urbandreamer
recession proof
Demo work on the interior is starting.
Toronto Imperial Plaza | 96.01m | 23s | Camrost-Felcorp | Onespace
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junctionist
Senior Member
It seems unclear what will happen to a lot of the one-of-a-kind interior details. Some elements, like the boardroom hardwood panels are being destroyed completely, and apparently there was an auction of various details. The interior details are arguably as important as the exterior (and not as dry and conservative). Yet once again, interior heritage architecture gets little attention.
rickmcginnis
New Member
I was able to get into the building this week to take some photos - you can see them here:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/03/a_last_look_at_the_imperial_oil_building_pre-condos/
And yeah, the interior will be pretty much entirely gutted, as far as I can tell. I'm hoping the elevator foyer on the executive floor, with its gold mosaic tile, wall clock and domed ceiling, will be retained, though. The views, to be frank, will be fantastic.
http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/03/a_last_look_at_the_imperial_oil_building_pre-condos/
And yeah, the interior will be pretty much entirely gutted, as far as I can tell. I'm hoping the elevator foyer on the executive floor, with its gold mosaic tile, wall clock and domed ceiling, will be retained, though. The views, to be frank, will be fantastic.
B
barit
Guest
Thank you very much for the photos. I have always wanted to see some interior shots.
Time for a tour.
Arriving outside.
photo by Craig White
The lobby. The intention is to split this area in three, with retail on one side and a restaurant on the other side of a central residential lobby.
photo by Craig White
This area is dominated by late artist York Wilson's diptych, 'The Story of Oil'. This pair of 32' by 21' murals are the largest of their kind in the country, and are considered a masterpiece of 20th century Canadian art. Futurist/cubist in style, one mural depicts the origins of oil, while the other depicts its uses. The murals will be protected and remain as centrepieces of the future restaurant and shop.
photo by Craig White
photo by Craig White
The model shows that architects Rod Rowbotham of Onespace Unlimited, David Pontarini of Hariri Pontarini, and Michael McClelland of E.R.A are leaving the exterior much as it is now, maintaining the 1958-opened building's international style without embellishments.
photo by Craig White
The eighth floor of the building has been a mechanical floor until now, and currently features a translucent glass block grid. With small modern HVAC systems being installed, this floor will be converted to house two-storey lofts, which will have appropriate windows replace the glass block.
photo by Craig White
photo by Craig White
Balconies will be created on the south side on some upper floors by creating new window walls in from the building's walls.
photo by Craig White
image courtesy of Camrost Felcorp
Imperial Oil left this building in 2005 when they decamped to Calgary. We'll ride the elevators up and get a look at what is going on now.
photo by Craig White
A number of offices on the 20th floor still have some fittings. All walls will be coming down, and materials salvaged where possible. The wood panelling on the second shot below will surely end up in someone's home.
photo by Edward Skira
photo by Edward Skira
On other floors, the demolition is all but finished.
photo by Edward Skira
photo by Craig White
We will return to Imperial Plaza twice in the coming weeks, to give you an idea of the views in all directions that can be seen from this central location, and on May 11th we'll return for a look at a new release of 7-figure 3-storey townhomes on the building's roof.
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Arriving outside.
photo by Craig White
The lobby. The intention is to split this area in three, with retail on one side and a restaurant on the other side of a central residential lobby.
photo by Craig White
This area is dominated by late artist York Wilson's diptych, 'The Story of Oil'. This pair of 32' by 21' murals are the largest of their kind in the country, and are considered a masterpiece of 20th century Canadian art. Futurist/cubist in style, one mural depicts the origins of oil, while the other depicts its uses. The murals will be protected and remain as centrepieces of the future restaurant and shop.
photo by Craig White
photo by Craig White
The model shows that architects Rod Rowbotham of Onespace Unlimited, David Pontarini of Hariri Pontarini, and Michael McClelland of E.R.A are leaving the exterior much as it is now, maintaining the 1958-opened building's international style without embellishments.
photo by Craig White
The eighth floor of the building has been a mechanical floor until now, and currently features a translucent glass block grid. With small modern HVAC systems being installed, this floor will be converted to house two-storey lofts, which will have appropriate windows replace the glass block.
photo by Craig White
photo by Craig White
Balconies will be created on the south side on some upper floors by creating new window walls in from the building's walls.
photo by Craig White
image courtesy of Camrost Felcorp
Imperial Oil left this building in 2005 when they decamped to Calgary. We'll ride the elevators up and get a look at what is going on now.
photo by Craig White
A number of offices on the 20th floor still have some fittings. All walls will be coming down, and materials salvaged where possible. The wood panelling on the second shot below will surely end up in someone's home.
photo by Edward Skira
photo by Edward Skira
On other floors, the demolition is all but finished.
photo by Edward Skira
photo by Craig White
We will return to Imperial Plaza twice in the coming weeks, to give you an idea of the views in all directions that can be seen from this central location, and on May 11th we'll return for a look at a new release of 7-figure 3-storey townhomes on the building's roof.
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taal
Senior Member
I'm curios - what sort of sound proofing is done in such projects ... are office buildings well sound proofed anyway to start (well clearly its a big open space) - so I guess it would be the same as what they always do. What about between the floors ?
The concrete floors here are quite thick - this building was seriously overbuilt - I doubt anyone will hear anything from the floor above.
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Time for some views from Imperial Plaza.
