Festival Centre
DOWNTOWN TORONTO

http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/8254/rendering06uj4.jpg


http://www.belllightbox.ca/images/rendering01.jpg

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http://www.belllightbox.ca/images/rendering07.jpg


The Bell Festival Centre is an integrated development consisting of two major components. A 4-6 storey podium called, "Lightbox" will be the new home for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and will include theatres, exhibition space, a reference library and archives, and office space for the festival. A residential tower of approximately 38 storeys in height will arise from the podium.

Location: King Street West & John Street, Toronto
Developer: Daniels Capital Corp & Toronto International Film Festival
Architect: Kirkor Architects & KPMB
Designation: Condominium, Entertainment
Status: Under construction
Expected Occupancy: Unknown
Height: 165m (541 ft)
Floors: 4 + 38 = 42 above ground, 6 below ground
Website: http://www.belllightbox.ca/ | http://festivaltower.com/

* * * * * * * *

Construction Updates:


Location before construction:
http://www.belllightbox.ca/images/location03.jpg http://www.belllightbox.ca/images/location01.jpg‎

Sept 28, 2007 (sunman)
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd93/sunman77/IMG_0058.jpg

Nice to see alot of these Toronto projects being moved to the U/C section.

A wonderful addition to this vibrant neighbourhood!!

^Looks great! Good for Toronto!!

When will it be completed?

The centre is slated for completion by 2009, the tower in 2010.

Sandblasted glass and a limestone base, this will make the Holiday Inn look even more cheap.

^^ Would be interesting if they use glazing glass instead.. sandblasted glass is only good for interiors :)

The much ridiculed 'wedding cake' design of the adjacent Holiday Inn never gets a reprieve! Those poor Holiday Inn people. Perhaps, they'll become so embarrassed that they are forced to demolish?

Nice to see T.O. flooding the highrise section with all the new construction.

The tower is more conservative than I would have liked (especially as a home for the medium it represents). However, the base is a winner for sure.

Nice update from current yesterday.

The second crane is being installed. Photo was taken yesterday.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2060720455_98104d6562_b.jpg

I really like the main facade of the Lightbox.

I'm curious to see some more renderings of the top.



EDIT: I saw another one on the official site.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/Sbz2ifc/FestivalCentre.jpg

Nice!

cool! :)

great, another beautiful tower for Toronto :cheers:

February 27

Looking west from the corner of King and John, construction is reaching ground level at the east side of the site.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2298808692_d5c7136128_b.jpg

Looking north from King and John.
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February 25 from Widmer St looking southeast with RBC visible on the left.
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Looking east.
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Aerial View: Feb 27, 2008

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source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonmckenzie/2298333556/sizes/l/

Update from Francely57 @ SSP (the snow is now gone)

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_5772.jpg

I have a feeling this one is going to take a while till they get passed the Bell Lightbox, and start on the tower that will rise from it. Will this be ready to host next year's Toronto Film Festival or will it be the following year?

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll56/architecture709/IMG_9028.jpg

thats a good aerial shot

toronto needs more spice

atleast when you look at this picture ...

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_5772.jpg

This city certainly is getting a shot in the arm in the glitz department. The ROM Crystal, the Art Gallery of Ontario expansion, the Four Seasons, Maple Leaf Square, the Gardiner Museum, the Harry Rosen expansion, waterfront development, Metropolis-Dundas Square, 1 Bloor East, Trump, Shangri-La, the Ritz, the L Tower, the new film studios, the new opera house, and this place. Not bad all in the span of 3 years.

Then there's all the other development.

The design its too simple, i don't like it.

I love the podium! The tower is meh assuming the finishes will be typical Daniels small fries.

The design its too simple, i don't like it.

Well then beat it!

Is he/she supposed to lie? When people compliment, it's not worth anything if you know you've simply censored out all the opposition. It's hollow and meaningless to surround yourself with people that only say 'yes' or 'I like', because it ends up being one big lie.

Criticism is welcome. Censorship is not. Communism? Remember that?

Criticism is welcome. Censorship is not. Communism? Remember that?

What does communism have to do with censorship? Communism is an economic system. It has nothing to do with civil liberties or political systems.

Communism isn't a political system? Now I've heard everything. Freedom of speech and the fight against censorship is one of the corner stones of a free democratic society. It's authoritarian regimes such as fascist Germany and communist Russia where control over what people say was stunted.

