Following our updated looks at Blocks 1 and 2 of the expansive Quayside project, today UrbanToronto turns the spotlight onBlocks 3 and 4 of this masterplanned community situated in Toronto’s East Bayfront area. Designed by architects—Alliance for DreamUnlimited,Great Gulf, andWaterfront Toronto, these blocks, just like those with The Western Curve, Overstory Timber House, and Building 2planned on them, have also been refined in recent Zoning By-law Amendment resubmissions.
The masterplanned Quayside community will redevelop a significant stretch of Toronto's East Bayfront area, totalling 4.9 hectares. On the plan below, Block 3 features Buildings 3B1 and 3B2 centrally located within the site, while Building 4 is at its eastern end across Parliament Street. The only renderings of these buildings are found in the community-wise image above. While Building 3B2 is an extension of Timber House, designed by David Adjaye Associates, and it can be assumed that its exterior expression will be continued across it, the rendering above for Buildings 3B1 and 4 should be considered conceptual only, indicating massing, and not an indication of final architectural expression.
In the resubmission, Building 3B1 is a 56-storey tower which maintains its initial planned height of 197.2m. To its south, the 15-storey eastern extension of Timber House has seen an increase in height, from 44.3m to 48.7m to accommodate enhanced structural and spatial requirements. Collectively, the two Block 3 buildings would offer 475 condominiums and 274 affordable rental units. Building 3B1's 618 units would be served by five elevators, resulting in approximately one elevator for every 124 units, indicating long wait times. Building 3B2, with three elevators for its 131 units, or 1 for every 44 units, indicating far shorter wait times.
There would be 945m² of indoor and 787m² of outdoor amenities across the two buildings. The resubmission includes 136 resident and 9 visitor parking spots across two levels of underground garage. There would also be 680 long-term and 160 short-term bicycle spots.
The retail offering in Block 3's design has been enhanced, with retail Gross Floor Area (GFA) increased from 1,227m² to 1,884m², while residential GFA has slightly decreased to 49,416m². This expansion would primarily be through modifications on the ground level of Building 3B1 and a reduction in the eastern overhang of Building 3B2. Further, a setback at the northeast corner of Building 3B2 has been implemented to improve pedestrian circulation at grade.
Meanwhile, Block 4 would feature a 15-storey base building on the east side, increased in height from 45m to 58.5m from the previous proposal. To its west, the 72-storey tower has slightly reduced in height in the latest plans from 240.2m to 237.7m. It is designed to house 1,000 condominium units along with 137 affordable rental suites. There would be 1,238m² of indoor and 1,307m² of outdoor amenities, scaled back slightly from previous proposals. Across two levels of underground garage, there would be 136 resident and 14 visitor spaces, a decrease from the previous submission. The new plans entail an increase in bicycle parking, with 1,024 long-term and 228 short-term spots, as well as 18 commercial spaces.
There would be two elevators for the 15-storey base and seven for the tower, resulting in approximately one elevator for every 126 units, indicating potential longer wait times.
The resubmission introduces an indented southwestern wall at Block 4 creating a distinctive cut-out adjacent to the Parliament Plaza POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly accessible Space). The reconfiguration of the ground floor layout is intended to optimize retail and communal spaces. Public realm enhancements have led to a transfer of building massing and floor area to the 15-storey base, resulting in its increased height. These changes aim to enrich the pedestrian experience along Lake Shore Boulevard East and connect with Parliament Street and Parliament Plaza.
Quayside’s Block 5 is located south of Block 4, planned alongside the new 0.4-hectare Silo Park and the Waters Edge Promenade, and at the north end of the planned Keating Channel Pedestrian Bridge, the winning design of which was announced recently. While currently no specific development is slated for Block 5, the plan is for a cultural and/or institutional venue of some significance, the site designated to accommodate 23,870m² of non-residential GFA through future Zoning By-law Amendments, while the uppermost map in this article indicates 56 storeys. This may indicate mixed-use including a residential tower atop the cultural/institutional podium. This block will undergo a separate RFP process to determine its final use at a later date.
In the surroundings, south of Block 3, the 18-storey Aqualuna is currently under construction, To the north,307and351 Lake Shore East, as well as31R Parliament Street, are all proposed at 49 storeys. To the east, the Lower Don Lands Redevelopment is transforming the Port Lands, along with a stale proposal for three towers at 309 Cherry Street, with the tallest reaching 47 storeys.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | architects—Alliance, DreamUnlimited, Great Gulf, Grounded Engineering Inc., Urban Strategies Inc. |
