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M A R C H 2 0 2 3 | 75 Sheraton Centre Toronto P H OTO G R A P H Y BY EL A I N E K I L B U R N [E X T ER I O R], G I L L I A N J AC K S O N [P O O L], J E SS BAU M U N G [EN T R A N C E C A N O PY]/A L L CO U RT E S Y A RC H I T EC T S —A L L I A N C E SHERATON CENTRE TORONTO by ROBIN BRUNET H otel makeovers are common in the hospitality indus- try to keep up with evolving trends and tastes; but the renova- tion of Toronto's iconic Sheraton Centre Hotel is the largest and most spectacular renovation to date in the facility's 50-year history. As part of a bigger project, Marriott International committed to exten- sively renovating three of its Canadian flagship hotels, one of which was the renovation of Sheraton Centre Hotel (the other two being Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto International Airport and LeCentre Sheraton Montreal Hotel). Changes were made to the entrances and the lobby of the Sheraton Centre Hotel to include a new cafe and restaurant as well as soundproof booths for calls. In addi- tion, the outdoor pool area has been upgraded, and the Sheraton Club has an elegant new look on the 43rd floor. This project was an impressive task for all parties involved. "We dealt with innumerable site condi- tions and were obliged to accelerate the work to keep on schedule, despite two COVID lockdowns and a labour strike. We also had to account for as many as 3,000 people circulating daily through this busy facility," says Allan Scoler, VP, hotels & hospitality at JLL Project and Development Services. Plans to refresh the Sheraton Centre began more than four years ago. The intent was to bring its orig- inal brutalist design back to life. "The Sheraton was built in con- junction with, and looks onto, our City Hall complex, but subsequent renovations didn't align with the modernistic architecture of the facil- ity," says Blair Robinson, senior associate at architects-Alliance. DesignAgency was retained to revamp the interior spaces and the project was implemented in phases, the first being the reimagin- ing of the 43rd-floor club in October 2021 to reflect Toronto by using bespoke artwork, locally sourced trendy furniture, and accents. Scoler points out the challenges his firm and Eastern Construction Company had to overcome in achiev- ing DesignAgency's vision. "The only way we could bring up materi- als and remove the debris of the old lounge from the 43rd floor down to ground level was by use of the ser- vice elevators, which required meticulous co-ordination as they were in constant use," he says. Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services was engaged for the tech- nical tree removal aspect of the project, in particular the 87 trees and shrubs on the third floor ter- race. What posed specific concern were the seven mature Linden trees overhanging Richmond Street. These were removed with the utmost care and most up-to-date rigging methods to ensure the safety of the public below and all crews on-site. The second phase of the renova- tion included a newly designed lobby, a refined beverage and food experi- ence program, and major upgrades to Toronto's largest heated indoor/out- door pool. "The hotel's porte-cochere was the most obvious example of where earlier cladding and glaz- ing renovations deviated from the original modernist architecture," Robinson says. "So, the addition of an entrance canopy and tall span curtain wall and many other fea- tures rectified this shortcoming while creating a more welcoming environment. The original large entrance canopy at the Queen Street entrance was replaced with a can- opy and glazing similar to that added at the porte-cochere, in conjunction with the installation of a large steel screen, to make the hotel entrance more recognizable and inviting." Feature Walters, a Walters Group company, fabricated the steel mul- lions of the entrances' prominent new curtain walls executed by Antamex; engineering ingenu- ity (the maximum dimension of the raw material available was only 3.6 metres) resulted in the mullions framing large, uninterrupted sheets of glass that disappear into the soffit. Architects-Alliance's design intro- duced a lightness between the solid wall at the porte-cochere, maximiz- ing transparency and connecting the interiors to the public realm. "The lobby also needed to be lightened up, which was achieved by DesignAgency with a white coffered ceiling with cove light- ing. We extended this into the porte-cochere. Other lobby fea- tures included the installation of ribbed wood wall panels on either side of the lobby, and creating a cof- fee bar in the centre of the lobby as the social heart of the hotel. We also added additional washrooms adja- cent to the lobby with increased accessibility," says Robinson. Earlier renovation elements that obscured an interior court- yard and garden were removed, thus making this unique space an inte- gral part of the lobby. "All of this was augmented by a comprehen- sive upgrade to life safety systems, and that meant removing walls and core drilling through the concrete floor while keeping guest distur- bance to a minimum," Scoler says. Robinson credits Eastern and JLL for "being nimble and compensating throughout two COVID lockdowns," to which Scoler replies, "Overall the two biggest challenges were staffing and material resourcing. Planning for the project in general was done years in advance, which prohibited changes, so micromanaging everything was crucial to us staying on schedule." As of January, finishing touches had commenced in the porte-cochere, and Sheraton Centre Toronto was already receiving glowing reviews for the revitalization of its spaces. "The owner group was extremely com- mitted to this project, and we were all motivated to make this a success," Scoler says. "By breaking the work down into five separate projects with separate teams, building permits, and inspection processes, we were able to achieve all of our goals." A LOCATION 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario PROJECT MANAGER JLL Canada Inc. ARCHITECT architects—Alliance CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Eastern Construction Company STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Entuitive ENERGY RETROFIT CONSULTANT H.H. Angus & Associates Limited Consulting Engineers BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT John. G. Cooke L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT MBTW Group TOTAL COST Undisclosed

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