In democracies where liberty is treasured and vigorously defended, you never try to shut someone up, even if you disagree with them. It never ceases to amaze me how many people in democratic nations don't understand this very basic thing. To do so, is an insult to the free democratic society we enjoy. Fascists and communists attempt censorship, democratic people, do not.

Unbelievable. I hope your name 'Hoosier' doesn't imply that you are a citizen of Indiana in the USA. If you are, you should know better.

now above grade, and starting to make an impact....pics by CGM at UT...

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Wow, this will have an "in your face" presence with very little setback from the sidewalk, which is really great for pedestrian street interaction.

I do hope that the final sidewalks will be wide and nicely done to accomodate the mobs and gawkers during Film Festival time, or they'll be spilling onto the streets.

Wow. Last few updates have been approaching ground level. It's now above ground and quite imposing indeed.

Dec 4, 2008
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source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27628744@N07/3093617381

work continues on the massive podium for this project, which has been officially named Bell Lightbox....the theaters in the podium will play a part in the Toronto International Film Festival each year, and the film festival headquarters will also be there (I think)...all pics posted by ProjectEnd at urbantoronto.ca....

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_FSXF6jLhP8U/SdV6FddjAsI/AAAAAAAAATo/taG71RaWrEg/Some%20Updates%20009.jpg

some precast being installed on one end..

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_FSXF6jLhP8U/SdV56i3iVAI/AAAAAAAAATQ/hd3bnYB_ilk/s640/Some%20Updates%20002.jpg

and the first glass....

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_FSXF6jLhP8U/SdV5-gnw04I/AAAAAAAAATY/vdZgCCZ520Y/s640/Some%20Updates%20003.jpg

Is incredible how muchs projects theres in Toronto.

Everythings nices!

Yeah, Toronto is riding a huge wave of growth. Even with the Credit Crisis, practically all towers are still going up and more are in the works.

Is incredible how muchs projects theres in Toronto.

Everythings nices!

Well Toronto can't let Chicago and New York hog all the limelight now can they? Best skyline in America? Not there yet, but they're trying damn hard to challenge for it one day.
:soon:

Update from this weekend.

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/7536/img7337.jpg

"Lightbox" continues to grow....pic by grey at urbantoronto.ca...

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/9366/img52041.jpg

here's a pic of the podium, posted by sammo over at SSC...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/3526333739_e57c80fe56_b.jpg

and another showing the length of the podium...pic by Mollywood at SSC...

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/torontovibe/SPORTSGUYS-June4-09299.jpg

posted by smuncky in urbantoronto.ca
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Glass cladding looks pretty much like the renders. Happy about that.

pic by Caltrane74 at urbantoronto.ca....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3698475191_fd20c22287_b.jpg

Posted in the Toronto Forum. Good progress. I think the glass looks great.




http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2444/3772949093_977717dbb9_b.jpg

http://www.belllightbox.ca/images/rendering01.jpg

cool building...very modern.

http://davidfisher.biz/photo/2009/aug/2009_08_14/IMG_aug-14-09-0178.jpg

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Courtesy of drum118 at urbantoronto

By Torontovibe on UT

This monster just keeps getting bigger. I thought the podium part was topped out but I was wrong. This new part on top looks interesting.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/torontovibe/CHINATOWNFESTIVALAug23-09001.jpg

Thanks for all the work!!!

^^My pleasure. More to come...

Is it condos?

It is a mixture of condos, and the new home of the Toronto International Film Festival. The podium will be a mix of meeting rooms, cinemas, etc....

looks good but i will see that for myself very soon! :)

:bow::cheers1:Dazzling! Love the design, now we talk about architecture. I thought the next door neighbour was the Holiday Inn hotel, but that is obviously Hyatt Regency which makes it more interesting from now on to stay at having such a beautiful tall neighbour around the corner!

How tall will the light box be? how many storeys?

I alsmost forgot to THANK Elkhanan1 for posting the pix. THANK YOU :cheers1::righton:

me too Patrick ... can't wait to see it myself! I started the count down today.

(hmmm, which reminds me of Pink's latest song called Funhouse!) :dance:

How tall will the light box be? how many storeys?


