The perception of Toronto's Liberty Village has changed over the years, from a warehousing and factory district, to a sandblasted brick office area, to a neighbourhood that's home to thousands of young professionals and trendy eateries and shops. Now with the recent opening of the 60 Atlantic Avenue revitalization project by Hullmark, the emphasis may be swinging back to cool workspaces. At 60 Atlantic, Hullmark worked with Quadrangle Architects to adapt an existing 1898-built warehouse into a modern 40,000 square-foot-plus commercial property.

60 Atlantic Avenue, image by Ben Rahn / A Frame Studio

Embracing urban activist Jane Jacobs famous adage, "new ideas need old buildings", Hullmark and Quadrangle's re-envisioning of 60 Atlantic saw it restored and enlarged with a glass and corten steel-clad addition, while digging a sunken courtyard on the north side of the building for new restaurant patio space and a light-filled basement. In total, 60 Atlantic has added 27,500 square feet of office space and 12,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space to Liberty Village. 

Courtyard, 60 Atlantic Avenue, image by Ben Rahn / A Frame Studio

Following on the success of 60 Atlantic, Hullmark is now moving forward with plans to replace a surface parking lot to the immediate north with a second Quadrangle-designed building at 80 Atlantic Avenue. The site plan application to the City of Toronto's Planning Department from August seeks a five-storey, 85,100 square foot commercial building with two levels of below-grade parking.

Rendering of 80 Atlantic Avenue, image courtesy of Hullmark

As a bold architectural statement, 80 Atlantic is proposed to be the first timber-framed commercial building constructed in the city this generation, passing over more conventional mediums such as reinforced concrete and structural steel in favour of a heavy, cross-laminated timber and glulam system that will add remarkable character to the spaces within.

Rendering of 80 Atlantic Avenue, image courtesy of Hullmark

The building's unique design aims to create a dialogue with the historic industrial architecture of the surrounding Liberty Village area. The three distinct window sizes of 80 Atlantic's eastern facade have been designed to match the size and shape of three nearby buildings; 67 Mowat Avenue, 155 Liberty Street, and 99 Atlantic Avenue.

Diagram of window layout for 80 Atlantic Avenue's east facade, image courtesy of Quadrangle Architects

80 Atlantic will shelter the adjacent sunken courtyard from north winds while connecting to L-shaped 60 Atlantic's west arm. The courtyard is reserved for use as the signature patio area for Big Rock Brewery’s new concept restaurant and bar, promising real vibrancy for the outdoor space which promises to be a social hub for those working and living in Liberty Village. A patio overlooking the courtyard area is also in the plans to further animate the space.

Rendering of courtyard and patio space at 80 Atlantic Avenue, image courtesy of Hullmark

In total, 80 Atlantic will add 7,719 square feet of retail space and 79,758 square feet of office space to the Liberty Village area. The development is currently aiming for completion in the Spring of 2018.

Rendering of 80 Atlantic Avenue, image courtesy of Hullmark

We will be sure to keep an eye out for additional information as details about this unique commercial development continue to emerge.

In the meantime, additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase files for the projects, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.