Block 24E / KPMB Architects
Block 24E combines residential building forms of different heights with street-related retail bases to activate the southern portion of Spadina Avenue, one of Toronto’s most important north-south arterials. It anchors the CityPlace development as it transitions from east to west and forms a gateway on Spadina to create a more inviting pedestrian experience. Beyond activating the precinct, its formal silhouette will make a significant statement in support of the Mayor’s and the City of Toronto’s agenda to create a City Beautiful.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Area: 662,734 sqf
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Tom Arban
Maple Leaf Square / KPMB Architects
Maple Leaf Square will create a bold and energetic 24 hour sports, entertainment and residential precinct in downtown Toronto. Situated between the Toronto Financial District to the north and Harbourfront to the south, and anchored by the adjacent Air Canada Centre, the new complex will consolidate this precinct into a vital sports and entertainment district in the city.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Area: 1,135,431 sqf
Project Year: 2011
Photographs: Tom Arban
Boustrophedon Garden / PLANT Architect
boustrophedon: Alternating right to left and left to right –
the pattern of oxen tilling the land, or of an ancient form of writing.
The 6.1m x 21.3m Boustrophedon Garden was one of eleven “Ephemeral Gardens” made for Québec City’s year-long 400th anniversary festival in 2008, and were on show from June 16 to September 30, 2008. Gardens were intended to reflect the major festival themes including the indigenous region and its peoples, and the French settlement of Québec. PLANT Architect’s response was to draw ideas from Québec’s regional long-lot system – fundamental to creating the distinctive thin-striped pattern of agricultural development in the province – and Samuel de Champlain’s (the great explorer, and founder of Québec City) rigorous agricultural experimentation and recordings done to ensure the survival of the future colonizers of New France in the 17th century.
Architect: PLANT Architect
Location: Québec City, Canada
Structural: Blackwell Bowick Engineering
Project Team: Lisa Rapoport, Mary Tremain, Chris Pommer, Jane Hutton, Elise Shelley, Jessica Craig
Photographs: Mary Tremain, Jessica Craig/PLANT Architect
The Printing Factory Lofts / Montgomery Sisam Architects
Architects: Chandler Graham / Montgomery Sisam Architects, joint venture architects inc.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Developer/Client: Beaverbrook Homes
Structural Engineer: Blackwell Bowick Engineering
Mechanical and Electrical Engineers: Novatrend Engineering Group Ltd.
Project area: 21,470 sqm
Project year: 2010
Photographs: Tom Arban
Panel Discussion with Chris Pommer, Michael Awad and Samantha Sanella
Chris Pommer will be speaking on a panel with Michael Awad and Samantha Sanella this weekend. The discussion will center on building downtown culture, in the context of the Revitalization of Viljo Revell’s archetypal City Hall and Square. Join the discussion – and check out the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition – NOON ON SUNDAY, 10 July 2011, in the City Hall Rotunda. (The Podium Roof Garden is in full bloom, too, so bring your lunch and enjoy the sun up there.)
Check out more News at:
5/6 House / Atelier rzlbd
Architects: Atelier rzlbd – Reza Aliabadi
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project team: Reza Aliabadi, Lailee Soleimani, Mehrdad Tavakolian
Project area: 4,000 sq. ft.
Project year: 2010 – 2011
Photographs: borXu Design
YUL-MTL: Moving Landscapes International Ideas Competition
The Chair in Landscape and Environmental Design at University of Montreal (CPEUM) is pleased to officially launch an international ideas competition in urban design YUL-MTL : Moving Landscapes. The international ideas competition aims to reinvent the landscapes that highlight Montreal’s international gateway corridor linking Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to its downtown area (MTL) along Autoroute 20.
The International Ideas Competition is anonymous, free and open to all planning and design professionals. It is held as a single-stage. A total of $100,000 CAN will be awarded to and shared between 3 laureates.
More information and a link to the competition can be found after the jump.
NPS Podium Roof Garden / PLANT Architect & Perkins+Will Canada
The Podium Roof Garden is the first transformation in the competition-winning scheme “Agora Theatre” – the Nathan Phillips Square Revitalization. This 3-acre upper-level component of Viljo Revell’s 1965 iconic and visionary City Hall and multi-level public square in Toronto was originally conceived as a ceremonial public space, reached via a giant sculptural ramp. The space was never successful at attracting the public – it was a grim, empty, three acres of concrete that has been closed for well over a decade. The Podium Roof Garden re-conceives this upper level as a public park integrated with the elevated walkway system, and while respecting the complex’s heritage status, reopening it to the public as a truly engaging 21st Century space.
