Award

J U N E 2 0 2 3 | 87 CIBC Square P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J A M E S B R I T TA I N /CO U RT E S Y H I N E S + W I L K I N S O N E Y R E CIBC SQUARE by ROBIN BRUNET T he challenges pertaining to the creation of CIBC Square in Toronto are enormous and include building adjacent to, and south of, the busiest pedestrian, vehic- ular, and mass transit intersection in Canada, spanning one of North America's busiest railways, and bring- ing to life a unique architectural vision that fulfills the requirements of development partners Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines. The first of the project's two tow- ers was opened in October of last year, and the second tower is rising on the north side of the Metrolinx rail corri- dor, with both structures linked at the fourth floor level by a one-acre public park spanning the rail corridor. Alex Richter, associate principal at Adamson Associates Architects, says, "In 2007 the Quebec-based pension fund CDPQ engaged us to determine the development potential of what is now 81 Bay Street, the last under- developed property on that street. We suggested that a tower could be built on the property, and we recom- mended the purchase of the air rights over the corridor. "We further suggested that another lot at 141 Bay north of the corridor be purchased for a second tower; and in developing a mas- ter plan over the next five years, we proposed that the towers be linked with a park over the corridor." CDPQ brought in Ivanhoé Cambridge as its Ontario repre- sentative, and in 2013 Cambridge approached Hines to assist in evaluat- ing the development potential of this site. "The potential of these two office towers totalling three-million square feet was enormous," recalls John Frank, Hines' senior VP, construction. "An international design compe- tition was staged, and U.K.-based WilkinsonEyre was selected." One of many advantages WilkinsonEyre director Dominic Bettison brought to the table was look- ing at Toronto with a fresh pair of eyes. One of his main ideas, inspired by wanting to move away from the prev- alence elsewhere of ribbed windows and solid spandrels comprising façade design, was to create a lightly folded glazed façade for both towers with a three-dimensional diamond pattern that catches and modulates light and repeats every 10 storeys – wrapping around a series of efficient, rectangu- lar floor plates. Bettison says, "These facades express each floor with a pattern of horizontal ribbon windows and solid, dark metal spandrels that are repeated up the height of the tower and topped by an expression of a crown." The glass was carefully selected to provide just the right amount of reflectivity without being overpowering. Connecting each tower's lobby and lift access to the elevated sky park meant that each lobby became a grand space of 25-metres high, with upper sky lobbies giving direct access to the park. The rear wall of the lobbies would be clad in slabs of vein-cut trav- ertine in three-dimensional relief and composed of repeated triangulated elements: an abstract reference to the main facades. Direct links were created to all of Toronto's transit channels, includ- ing TTC Subway, GO Train, Via Rail, PATH, and the Union Pearson Express; additionally, mechanical, electrical, and other elements were designed to attain LEED Platinum Core & Shell certification, WELL Certification, and WiredScore Platinum accreditation. Bettison credits RJC for bring- ing his column-free lobbies to life as well as engineering the second tower, which had to contend with the fact that any structural columns head- ing straight down for the south side of the building would be either on or in between active transit tracks – so a tension based steel bracing structure was used to divert the load of the south side of the tower back to the core in a symmetrical cantilever configuration. One of general contractor EllisDon's many accomplishments on the proj- ect was building the park spanning the rail corridor. Custom girders – the largest of which was 20 tons and required several cranes to move into place – were manufactured and installed in lieu of support columns and were among 1,300 tons of steel used altogether (the park structure is now serving as a temporary laydown area as the second tower rises). David Galvao, senior project manager at LRI and project code consultant says, " A number of pro- gressive design elements challenged the project team and we engaged with the authorities to provide alter- native solutions. One of which is the iconic public park elevated over the rail lands, which presented a unique set of design challenges that required a holistic approach to fire protection and life safety. From the type of fire protection selected for the elevated structure to the exiting strategies and mitigating measures to address occu- pant safety, our role as code consultant supported the vision of programmed outdoor assembly events for the year- round enjoyment of the public." Jillian Jackson, senior director, development at Ivanhoé Cambridge, says, "We are thrilled with how CIBC Square is coming to life. We managed to create a place – during a trying con- text – that delivers on our vision. CIBC Square goes beyond being an excep- tional work environment enabled by a smart infrastructure and count- less services. It connects the people of Toronto to an elevated experience – lit- erally, given the fourth level location of our park. We feel we are truly trans- forming our city, for our community." A LOCATION 81 and 141 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario OWNER /DEVELOPER Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines ARCHITECTS Adamson Associates Architects (executive architect); WilkinsonEyre (design architect) GENER AL CONTR ACTOR EllisDon STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT RJC Engineers MECHANICAL /ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT The Mitchell Partnership FIRE PROTECTION CONSULTANT LRI Engineering L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Public Works TOTAL SIZE 3 million square feet (two towers) TOTAL COST $2 billion

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