G
gtacondos
Guest
1 BLOOR - THE PLACE TO BE...
Residential, Hotel and Retail
This one-acre property at the corner of Yonge and Bloor will become the number one residential, retail and hotel address in Canada. One of the tallest buildings in Toronto, 1 Bloor will reach almost 80 storeys in height. With spectacular views of the City and the lake, 1 Bloor will become a stunningly elegant new corner of Toronto's version of fifth avenue.
THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE VIP EVENT.
Pick your unit BEFORE the Broker Preview Sale. For further information and to be added to the registration list, send a private post.
You don't want to miss this opportunity!
About the project...
"I can say with great confidence that there is nothing else like it in Canada, perhaps even the world," says Roy Varacalli, director of design and construction for Bazis International, the Canadian arm of Kazakhstan-based Bazis. "We have created something unique. In fact there just aren't architectural terms to describe some of the innovations we are introducing."
Among them is Mr. Varacalli's personal favourite. This stunning 80-storey spire, which will rise from the south east corner of Yonge and Bloor streets in Toronto, Canada's largest city and its financial and cultural heart, will not just offer residents large balconies. It will have balconies off every room.
"Torontonians love outdoor living and entertaining," says the celebrated architect. "Our Canadian winters seem so long that we want to pack in as much time in the sun and warm breezes as we possibly can.
"That is why we decided to do something that represents a distinct departure in design. We would not only put large balconies off every room in every suite but we would make some of those a form of the Thai lanais, an outdoor space that could be partly enclosed in cool or windy weather.
"These lanais are not just summer spaces; slide the glass panels closed and you can still enjoy them in early spring and well into the fall."
Mr. Varacalli also dealt with the problem of balconies appearing as concrete protrusions, slabs that stick out from an otherwise smooth and elegant facade. 1 Bloor is, in simple terms, a tower within a tower.
Outside the bearing walls, he has fashioned a sleeve of etched and clear glass joined by sparkling aluminum members. That sleeve encases the balconies and lanais. The effect promises to be spectacular.
"What it does is give the tower an ever changing face," he says. The exterior changes like pixels on a television screen. On windy days when residents want to enjoy their lanais they will slide the etched glass panels across parts of the balcony to block the winds. The facade will look completely different from warm sunny days when those panels are slid back to allow maximum exposure to the sun and breezes.
"This innovation is so new and so dramatic that there isn't a word or phrase to describe it in the architect's lexicon," he says.
Mr. Varacalli's approach to outdoor living is just one of the striking innovations offered at 1 Bloor. This is a project that demands superlatives. It will be both Canada's tallest residential structure and the heart of its retail trade. Yonge and Bloor has long been considered the city's commercial epicenter and is the busiest intersection in Canada.
1 Bloor starts with a four-level podium, which will occupy the entire site, stretching along the south side of Yonge Street east to the existing office tower at 33 Bloor East and south to Hayden Street. That podium will be given over to retail space and will be home to flagship stores of major Canadian, North American and international retail chains.
The top level is dedicated to the amenities, which will be shared by a new hotel and the residents of the tower. In addition halfway up the tower will be a double-height floor dedicated to amenities for residents only.
The podium's roof will be a kind of natural urban/suburban wonderland with a pool, lounging area, manicured gardens and even its own beach, high above the bustle of Yonge and Bloor.
The first six floors of the slim, elegant glass and aluminum tower will be occupied by a world-class five-star hotel and its 132 guest rooms and suites. The remainder of 1 Bloor's new tower will be devoted to 564 residential units ranging from 585-square-foot, one-bedroom suites to a magnificent 5,000-square-foot penthouse on the very top floor.
Prices will start in the $300,000 range, Mr. Varacalli says.
Bazis International, during the past 25 years, has gone from a small local developer in the newly independent Republic of Kazakhstan to a global company with 13,000 employees operating in 12 cities in five countries. Its signature projects are impressive, stunningly designed mixed use properties, often nearing 1 million square feet of space.
1 Bloor is the Canadian affiliate's second unique project. The first was the Crystal Blu condominium on nearby Balmuto Street. Its suites were distinguished by their 10-foot ceiling heights and focus on luxury finishes and fixtures.
