“(Changing the design of the tower) allowed us also to push the building, including the base, further to the west, which will create wider pedestrian access along York St.,” notes Ritchie.
The tower redesign also saw the parking garage, originally proposed to be above-grade, moved underground, freeing up space in the podium. The base of the building will now feature a glass-enclosed lobby with 30-foot-high ceilings.
“We’ve created a pretty spectacular lobby space,” says Ten York’s architect Rudy Wallman. “Because it’s so high and transparent, it will act as an extension of the sidewalk.”
Despite the tower being knocked down from 75 storeys to 65, changes to the form of the building resulted in a negligible reduction in the number of suites, from 774 to 694.
The new building design also minimizes the use of balconies. West-facing suites will have them, as will units on the northeast and southeast corners of the tower, but the north and south facades will be glass curtain walls.
“I think that’s a huge bonus visually,” Wallman says. “We don’t have to deal with inset or projecting balconies, which really give residential buildings the look they have, which tends to be cluttered if not handled well.
“Here it’s going to be very sleek and finished looking; more like a commercial building.”
, why 2018