BDP Quadrangle has revealed the design of a 54-storey, mixed-use tower in downtown Toronto, Canada. The project will replace an existing 10-storey office tower built in the 1960s. The new tower will contain office and residential units, with amenities and outdoor terraces on the 11th floor and at the ground floor. The building is planned to accommodate a total of 278 apartments with penthouses on the 52nd and 53rd floors. The project is currently in the pre-construction phase.
The tower occupies a corner plot in Toronto’s financial district, right next to a historical 19th-century building. Marked by many historical buildings from the 19th century, Toronto street has become known as one of “the finest streets in Toronto,” in the words of architectural historian Eric Arthur. According to the architects at BDP Quadrangle, the new intervention was carefully considered so as not to harm the nearby structures or to overcharge the already busy street. The entrance of the building is also recessed from the street to extend the sidewalk and create an accent.
The size of the plot also influenced the design. When designing high-rise buildings, a common choice is to have a “belt” around the building, which tightens as the building goes up. The wider base creates more stability while also reducing the impact of the image of the building from street level. It also offers the possibility of having terraces and outdoor spaces at the upper levels.
Given the limited size of the plot, further shrinking the upper storeys was considered impractical. As a result, de designers decided to go with a relatively smaller belt at an upper level. This provides spaces for amenities and terraces without sacrificing a lot of usable space. The architects noted how they were able to maintain the “unapologetic nature of the building” while still adhering to design guidelines.
What 15 Toronto lacks in width it more than makes up for in height. Standing at 54 storeys upon completion, it will have no trouble standing out amongst its peers in the city’s financial district. - BDP Quadrangle’s architect, Emily Li
BDP Quadrangle is an architecture, design, and urbanism practice based in Toronto, Canada, and it represents the Canadian branch of the UK-based office BDP. Recently they have completed the University of Birmingham Teaching and Learning Building in the UK, and the Bata Shoe Factory in Quinte West, Canada.
