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With the Toronto International Film Festival approaching in September, excitement is quickly building at the corner of King and John Streets. The newly completed Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower will become a hotbed of activity for all things TIFF.
Developed by The Daniels Corporation in partnership with the King and John Festival Corporation and designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB) with Kirkor Architects and Planners, the tower now sits on the former site of famous filmmaker Ivan Reitman’s family car wash. Residents of the 42-storey building not only enjoy the convenient downtown location, but are also spoiled with a series of extraordinary TIFF-related amenities that can only be found at the Festival Tower.
The idea behind the tower is to create a red carpet experience for occupants every time they return home, capturing the connection between the condominium and the Lightbox.
The star-treatment begins right at the entrance which is graced with a smartly-dressed doorman who guards the striking red doors, again designed to evoke that red carpet luxury.
The 24-hour concierge sits in the middle of the lobby which features Italian-designed seating, polished walnut and granite flooring.
The contemporary look of the entrance is accented by Fantasm, a colourful and beautiful backlit piece of art by Peter Powning. The moving images light up the room intensely and immediately draw attention.
The Festival Tower lobby has direct indoor access to all of the Lightbox's amenities including the cinemas, gallery, shop, restaurants and bar which sit on the corner of King and John, a new cultural centre for Torontonians and a growing destination for celebrities.
The interconnectivity with the Film Festival is evident when approaching the tower elevators, where a screen is set into the wall highlighting all upcoming events in the building.
The top-notch amenities, coined as the 'Tower Club', continue on the 10th floor where an executive concierge is available at one’s disposal to schedule restaurant bookings, movie screenings, housekeeping, and general needs. Residents also enjoy several perks including a three-year membership to the Bell Lightbox, allowing early access to TIFF tickets and preferred pricing.
Only a handful of units are currently unoccupied, but given the excellent location and distinct amenities they are expected to sell rapidly.
The tour of amenities will continue tomorrow where the focus will be on leisure time and relaxation, including a very handy 55-seat theatre only accessible to condominium dwellers.
To view additional images, have a look through UrbanToronto's dataBase listing for Festival Tower, linked below, which contains links to the official website for further information. To join in on the discussion in the forums, the threads for the project are also linked below.
Give us your opinion on the amenities by leaving a comment underneath. Be sure to join us tomorrow for the second part of the tour.
| Related Companies: | Isotherm Engineering Ltd., Jablonsky, Ast and Partners, KIRKOR Architects and Planners, NAK Design Strategies, The Daniels Corporation, The Fence People |
