic I’m not so sure about. It’s something Will Alsop has used very effectively in a number of projects,” U of T’s David Lieberman said of the bold signage above the entrance. But, “I find that a little cartoonish and throwaway.”

“It just seems unnecessary for a subway station. I would have done something more minimalist. Why is it so tall? And why is there a big sign at the top?” said, 22-year-old Kristen Burns, who studies advertising at Ontario College of Art and Design.

Ali Akbar, a 37-year-old from Etobicoke who rides the TTC every day, thought the towering entrance seemed old fashioned. “It’s almost like a castle.”

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And urban planner Aimee Powell, a 27-year-old Torontonian, also wasn’t sold.

“I’m not familiar with the area, but it seems like a — ah — very bold statement for what appears to be a very natural environment,” she said looking at the rendering drawing. “I’m not a big fan to be honest.”

With files from Patty Winsa and Robyn Doolittle