by arslan_ahmed | August 23, 2023 11:47 am
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A new mixed-use development in downtown Toronto, Waterworks, rehabilitates, conserves, and expands an industrial heritage site—the 1932 Waterworks building, featuring an Art Deco design—resulting in a landmark standing on the juxtaposition of historical and contemporary architecture.
The mixed-use establishment, nearing the intersection of Queen Street West and Augusta Avenue, combines food-focused retail, a YMCA, social wellness facilities, family-oriented dwellings, including affordable housing, and an existing shelter for homeless youth.
Designed by Diamond Schmitt, the development frames the northern edge of Toronto’s oldest public playground, St. Andrew’s Playground. The heritage Waterworks building, which spans an entire city block—from Brant Street to Maud Street, fronting Richmond Street to the north—serves as the base to the new glazed structure sitting atop.
This design approach provided several opportunities to open up the old architecture and reconsider its relationship between the Waterworks site and its surrounding context through the establishment of several new pedestrian pathways running through the block. For instance, the restored and reconfigured carriageway along Richmond Street acts as a natural extension of Augusta Street. It cuts through the building from the north facade, terminating at an interior courtyard before extending through the Great Hall to St. Andrew’s Playground and beyond.
To further animate Waterworks and establish its presence in the neighbourhood, subtle adjustments to several existing glazed openings along Richmond Street have been made. Sill heights have been lowered from their original window levels to accommodate glazed double doors leading into large retail and restaurant environments. These access points provide patio dining opportunities through a renewed streetscape along Richmond Street. Sidewalks and newly planted trees wrap around to Maud Street, defining a series of outdoor seating spaces flanking the retained portions of the heritage facade.
The building massing marks the various programmatic uses differently in the community. The highly textured surface associated with the heritage building’s original brick and limestone Art Deco facade terminates at a glazed reveal allowing for views to and from the YMCA facility. Its second-floor swimming pool and gymnasium overlook the new grade-level courtyard and bring natural light to the interior. This interior court is surrounded by a U-shaped condo that rises above and is wrapped in dark porcelain cladding.
The building’s design centers on making the standard floor layout efficient and following city rules for heritage and urban design spacing. The residential section of the building emphasizes uniformity. There are two sections running north to south, which are linked by a glass section on the northern side. This section creates an open courtyard on the ground level and marks where people can walk through the building.
Higher in the building, the floors are set back to create private terraces overlooking the park. On the lower levels, spacious balconies stick out. They are arranged in a staggered manner to let in more light, provide privacy, and provide equitable access to outside views to building’s inmates.
Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/art-deco-heritage-building-lends-face-to-new-toronto-mixed-use-development/
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