Scheduled to open in 2018 as part of the Daniels Waterfront - City of the Arts complex, the Artscape Launchpad will add a 30,000 ft² creative hub to Toronto's waterfront. Designed to help nurture careers in art and design, the multidisciplinary co-working environment is set to feature interior design by Quadrangle Architects.

A context view of Daniels Waterfront, with the Phase 1 office building highlighted, image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

Our first look at the upcoming space gives us a preview of what's coming, with a flexible and multi-nodal layout facilitating a range of collaborative spaces. Individual spaces are programmed to facilitate a variety of needs and work styles, ranging from traditionally desk-based office work to more flexible, interactive spaces, while the interiors throughout are designed to maximize natural light and encourage creative collaboration. 

An overview of the Artscape Launchpad, image courtesy of Quadrangle Architects

Artscape's Launchpad will be housed in the Daniels Corporation's Phase 1 office building currently under construction on the south half of the site. The 280,000 ft² building designed by RAW and Rafael + Bigauskas Architects will also feature a 150,000 ft² 'Creative Industries Hub,' putting Artscape's facility at the heart of what could become an innovative commercial cluster. At grade, the building will also be fronted by 27,000 ft² of retail space, injecting street-level vibrancy to the area.

The ring of dark glazing at the fifth level houses the Launchpad, image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

The single-level Launchpad will be located on the fifth level of the office building, visually demarcated along the exterior as a sleek, slightly extruded ring of expansive windows framed by dark glazing. Angled to the southwest, the building's massing maximizes views of Lake Ontario to the south, taking full advantage of the building's position on the water.

According to Quadrangle Principal and Project Lead Caroline Robbie, "encouraging creatives and working with arts organizations are important to our work as a studio. We can't wait to see what new ideas, businesses and products are developed out of the Launchpad in years to come." 

Construction in early February, more updates to come soon, image by Chris Kotsy

We will return with a look at progress on the site, where construction is quickly continuing to approach grade. In the meantime, our story from last month provides a comprehensive look at construction progress throughout early 2016. 

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