Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/423872
station concourse below track level. The historic Bush-style train shed that bookends the atrium to the east and west is being restored to preserve its heritage character, but it will be topped by a six-acre green roof that will intro- duce a lush new natural world to a formerly industrial environment. Zeidler has already won a 2012 Canadian Architect Award of Excel- lence for the atrium, and to date the firm has spent six years on the project. "Union Station is a good example of a client retaining us because it required a strong design company, and generally speaking, the vision we develop for any project carries through from inception to completion," says El-Khatib. Still, undertakings of this mag- nitude always run the risk of being compromised, and this is where the partners' focus on operational inclusiv- ity comes in. "While Eb very much was the man with the ideas that everyone else followed, I practice a studio model whereby we invite everyone in the office to participate in the design evolution," says El-Khatib. "It's not interesting for one person to solve a problem. Our think-tank approach not only allows us to arrive at solutions very quickly, it gives our younger people a chance to gain experience. And it results in a cohesive design vision." El-Khatib and Banelis are fond of minimalism, and the former describes Zeidler's most recent projects "as cohe- sive, simple, not cluttered by needless layers." Referring again to Union Sta- tion, he explains, "The design of the atrium is so simple – it's a floating glass roof – that it will be experienced as light, air and space." Minimalism of sorts also informs the soaring 63- and 49-storey Eau du Soleil Condominiums, designed with E.I. Rich- mond Architects and located on Toron- to's Humber Bay waterfront. Instead of the right-angled setbacks of most new condo developments, the edges of both towers swoop downward in long, fluid curves and dissolve into a common base overlooking the shoreline. It's a memo- rable shape that evokes the waters of Lake Ontario and sets the complex apart from its many neighbours. Projects aside, the biggest news for Zeidler this year is its merger with BKDI Architects of Calgary and its partners Jean Guy Beliveau, Stephen Bugbee, Bill Mitchell and Catherine Richardson. The two firms have enjoyed a 15-year joint venture relationship, but the merger formally recognizes the blend of tal- ents, joint philosophy and experience of a multi-jurisdictional professional practice. "We're now able to provide cli- ents in Western Canada with a broader set of services and a greater depth of expertise," says El-Khatib. The merger is timely, given Zeidler's recent track record of achievement in the region. In 2012, the firm and London-based Foster + Partners com- pleted Calgary's The Bow – chosen as one of the most spectacular corporate buildings in the world by Emporis, the global building information service. Zeidler is currently working on several projects in Alberta, including the mas- sive Calgary City Centre, a 1.8-million- square-foot residential, office and hotel complex in the heart of downtown and set for completion in early 2015. El-Khatib and Banelis's long-range vision for Zeidler is hardly confined to Canada. Having completed projects in over 35 countries, and with overseas offices in Beijing, Chengdu, Abu Dhabi, Berlin and London, the partners are continuing to develop a solid balance of work across their markets in Canada and internationally. But for the time being, they are enjoying the satisfaction of making a venerable architectural firm their own. "We're excited to build on a legacy of success, and we're grateful for the talent in all of our offices that will foster our future success," says El-Khatib. The shadow cast by Zeidler Par t nership Architec t s under t he leadership of El-Khatib and Banelis is growing longer by the day. n Clockwise from above, left: Assuta Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Eau du Soleil, Toronto, ON; Calgary City Centre, Calgary, AB; Hamilton Health Sciences CIBC Breast Assessment Centre, Hamilton, ON. Tom arban 10/ december 2014 Zeidler Partnership Architects