It was a rainy day when we were up there recently (well, when hasn't it been rainy lately?), but with Imperial Plaza's mid-city location on St. Clair, and not far from the Lake Iroquois shoreline escarpment, (you know, the hill on Avenue Road), Imperial Plaza's views are going to be pretty fascinating in any weather. Let's take a spin around, starting with the obvious one, the south view!
South of Imperial Plaza is the very stable - and rich - Deer Park and Summerhill neighbourhoods. These views will never disappear.
Here we close in on a local landmark, and a very skinny new neighbour.
Turn a bit to the right, and Casa Loma comes into view to the southwest. With a zoom lens, the Humber Bay Shores area looms on the distant horizon.
Two views west along St. Clair Avenue. The first includes Camrost Felcorp's recent project The Avenue, while the second makes the leap past it and its neighbours to Sir Winston Churchill Park area views.
Turn again to the right and we get a look over the apartments and condominiums of Avenue Road to the south of Upper Canada College. Built between the 50s and the 80s, Avenue Road's buildings here are an interesting survey of modernist and brutalist residential architecture in Toronto. A couple more towers should be joining this strip in the 10s.
Between the Lonsdale twin towers, we see Upper Canada College's famous clock tower.
To the right again, more Deer Park, and Yonge & Eglinton on the horizon.
This close-up on Yonge & Eglinton just happens to feature UrbanToronto world headquarters, a.k.a Canada Square, the two shorter black towers at centre.
Another turn to the right, and we have Yonge & St. Clair, and beyond, in view.
Another turn and we are facing southeast, looking over St. Michael's Cemetery, with Summerhill and more, beyond it.
A final turn and we have completed our 360° sweep around Imperial Plaza.
Here's a similar summertime view from that vantage point.
It was a rainy day when we were up there recently (well, when hasn't it been rainy lately?), but with Imperial Plaza's mid-city location on St. Clair, and not far from the Lake Iroquois shoreline escarpment, (you know, the hill on Avenue Road), Imperial Plaza's views are going to be pretty fascinating in any weather. Let's take a spin around, starting with the obvious one, the south view!
South of Imperial Plaza is the very stable - and rich - Deer Park and Summerhill neighbourhoods. These views will never disappear.
Here we close in on a local landmark, and a very skinny new neighbour.
Turn a bit to the right, and Casa Loma comes into view to the southwest. With a zoom lens, the Humber Bay Shores area looms on the distant horizon.
Two views west along St. Clair Avenue. The first includes Camrost Felcorp's recent project The Avenue, while the second makes the leap past it and its neighbours to Sir Winston Churchill Park area views.
Turn again to the right and we get a look over the apartments and condominiums of Avenue Road to the south of Upper Canada College. Built between the 50s and the 80s, Avenue Road's buildings here are an interesting survey of modernist and brutalist residential architecture in Toronto. A couple more towers should be joining this strip in the 10s.
Between the Lonsdale twin towers, we see Upper Canada College's famous clock tower.
To the right again, more Deer Park, and Yonge & Eglinton on the horizon.
This close-up on Yonge & Eglinton just happens to feature UrbanToronto world headquarters, a.k.a Canada Square, the two shorter black towers at centre.
Another turn to the right, and we have Yonge & St. Clair, and beyond, in view.
Another turn and we are facing southeast, looking over St. Michael's Cemetery, with Summerhill and more, beyond it.
A final turn and we have completed our 360° sweep around Imperial Plaza.
Here's a similar summertime view from that vantage point.
jcam
Active Member
Unfortunately some of those views will be blocked by the buildings going up on either side. I looked into the planning apps for the two other towers. The one that shares the site will actually sit partially in front of the Imperial (and may be the same developer). The other will rise from the old Deer Park church.
The two adjacent planning applications can be seen here:
111 St. Clair W: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-36450.pdf
129 St. Clair W: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-36451.pdf
Hope the initial sales blocks of Imperial knew that two taller buildings would be hemming in their southern views.
The two adjacent planning applications can be seen here:
111 St. Clair W: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-36450.pdf
129 St. Clair W: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-36451.pdf
Hope the initial sales blocks of Imperial knew that two taller buildings would be hemming in their southern views.
Solaris
Senior Member
you are very much correct jcam .... there will be quite some view blockage for (the original) Imperial Plaza building once Camrost puts up Phase 2 together with the proposed tower on the west side ....
chances are most purchasers in Imperial Plaza don't know of these 'future buildings', I specifically asked this question to sales staff @ Imperial Plaza when I last visited, they refused to give any information and told me to 'go check with the City, I can't tell you anything'
For reference, I've crudely put together the site plans to show how the 3 towers will sit in relationship with each other:
chances are most purchasers in Imperial Plaza don't know of these 'future buildings', I specifically asked this question to sales staff @ Imperial Plaza when I last visited, they refused to give any information and told me to 'go check with the City, I can't tell you anything'
For reference, I've crudely put together the site plans to show how the 3 towers will sit in relationship with each other:
Front page article on our latest visit to this building: http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2011/06/toronto-shines-and-around-camrost-felcorps-imperial-plaza
vegeta_skyline
Senior Member
Still work to be done;
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
A story from today's Star re: St. Michael's Cemetery, south of Imperial Plaza
http://www.thestar.com/news/article...-cemetery-has-to-be-closed-to-the-public?bn=1
http://www.thestar.com/news/article...-cemetery-has-to-be-closed-to-the-public?bn=1
What a crazy coincidence.
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2011/10/photo-day-view-camrost-felcorps-imperial-plaza-reveals-surprise
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2011/10/photo-day-view-camrost-felcorps-imperial-plaza-reveals-surprise
AlbertC
Superstar
February 8, 2012.
