Living In A Hybrid Exoskeleton At One Bloor West, Toronto

Although The One is currently in its early construction stages, when completed, it will be the tallest building in Canada, surpassing the nation’s current tallest building since 1975, First Canadian Place, located in Toronto’s Financial District.

Foster + Partners, along with Toronto’s Core Architects are commissioned with this colossal project.

The Developer, Sam Mizrahi of Mizrahi Developments, dreamed of working with Foster + Partners and stated that this is a story of being at the right place at the right time, sharing on The One Toronto’s website: “By chance […], after a series of communications back and forth with Foster + Partners, [Mizrahi] happened to be in the same part of France as one of the firm’s Lead architects…[and] they met.” From there, the rest is history!

 

[Street view rendering of The One West’s exterior lobby from the north side of Bloor Street looking south-east]

 

 

The Architects have produced a conceptual “Exoskeleton Hybrid” design that not only has super-structural integrity, but also allows for clear views of the city, and creates a unique facade that alters Toronto’s skyline. (I would say that it’s the Holy Trinity when it comes to architectural design).

The Exoskeleton allows for a fully glazed facade underneath the golden-bronze metallic structural supports, giving residents, and visitors an interior open concept experience without having to worry about support posts inside of their space. Compared to other residential buildings, such as the neighboring One Bloor East on the other side of Yonge Street,  the architects had to hide interior support posts within the units to keep living spaces open, whereas The One’s supports become a decorative element on the building’s facades.

 

[Rendering of The One looking south over the University of Toronto, Downtown’s outer core, and the CN Tower]

 

 

Although at its core The One is a condominium, it is planned to have other amenities and services such as restaurants, spas, a hotel, and shops similar to One Bloor East. The mix-use philosophy integrates the condominium into the urban fabric and welcomes visitors to the building to conduct day-to-day activities as well as allowing residents the convenience of having such shops and services within their building. On top of that, Bloor and Yonge Streets give residents accessibility to nearly everything the city has to offer.

As well, it is a bonus to located at walking distances from great restaurants, shops, and from the Bloor-Yonge Subway Station that is directly below the building, which will be a breeze to travel nearly anywhere in the city!

Within Toronto, there are very few areas with such a prime location.

 

[Rendering of The One within the urban fabric of Bloor and Yonge looking south]

 

 

The One is looking to change Toronto’s skyline as well as Bloor-Yonge’s streetscape by creating public spaces. The building is going to be set back thirty feet from both Yonge and Bloor Streets, creating a public plaza for entertainment, art displays, and public events.

Since Yonge and Bloor are established as extremely pedestrian-oriented streets, the Architects wanted to reflect that idea at street level to residents and pedestrians alike.

 

[Rendering of streetscape at The One]

 

 

The One is destined to be an iconic building within Toronto’s urban fabric when construction is completed. Having  Foster + Partners and CORE Architects design the tallest building in Canada, in the country’s largest city, at the city’s busiest intersection, will create heavy expectations to achieve greatness. In my opinion, the Architects will showcase a project that will become a prominent figure among the city’s skyline. I can hardly wait for this project to be built!

To learn more about their impressive designs, visit Foster + Partners and CORE Architects.

All Images and references are courtesy of The One

For more stories like this on canadianrealestatehousingandhome.ca check out:

High Rise Living In Toronto: Part 2

This View Of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Building In Toronto Could Be Yours For $1,489,000!

The ‘Museum Penthouse’ In Toronto Offered For $12,800,000

Written and researched by Andrew Cara; Architecture Design, History, Theory, and Criticism. Undergraduate Student at the University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

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