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J U N E 2 0 2 4 | 67 Union Towers – Station Park P H OTO G R A P H Y BY W I L S O N COS TA /CO U RT E S Y VA N M A R D E V ELO P M EN T S I N C . UNION TOWERS – STATION PARK by JESSICA KIRBY S tation Park – a five tower devel- opment centred around one acre of urban park and an iconic heritage home – has already begun to transform Kitchener, Ontario's downtown. The master-planned com- munity is unfolding over three phases that aim to bring the city to residents' front doors with greenspace, plenty of retail, amenities galore, and even a dog park onsite. "Ultimately, the vision for Station Park is to become a restaurant and outdoor urban park mecca," says Paul Leveck, project manager for Urban Legend Developments. Stage one of Station Park is Union Towers – two stunning towers that rise to 18 and 28 storeys, providing 190,000 and 270,000 square feet, respectively, spread over podium level commercial space and 583 residential units on the rest of the floors. Clifford Korman, architect and partner with Kirkor Architects and Planners, says the towers were planned and designed to provide a lifestyle centre experience to visi- tors and residents. As lifestyle centres tend to establish their own style, while providing opportunities to shop and eat, the team had to be respectful of the surrounding historical context, including the rail lines, King Street, and the adjacent Kaufman House. "The towers are more modern in design and break away from the plaza both visually and physically as they cre- ate part of the new Kitchener skyline," Korman says. "Therefore, the project does not shy away from the modern approach of condominium design but takes into consideration the historical context at its base along the plaza and streetscape not to overpower but cele- brate the adjacent Kaufman House." Kaufman House is an historic, Victorian gothic mansion constructed by famed Kitchener industrialist, Jacob S. Kaufman in 1897. It will be restored and remain nestled among the modern amenities of Station Park, solidifying Kaufman as an icon in Kitchener's history. "We will be adding a rear addition and exterior patios and connecting it to all three levels of the under- ground parking garage," Leveck says. "We have strong intentions for it to become a high-end restaurant serving the community, along with several other planned restaurant and retail spots within the project." Taking cues from the Kaufman House, as well as other historically sig- nificant buildings along King Street, Station Park's design implements mate- riality and colour according to coursing textures and warmer tones. "Storefronts facing the plaza were inspired by commercial main streets from small European towns, while the use of metal panels was an establishment of Union Towers own style," Korman says. "We wanted these factors to create a har- mony of Kitchener's eras culminating into a positive user experience." Leveck says the building is a typi- cal cast-in-place concrete structure with three storeys of underground parking. The podium's exterior com- prises white precast concrete panels combined with masonry architectural block and brick – materials that reap- pear throughout each building at the podium level for continuity and flow. "Each phase is slightly different in its initial architecture, but there will be continuity at the base," Leveck says. "As we move up the building, we con- tinue into precast and stamped panels, and above that window wall glass."

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