With cranes already raised for the office towers on Queens Quay, Daniels Waterfront—City of the Arts is beginning to make an impact on the Toronto waterfront. Just north of the rising office complex, the Daniels Corporation's mixed-use community's residential phase has now kicked off with the recent launch of the 45-storey Lighthouse Tower.

The office towers are beginning to rise on the south end of the site, image by UT Forum contributor Razz

Introduced in June, the Giannone Petriconne-designed Lighthouse Tower will add residential density to an area that's recently seen substantial employment growth, with the Corus Entertainment building and the George Brown Waterfront Campus located immediately to the southeast.

The Lighthouse Tower (left) will rise alongside a future residential phase, image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

The Daniels Waterfront community itself will feature 280,000 ft² of commercial office space, along with an 'Innovation Hub' that promotes arts and culture organizations. The development will also include a new OCAD U Campus, along with additional space for George Brown College. 

The mixed-use development's buildings cluster around the pedestrian-only 'Yard,' image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

As the tallest building in the City of the Arts development, the Lighthouse Tower will be a prominent and visible presence on the waterfront—though much higher densities are planned immediately to the west. With a distinctive frit pattern applied to the balcony guards that wraps around the west elevation, the tower's facade is designed to ripple in the light, with the sunset rendering below showing the intended effect. 

The west elevation of The Lighthouse Tower, image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

Inside, the Lighthouse Tower's interiors will be appointed by Cecconi Simone. Featuring two amenity areas, the communal spaces are designed to take advantage of the tower's position on the waterfront. On the 11th floor, the 'Upper Deck' amenity features a cocktail pool and cabana area, making for an indulgent, lounge-style environment. 

The 'Upper Deck,' image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

Alongside the three cabana suites, the poolside deck also features a BBQ area and a 'social lounge' space, which can serve as an al fresco dining area. For the colder months, the 11th floor amenity area also features 'billiards' and 'fireside' lounges, a party room, and a catering kitchen.

The 'Upper Deck' layout, click to enlarge, image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

Meanwhile, the third floor's 'Lower Deck' provides a sportier amenity space. Alongside the fitness centre and changing rooms, there's also an outdoor tennis court that can double as a basketball court. The on-trend space also includes a bocce ball court, as well as an indoor yoga/pilates studio. For musicians, there's also a 'jam studio,' and an arts and crafts space, which will feature programming by Artscape.

The 'Lower Deck' layout, image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

For more passive enjoyment, the Lower Deck also opens up to a community garden, with the adjoining 'garden prep studio' and 'kitchen library' facilitating urban agriculture. Taken together, the indoor and outdoor spaces give residents access to 25,000 ft² of amenities. 

The kitchen library, image courtesy of The Daniels Corporation

We will keep you updated as the project continues to develop, and construction begins to make an impact on the site. In the meantime, make sure to check out our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in the ongoing conversation in our associated Forum thread.