Architect: PLANT Architect & Perkins+Will Canada
Location: Toronto, Canada
General Contractor: Flynn Canada / Gardens in the Sky
Structural: Blackwell Bowick Engineering
Mechanical/Electrical: Crossey Engineering Ltd.
Project Team: PLANT – Chris Pommer, Lisa Rapoport, Mary Tremain, Elise Shelley, Vanessa Eickhoff, Lisa Moffitt, Jane Hutton, Heather Asquith, Lisa Dietrich, Suzanne Ernst, Jessica Craig, Jeremy McGregor, Matt Hartney; STIP – Andrew Frontini, D’Arcy Arthurs, Linda Neumayer, Perry Edwards, Gavin Guthrie; HSLA – Peter Schaudt, John Ridenour; ABUP – Adrian Blackwell, Marcin Kedzior; James Urban; Blanche Lemko van Ginkel.
Photographs: Steven Evans
Prince George Airport /mgb
mcfarlane | green | biggar Architecture + Design (mgb) was commissioned to design three phases of the Prince George Airport expansion and renovation. The project has contributed to a strong civic identity for the Prince George community as the gateway into northern British Columbia. The project highlights mgb’s interest in revitalizing existing spaces and structures in a highly sustainable manner. The first phase addressed new security measures required by the changes to airline travel after September 11th, 2001. New requirements by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority [CATSA] resulted in a national program to upgrade Canadian airports with new equipment and, at times, new space. The second phase addressed new demand for international travel to and from the region. The second phase incorporates international arrivals, domestic baggage claim and offices for the Canadian Border Services Administration.
Architect: mcfarlane | green | biggar Architecture + Design Inc (mgb)
Location: Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Project Team: Steve McFarlane, MAIBC AAA MRAIC LEED® AP (Lead Design); Michael Green, MAIBC AIA RAIC (Lead Design); Michelle Biggar, BBE Int. Design (Lead Interiors); Vicki Brown, Hozumi Nakai
Project Year: 2005
Photographs: Courtesy of mgb
Shaft House / Atelier rzlbd
Architects: Atelier rzlbd / Reza Aliabadi
Location: Toronto, Canada
Design Team: Reza Aliabadi & Ali Malekzadeh
Project Manager: Ali Malekzadeh
Project Area: 1,400 sq ft
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: borXu Design
Creemore Farm / PLANT Architect
The Creemore Farm is a frugal renovation and 85 sqm extension to a turn of the century farmhouse north of Toronto, overlooking rolling hills and expansive views. The addition reorients the whole house toward the view, presenting tall panoramic corner windows in the sitting area at the ground floor, and the master bedroom at the second floor, both framing the vista to the Southeast.
Architect: PLANT Architect
Location: Toronto, Canada
Project Team: Chris Pommer, Lisa Rapoport, Heather Asquith, Judy Sanz-Solé, Jane Hutton, Jessica Craig, Matthew Hartney
Engineer: Blackwell Bowick Engineering
Contractor/Cabinets: Porter Skelton & Associates Ltd., Clearview Woodworking
Project Area: 85 sqm
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Peter Legris Photography
Camp Arowhon Headquarters / PLANT Architect
Camp Arowhon is a family-run summer camp in Algonquin Park. The new 250 sqm two-story Toronto storefront is a new headquarters intended to create a visual presence in the community, facilitate administration, and create a place which fosters a post-camp alumni community. The owners wanted the building to feel like “a piece of Algonquin Park in the city” evoking the character of camp, while wanting to avoid the camp imagery overused by spas and clothing retailers. The character was established instead through the use and detailing of materials: using harvested raw and rough hewn wood from the camp, and detailing them with a more polished, but simple elegance found in camp buildings.
Architect: PLANT Architect
Location: Toronto, Canada
Project Team: Chris Pommer, Lisa Rapoport, Mary Tremain, Jane Hutton
Contractor: Integer Construction
Cabinetwork: Edwards and Wilson Cabinetmakers
Engineer: Blackwell Bowick Engineering
Planting & Irrigation: Oriole Landscaping
Signage: Arrow Graphics
Project Area: 250 sqm
Photographs: Peter Legris Photography
Update: Absolute Towers / MAD Architects
- © Jason Zytynsky
Designed by MAD Architects, the Absolute Towers located in Toronto, Canada are nearing completion, and we are sharing with you the latest under construction photographs byJason Zytynsky. Serving as a gateway to the city beyond, the towers’ facade contains a continuous balcony wrapping the entire building. In 2006 MAD Architects competed and won the international competition to design the towers.
