TORONTO | Projects & Construction

[Minsk]

North Toronto Collegiate Institute Redevelopment

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com...pload_id=19849

[lezgotolondon]

Toronto seems a good city to invest in residential in the future.

[Minsk]

A retail mall is constructed below a busy century old railway station in Toronto

Union Station is Toronto's primary multi-modal transportation hub accommodating commuter rail operations for GO Transit and intercity rail operations for VIA Rail. The station currently handles over 42 million passengers annually and this flow is likely to double over the next 10 to 20 years.

The head house was built by 1919 and the station became operational in the late 1920s after the viaduct structure was completed.

The project undertaken by NORR is the largest intervention in the station's history and has the objectives of improving and expanding the facilities; providing significant heritage restoration to a designated Canadian National Historic site and expanding the commercial retail occupancy. The City of Toronto ‘Dig Down' major component of the project entails building a retail mall below the entire viaduct structure and parts of the head house. To achieve that an ambitious project involving support of the track slab while the station continues to operate, excavation, replacement of existing foundations, extension of columns down to rock and building an intermediate concourse level was planned and is underway.

The new project will conserve and extend the life of the building for many more decades, by retrofitting the old, strengthening the overall structure and responding to the new functions of a modern day train station with an adjoining retail mall.

worldarchitecturenews

[Minsk]

KPMB completes new centrepiece for expanding Toronto township

The City of Vaughan, originally a rural township located at the northern edge of Toronto, is transitioning from a rural past to an urban future. Since 1981, the town has witnessed unprecedented growth, rapidly replacing farmland with housing and ‘big box' retail. Vaughan City Hall is Phase 1 of a proposed three-phase civic centre campus design that includes a public resource library, civic square, reflecting pool / skating rink, gardens and parkland.

The site comprises 24 acres on the site of the original City Hall designed in the 1970s. It is bounded on the north and west by multi-lane highways. On the east it is bordered by interregional railway tracks and on the south it backs onto a residential subdivision.

A design competition was held to reimagine what a suburban city centre could be. Rather than one large building, the winning scheme creates a civic campus of low-rise structures configured to shape a series of outdoor public spaces and parklands. These include the newly completed City Hall which houses the Council Chamber and civic administrative offices and future buildings for the Chamber of Commerce, a Public Library and an office building.

The City Hall comprises three buildings, each organised around a linear atrium to maximise natural light and through-ventilation. Materials include terra cotta, copper and glass. The overall composition is laid out to a series of east-west bands that recall the region's agricultural heritage, specifically the linear pattern of land cultivation and the concession grid.

The order is inspired by the clarity of Ontario town planning where City Hall, Civic Square, Market and Cenotaph define an identifiable civic precinct. It also draws on the European square where architecture is used to define spaces for meeting, demonstration and celebration.

This building is a tangible expression of the City's commitment to environmental stewardship and a benchmark for sustainable development in a suburban community, recognising that civic pride is an essential attractor for growth and development.

The 280,000-sq-ft project is expected to be one of the largest civic buildings in Canada to achieve LEED Gold. The original requirement for 900 surface parking spaces was replaced with underground parking to maximise surface land for green space. Connecting stairs within the atrium reduce elevator use. The building is expected to realise a savings of 25% in operational costs annually compared to the operating costs of a conventional building of the same size.

Source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com

[Minsk]

Sherbourne Common Pavilion / Teeple Architects

Architects: Teeple Architects
Location: Sherbourne Common, Toronto Waterfront, Ontario, Canada
Completion Date: April 2011
Gross square Footage: 227 sqm
Principal in Charge: Stephen Teeple (OAA, Fraic)
Project Manager: Christopher Radigan
Design Team: Bernard Jin, Mark Baechler, Allan Wes Wilson
Photographer: Shai Gil

Source: www.archdaily.com

[Taller, Better]

I love that new park, and posted photos of it recently in my photoblog!

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

a new downtown waterfront park that combines rainwater treatment with recreational
facilities:

from my photoblog:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...34362&page=176

[Minsk]

Taller, Better, thanks for the photos

[HenrikLar]

It's obviously that water plays an important role in your culture

[isaidso]

I assumed it played an important role everywhere. That said, Canada does have the longest coast line in the world in addition to a vast network of lakes, rivers, and water sheds. Who doesn't like water?

[ThatOneGuy]

The low rise projects are superb, but the tall ones look like literally every other building on Earth. Boxes, but not really boxes. They should build either simpler, or more unique designs.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by ThatOneGuy

The low rise projects are superb, but the tall ones look like literally every other building on Earth. Boxes, but not really boxes. They should build either simpler, or more unique designs.

I have the benefit of seeing Toronto's buildings every day. There are some very good tall buildings in the city. IM Pei's Commerce Court, Mies van der Rohe's TD Centre, Scotia Plaza, Royal Bank Plaza, and Libeskind's L Tower spring to mind. There's nothing common about any of them.

That said, I think you'll be more impressed by the current crop of proposals for Toronto. Designs are getting far more daring, creative, and sophisticated than most of what was built 2000-2011.

[isaidso]

I usually don't post renderings, but this one by 'Innsertnamehere' is exceptional. You truly get a sense of what's to come.

Blue: under construction
Red: proposals
Yellow: in sales


Courtesy of Innsertnamehere

[filcan]

Amazing!

[Dmerdude]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I usually don't post renderings, but this one by 'Innsertnamehere' is exceptional. You truly get a sense of what's to come.

Blue: under construction
Red: proposals
Yellow: in sales


Courtesy of Innsertnamehere

So good! We need more stuff on eastern waterfront tho.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I have the benefit of seeing Toronto's buildings every day. There are some very good tall buildings in the city. IM Pei's Commerce Court, Mies van der Rohe's TD Centre, Scotia Plaza, Royal Bank Plaza, and Libeskind's L Tower spring to mind. There's nothing common about any of them.

That said, I think you'll be more impressed by the current crop of proposals for Toronto. Designs are getting far more daring, creative, and sophisticated than most of what was built 2000-2011.

I meant the typical green glass condos. The ones you listed are amazing. Their simplicity makes them special.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by ThatOneGuy

I meant the typical green glass condos. The ones you listed are amazing. Their simplicity makes them special.

I hate those cookie cutter glass condos as well. Thankfully, we seem to be seeing the tail end of that design trend. The new crop of condos seem to incorporate less glass, a greater mix of materials, more creativity, and look more sophisticated.

Not a moment too soon, imo.

[lezgotolondon]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I usually don't post renderings, but this one by 'Innsertnamehere' is exceptional. You truly get a sense of what's to come.

Blue: under construction
Red: proposals
Yellow: in sales


Courtesy of Innsertnamehere

Toronto has some top notch project and is going to become a densier city!
In the future will be 3° or 4° metropolis in NA by importance! (it depends on how mexico city will do)

[isaidso]

Mexico City certainly is the dark horse.

[isaidso]

One Yonge Street 5 tower mega proposal: 98 floors, 92 floors, 70 floors, 70 floors, and 38 floors.

[HenrikLar]

Originally Posted by isaidso

One Yonge Street 5 tower mega proposal: 98 floors, 92 floors, 70 floors, 70 floors, and a shorter tower.

Great! I've never seen an architectural complex in Toronto like this...