In Toronto, location and amenities are often the only focuses of the marketing of a condominium, but at Tridel's fourth and final condominium in the Bayside community, architecture is also a major factor in the building's list of selling points. Designed by 3XN, Aqualuna will be the second building in the community with architecture by the Copenhagen-based firm.

Aqualuna at Bayside, image courtesy of Tridel/Hines

We've already taken a close look at the project's design through an interview with Kim Neilsen and Audun Opdal, co-founder and principal of 3XN, and architect and partner at 3XN respectively. Now, a video featuring Opdal has been released by Tridel, describing the rationale behind the striking design.

Opdal states “when we were asked to design the building for this site, it was an important consideration to make wonderful units with great views to the lake and surroundings, but also to contribute to the streets and the buildings around.” Opdal goes on to describe the building’s massing as “two peaks,” allowing “the northern peak to look over the southern peak,” giving the north tower’s upper-floor residents unobstructed views, and effectively doubling the number of units with lake-facing views. The space carved between these two peaks includes the development's amenity offerings, including a sizeable outdoor pool deck that offers similarly impressive views as upper-level suites. 

Aqualuna’s two peaks will form an architectural dialogue with the 3XN-designed Aquabella, the community’s third phase, under construction to the immediate west of the Aqualuna site. Also featuring a massing defined by two height peaks, the more rigidly stacked box look of Aquabella will nicely contrast the undulating curves of Aqualuna. With the terraced upper storeys, residents of these two and other neighbouring buildings will have more expansive views to both the lake and the Downtown skyline.

While the under-construction third phase and the upcoming fourth phase are the final condominium developments coming to the East Bayfront, the area will eventually be home to a new public space called Aitken Place Park, as well as a two-building mid-rise office development preliminarily known as Queens Quay Place at Bayside.

You can learn more about Aqualuna's various features through previous articles covering amenities, the project's collection of terrace suites, and most recently, a video tour of a penthouse suite.