Since the 2016 masterplan proposal was submitted to the City of Toronto by ELAD Canada and Freed Developments to redevelop Galleria Mall at Dupont and Dufferin Streets, work has been progressing behind the scenes to bring us the first Site Plan Approval application for buildings at the multi-phased development. Currently referred to as Galleria Block Five, the proposal sees Core Architects’ interpretation of the massing achieved by the Hariri Pontarini-designed master plan, bringing 22 and 29 storey towers to the west side of the site. 

Street level featuring the articulated podium, image courtesy of Core Architects

The towers will house 604 residential units, comprised of 267 one bedroom, 269 two bedroom, and 68 three bedroom homes. 150 of these units will be rental apartments, while 454 will be available for purchase as condominiums. The rental units will be housed in the lower floors of the building before the design breaks off into the two separate towers at the 12th storey level. 3,758 m² of retail will make up a portion of the first two floors of the building, in five separate units. 

South-east elevation, image courtesy of Core Architects

The quarter-circle shaped building has a number of interesting design features that make it unique. For starters, levels two through five employ a boxy zig-zag articulation seen in projects like Westbank’s Vancouver House and KING Toronto. Upward from there, the building steps back into the two irregularly shaped point towers, both of which shift their massing at three-quarters of their height. Some parts of the towers' façade are framed with rows of angled balconies while others are made up of window wall glazing and black vertical fins.

Block 5 fitting in with the rest of the master plan, image courtesy of City of Toronto

For the construction of this tower, the west side of Galleria Mall will be demolished, leaving the eastern portion that houses a FreshCo, Planet Fitness, Rexall and TD Bank standing until a later development phase. According to the November 2018-dated planning rationale, the construction of a new community centre is also part of the same phase as the Block Five building, indicating that a second site plan application should be coming soon. 

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

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