The Light Box will be about 8 or 9 floors with fairly high ceilings. The Festival Tower above it will rise to give the total complex 42 floors. I believe the Light Box portion is as high as it's going to be now.

Thank you Isaido

(tallest building in my city is 13 storeys!) :-(

Which city are you in?

so let's spice it up!

Toronto looks like a SimCity game from CN Tower these days! all these construction sights. Lovely to look at them, imagine how it will look like in a few months.

it isn't a town/city, it is a small European village, nearby Royal palaces and lots of farmland/forests. One may not build anything taller than Church's tower.

By Caltrane74 on UT

And just incase you forgot what the outside of the building looks like.
this is for you..

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/5070/sany1150.jpg

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1459/sany1151.jpg

Wow. Loving the glass on this project. Great location too. This is going to be great for the area.

I miss some tree's/park, something lush and green in that area.

I miss some tree's/park, something lush and green in that area.

Nearby there is Glenn Gould place and another little park by Roy Thomson Hall.

but no firs, I 'd like to see some douglas firs in a city of skyscrapers!

Upper left corner
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2506/3929552443_4a0d20b637_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alanhyland/3929552443/

By drum118 on UT.

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caltrane74, SSP

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100119044.jpg

Jasonzed, Toronto Subforum

INCREDIBLE PODIUM!! SO DENSE

The city needs to demolish the food supplies store. Frankly, it looks like it would be found in a 3rd world country. It's time to put in a supertall in that location.

http://davidfisher.biz/photo/2009/sept/2009_09_20/IMG_sept-20-09-0172.jpg

The food store looks really small. I mean the plot looks small or is that only half of the plot? In that case a new project would be possible for that location. And indeed Toronto could use a supertall. I was just thinking of that. All those highrises and skyscrapers. The only sort of supertall is the CN Tower. Toronto needs a landmark :)

Toronto needs a landmark :)

Are you kidding us? show a picture of CN Tower to anybody and most people can tell that it is located in Canada!

CN Tower is the symbol of Canada more than the first nations, cute seals & beavers, maple leaf, hocky, etc. And those who know more, can also tell that that is located in Toronto.

I can't think of adding a second landmark to a city that already has ONE.

Vancouver needs a landmark or maybe Calgary. ( Quebec has already Chateau Frontenac that represents the whole region)

A landmark, talking about a real skyscraper. That concrete cn tower might be a landmark for you guys but I think it needs definitely a 300/400m+ tower.

A landmark, talking about a real skyscraper. That concrete cn tower might be a landmark for you guys but I think it needs definitely a 300/400m+ tower.

Well, maybe you are right. Something like " John Hancock" or " Sears Tower" will be fun.

Toronto could certainly do with a world famous skyscraper. The CN Tower was built 35 years ago. It's about time we built another spectacular addition to our city. The idea that a city should stop at one landmark is bizarre. That's just a recipe for stagnation and eventual decline.

By wyliepoon on UT

Jan 22

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From the Toronto forum

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By wyliepoon on UT

April 15 (Thursday)

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By Yoshimura on UT

Ritz, Boutique, Lightbox

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4529226133_df541c92fe_o.jpg

From the Toronto forum

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100417a148.jpg

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77ip6HdY9pY

by me

Wow topped out or almost topped out?

Taken by me

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/339/img0020at.jpg

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Skybean! I love ariel shots of Toronto like the first picture! Good job! I also havent realized how massive this podium was,stretching along a whole 4/10 of a block.

From last month by Skybean in the Toronto section.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3720/img0021ea.jpg

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7369/img0022ks.jpg


From last month by urbandreamer in the Toronto section. Festival Tower's on the left.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7719/dsc09689w.jpg

Also U/C: Ritz, M5V, 18 York (possibly)

Soon to come into this view: Pinnacle on Adelaide, another tower across the street, Cinema Condos, 8 Mercer, two towers at King/Blue Jays Way, Bisha, 300 Front, Charlie, 33 Bay/Success II, Ice I & II, Parade II, and a whole bunch of others whose names/addresses I can't recall.


From last month by nicetommy on urbantoronto.ca

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4744823320_d8092621da_b.jpg


By crimsondesigns in the Toronto section.

Removing the crane.

RAogX8KaL60[/QUOTE]

Update/ T/O

By caltrane74 on UT.

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By CML, UT

By AMB on UT

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By Jasonzed

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