More images after the break.
National Music Centre reveals design by Allied Works Architecture
Two years after holding an international architectural competition that saw world renowned designers face off in a public presentation, the National Music Centre revealed competition-winner Allied Works Architecture’s final design a couple of days ago. More images, a video and complete press release after the break.
Young Centre for the Performing Arts / KPMB Architects
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts (YCPA) is the result of a unique partnership between George Brown College and Soulpepper Theatre Company. Since opening in January 2006, the Young Centre has significantly anchored the Distillery District as a cultural destination. The project introduces a new paradigm that combines teaching and live performance in one facility.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects
Location: The Distillery District, Tank Houses 9 and 10, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Area: 44,000 sqf
Project Year: 2006
Photographs: Tom Arban
TIFF Bell Lightbox / KPMB Architects
The winning competition design for the Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower was conceived on an epic scale to create a city of cinema within the city that hosts one of the most important annual film festivals. It was also designed to reflect the heterogeneity and openness that characterizes Toronto. Located in the heart of the city’s media and entertainment district, the architecture of the Bell Lightbox at the corner of King and John Streets injects energy into the precinct.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Team: Bruce Kuwabara, Design partner; Shirley Blumberg, Partner-in-Charge; Luigi LaRocca, Senior Associate; Matthew Wilson, Project Architect; Matt Krivosudsky, Bruno Weber, Brent Wagler, Glenn MacMullin, Andrea Macaroun, Rita Kiriakis, Lilly Liakus, Carolyn Lee, David Poloway ,Tyler Sharp, Debra Fabricus, Claudio Venier, Thom Seto, Walter Gaudet, Krista Clark, Clementine Chang, Winston Chong, Carla Munoz, Elizabeth Paden, Bill Colaco, Nicko Elliot, Norm Li.
Architect of Record: Kirkor Architects & Planners
Project Area: 547,000 sqf
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Maris Mezulis, Tom Arban, Mehrdad Tavakkolian
The Royal Conservatory, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning / KPMB Architects
The new TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning is the final phase in the Master Plan to build a new home for Canada’s premier music and arts educator, the Royal Conservatory. KPMB, under the direction of Marianne McKenna, has been working with the RCM to realize the vision set forth in the 1991 award winning Master Plan.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects
Location: 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Area: 190,000 sqf
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Eduard Hueber, Tom Arban
Shops of Summerhill / AUDAXarchitecture
Architects: AUDAXarchitecture
Location: 1099 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Management: Den Bosch + Finchley
Landscape Architect: Du Toit Allsopp Hillier Architects Ltd.
Architects of Record: Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. Architects
Developer / Owner / Client: Woodcliffe Corporation
Project area: 2,500 sqm
Project year: 2011
Photographs: AUDAXarchitecture
180 Queen West / KPMB Architects with Stone McQuire Vogt Architects
One Eighty Queen West is a commercial property located on a site at the northwest edge of downtown Toronto’s financial district area and adjacent to the city’s “legal district” to the east (Osgoode Hall, the Ontario Courts Building, Old and New City Halls). The site also stands immediately adjacent to a historic legal monument: Campbell House, originally the home of William Campbell, first chief justice of Ontario and at the threshold to the Queen Street West retail strip and the residential neighbourhoods to the north. The land is part of the Canada Life lands. Along with an environmental agenda, the project design was driven in the first instance by its obligation to address this confluence of distinct urban conditions.
Architect: Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects with Stone McQuire Vogt Architects
Location: 180 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Area: 270,809 sqf
Project Year: 2007
Photographs: Tom Arban, Eduard Hueber
Linear House / Patkau Architects
Architects: Patkau Architects
Location: Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada
Lead Designers: John Patkau, Patricia Patkau, Peter Suter
Team: Greg Boothroyd, Christina Gray, Steffen Knab, Hiro Kurozumi, Renee Martin
Structural: Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
Contractor: Spratt Emanuel Engineering Ltd.
Project year: 2006 – 2009
Photographs: James Dow
Newmarket Operations Centre / RDH Architects
Municipal operations centers rarely attract attention from architects or the public, but the maintenance of our physical environment and infrastructure is critical to the well-being of any community. The design of the Newmarket Operations Centre aims to celebrate these services through the creation of a new local landmark while meeting complex technical requirements in a robust and economical structure. The project embodies a pragmatic rethinking of the municipal operations center and sets a new national standard for the design of this under-appreciated building type.
Architect: RDH Architects
Location: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Project Area: 6,100 sqm
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Tom Arban
