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3XN rethinks high-rise living in Toronto

Toronto Terraces

3XN rethinks high-rise living in Toronto

Danish firm 3XN have unveiled plans for a 43-story residential high-rise in Toronto‘s Church and Wellesley district. Following multiple roundtable discussions with the surrounding community, the office has proposed a design that tries to address many of the problems with towers: it reaches out to the street, breaks up its mass into distinct “villages,” and encourages outdoor activity.

“It was clear to us that we had to design something that could animate the corner,” said 3XN Creative Director Kim Herforth Nielsen.

The tower’s partially-glazed podium, facing the intersection of Church and Wellesley Streets, is split into two levels, forming an open, balconied plaza with a grand stair meant to encourage community gatherings. Above this, the building, clad in a combination of recessed glass and flush golden-hued metal panels, is divided into four separate masses, with setbacks above the 8th, 13th and 19th floors creating transition zones that divide the building visually and programmatically. Amenity spaces, connected with wraparound terraces, will include a lounge, theater room, saunas, fitness and yoga areas.

Construction is set to begin next year and the estimated completion year is 2021. 3XN is also designing a condominium in Toronto’s Inner Harbor, with a stepped profile to create a series of outdoor terraces.


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