Just south of OCAD's iconic Sharp Centre for Design—better known as Will Alsop's tabletop building—two new architectsAlliance-designed buildings will add a modernist presence to Toronto's McCaul Street. The site will feature a condominium and eventually a gallery, which will be a permanent home to a significant private collection of art. Ahead of the gallery's construction, Tridel's Form Condos is set to rise to a height of 14 storeys.

Looking northwest, image courtesy of Tridel

Recommended for approval at City Council on March 10, the 190-unit condominium features a step back at the street level on the south, and a prominent set back at the upper levels along the north end of the tower. At the south end of the building, an patio-sized Publicly Accessible Private Space (POPS) is created by the step back, opening up a sightline to the St. George the Martyr church, to the west on Stephanie Street. Meanwhile, the set back at the north elevation minimizes shadowing impact on nearby Grange Park. 

A closer look at the public plaza at the south of the building, image courtesy of Tridel

The impact of Form's massing strategy is negotiated by a series of vertical fins added along the exterior, which laterally diffuse the stark kinetic energy of the south elevation across the body of the building, creating a more unified aesthetic. At ground level, landscaping is set to improve the streetscape, while the Phase 2 3-storey, 1,595 m² art gallery will neighbour the condo—which will be topped by a green roof—to the north. 

A close-up of the fenestration, image courtesy of Tridel

The project will feature interiors appointed by Toronto-based U31, and residential amenities will include a gym, a party room, and a 24-hour concierge. At ground level, Thomson's gallery could become a prominent cultural space for the city. The site—on the west side of McCaul between Grange and Stephanie streets—is currently occupied by a parking lot at the south side, and older three-storey single-storey buildings to the north.

Aerial view, looking southeast, image courtesy of Tridel

Form's 190 units will be divided between one, two, and three-bedroom suites. The project is set to feature 100 one-bedroom units (54%), 64 two-bedroom units (35%), and 20 three-bedroom suites (11%). Below grade, 96 parking spaces will be distributed across two levels.

We will keep you updated as the project—now in the registration phase—continues to take shape. Want to learn more about the project? Check out our associated dataBase file for more information and additional renderings. Feel free to join in the discussion by leaving a comment in the space below, or by joining in the ongoing conversation on our Forum.