Dutch developers Kroonenberg Groep and ProWinko have appointed Swiss-based architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron and Quadrangle to design a mixed-use Toronto tower at Bay and Bloor Streets that would reach 87 storeys high, making it Canada’s tallest building.
“This is an iconic block in the neighbourhood and Toronto at large,” says Lesley Bamberger, owner of Kroonenberg Groep. “We have an opportunity to deliver a project that sets a new benchmark for design and strives to give something back to the city.”
Providing diversity is an important component of the building’s approach to sustainability and enhancing the vibrancy of the local community.
The first 16 floors will replace the existing retail, office and technical functions. A private amenities level will separate these functions from the condominium levels above, which are characterized by generous daylight through the floor-to-ceiling operable windows which provide natural ventilation. Additionally, external shutters allow each individual user to regulate the daylight and heat load into the apartment. A large restaurant, sky lounge and rentable spaces occupy the highest three floors of the building with panoramic views over the city.
At street level, residents enter a triple-height lobby from Bloor Street and take one of four dedicated lifts to their condo level. Residences will range from one bedroom, to multi-level penthouses, totalling 332 condominium units spread over 64 floors.
According to the design team, the proposal is a layered expression of the vertical structural elements, interior glazing (thermal envelope), exterior timber roller shades and an outer layer of transparent, open-jointed glass. The effect is a building which at times appears transparent and expressive—revealing the scale and activity within the building; and at other times, the reflective outer layer of glass gives the building an abstract quality, emphasizing its dramatic proportion.
The tower marks Herzog & de Meuron’s first design in Toronto, with Quadrangle serving as project architect and Urban Strategies rounding out the design team.
