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Adding a layer of gloss to what was already one of Toronto most-talked about developments, the global luxury brand Nobu Hospitality has been announced as the operator of the 15-35 Mercer Street project now marketed as Nobu Residences Toronto. Founded by Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa, Meir Teper, and Hollywood legend—and apparent sushi enthusiast—Robert De Niro, Nobu Hospitality will operate a restaurant and a boutique hotel on the site, alongside the project's approximately 700 condominium suites.
Spread across two floors, the 15,000 ft² restaurant is intended as a showpiece for the project's nine-storey podium, with the space set to include a "signature bar lounge, outdoor seating and chic private dining rooms," according to today's news release.
Designed by Teeple Architects for the Madison Group and Westdale Properties, Nobu Residences' paired towers will replace Mercer Street's former Pilkington Glass Factory, integrating the brick building's façade into a new retail frontage. Accompanying today's announcement, a new rendering of the tower offers a more complete look at the project's architectural expression.
Featuring notes of Teeple's signature cubist-inflected aesthetic, the twin 49-storey towers are given texture and articulation by sleek, dark cladding. Meanwhile, the simpler east and west frontages are accented by slight cantilevers, which hint at a spatial relationship between the two buildings. First envisioned as a 67-storey 0-shaped tower in early 2015, the project has gradually evolved toward its current iteration, with plans for the 49-storey towers submitted to the City late last year. The project's interiors will be appointed by Studio Munge.
Located just west of John Street and Metro Hall, Nobu Residences will add another unapologetically conspicuous brand to the Entertainment District's image-conscious offerings. Located across from the Le Germain Hotel, the project will join the similarly programmed Bisha Hotel and Residences now under construction at the end of the block on Blue Jays Way.
Restaurants and hotels under the Nobu brand now operate in Las Vegas, Manila, and Miami Beach, with locations planned in London, Malibu, Riyadh, Los Cabos, Chicago, Bahrain. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the project continues to take shape. In the meantime, make sure to check out our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment on this page, or join the conversation in our associated Forum threads.
