Hines and Tridel recently announced the fourth and final phase of their waterfront residential partnership on Bayside Toronto. Following an international design competition, Danish firm 3XN Architects was selected as the Design Architect for the condo development, to be named Aqualuna. 3XN also designed the master planned community’s third phase, Aquabella.
The proposed L-shaped lakeside condominium is set to stand 14 storeys, featuring cascading terraces and 227 light-filled residential suites that will range from 821 to 4,622 square feet in size. According to Kim Herforth Nielsen, 3XN founder and principal, the design uses a deliberate architectural form to maximize the views to the water from each suite. Toronto-based Kirkor Architects will serve as the project’s Architect of Record.
Toronto’s II by IV Design will create the interior design at Aqualuna, while Janet Rosenberg & Studio will design the landscape architecture. These teams will work to enhance 3XN’s design choice to place the condominium’s amenities within the building’s ‘valley’, creating an interactive space where the indoors and outdoors connect.
Aqualuna’s podium will have a double-height façade facing the Water’s Edge Promenade, with a through-block pedestrian connection as an extension of Edgewater Drive. Public access to retail, restaurants and cafes may be located on the ground floor in an effort to animate sidewalks and the Water’s Edge Promenade adjacent to the development.
“As the pre-eminent development site in the Greater Toronto Area, and arguably the most prestigious and significant piece of Toronto’s waterfront revitalization efforts, the architectural vision for the site and its impact on the development’s urban planning was paramount,” said Avi Tesciuba, Senior Managing Director and Country Head of Hines Canada, in a press release.
“With an unparalleled location, iconic architecture, luxury designs, and a commitment to sustainable and environmentally-sensitive development, Bayside Toronto has become Toronto’s most sought after residential community. The launch of Aqualuna will only serve to solidify that singular reputation for excellence,” added Jim Ritchie, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Tridel.
Following an extensive competition process, Hines was selected as the developer of Bayside by Waterfront Toronto in 2010, in conjunction with Tridel as its exclusive residential partner. Together, they have accelerated the delivery of the residential components of this mixed-use master planned community of more than two million square feet of commercial, retail, cultural and residential development. Collectively, the four residential towers in the Bayside Toronto development boast 988 condominium homes.
At an event to announce 3XN Architects as the designer of Aqualuna and to release project renderings, a ceremony also marked the official start of construction on Aquabella.
