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Amidst the excitement of construction cranes and rising skylines in our rapidly developing city, it can be easy to overlook the recent—and ongoing—changes to many of Toronto's older towers. With the last decade seeing an unprecedented glut of high-rise development, it seems apt to think of Toronto as a new city of glass and steel, as new buildings come to dominate our skyline, and our attention. Yet, despite the sleek glass and steel facades that have become emblematic of our city, Toronto still has well over 1,000 high-rise buildings (with almost 2,000 across the GTA) dating from the immediate post-war period to the 1980s. With many of these buildings now in need of extensive renovations, many of the lower-income properties currently overseen by the Tower Renewal Project), we are beginning to see significant changes to Toronto's older high-rises.
One of Toronto's most prominent high-rise renovation projects is taking place at Coal Harbour Properties' Maple Leaf Quay on Queens Quay West (located at 350 and 390), where previously beige—and increasingly drab—towers are starting to show a fresh new face to passersby on Queens Quay West and the city beyond. With shades of gray punctuated by new windows marked by contrasting black mullions and red accents, the buildings are beginning to find a more assertive identity on the waterfront. Maple Leaf Quay will gradually transform as more paint is applied and as more windows are converted.
Quadrangle Architects have overseen the extensive renewal project, which—alongside a striking cosmetic overhaul—has included substantial interior and exterior overhauls. According to Quadrangle's Marco VanderMaas (Senior Associate) and Ken Brooks (Senior Architect), the architects "elected to go with an aggressive colour scheme to distinguish the building from the surrounding towers and give it its own identity on a Toronto Waterfront that continues to evolve." The red accents, meanwhile, "create a warm and inviting feel for the renovated facades."
VanderMaas and Brooks explain that the 5-year project will see all units renovated, with revised layouts and contemporary amenities, including new, energy-efficient windows, and a complete HVAC replacement. The previous electric heating system has been replaced by more efficient P-tac units, while the exterior is seeing the installation of new high-performance glazing throughout the two towers, with the goal of "ultimately modernizing the buildings in an environmentally sensitive way."
Extensive interior reconfiguration will also see 15 additional suites added on the third, fourth, and fifth floors, replacing previously underutilized storage rooms. The lobbies will also receive contemporary finishes and new furnishings, along with amenities like the media and billiards rooms. A new conference room is also set to be added on the second floor of one of the buildings, while further underutilized space is set to make way for a second fitness facility.
The residential towers were built during the early phase of the Harbourfront master plan, in line with the building codes of the time, but falling outside of current standards. According to VanderMaas and Brooks, "challenges occur when trying to determine a reasonable course of action to satisfy the Ontario Building Code requirements today, given the code requirements that were in place when the building was constructed." In particular "establishing the extent of the new sprinkler system" posed a particular challenge to the architects, given the age of the previous system and the changes in the building code.
We will keep you updated as this extensive renewal project continues over the coming years. Though many of Toronto's older buildings do not garner the excitement of their more contemporary counterparts, Quadrangle's work on Maple Leaf Quay shows us that older buildings have the potential for an aesthetically striking and contemporary second life.
