Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 67 Ten York PHOTOGRAPHY + RENDERING COURTESY TRIDEL CORPORATION Ten York by JESSICA KIRBY T en York is an architectural wonder set to change Toronto's iconic skyline forever. When complete in 2018, the mixed-use, 75-storey tower will soar 735 feet in a dramatic, triangular wedge shape, and take its position of grandeur in front of one of the city's busiest traffic arteries. The project includes 66 floors and five levels of garage to contain 694 luxury residential suites and 289 vehicles. Its location will draw remarkable attention at the intersection of York and Harbour Streets. While dramatic and unique, the location posed some significant challenges for the developer and design team. "We have nine access gates and very limited space around the actual building dealing with downtown traffic congestion," says Marius Hirboca, project lead with Tridel. "More than that, the City is planning to demolish Gardiner's ramp sometime next year, making it more challenging in terms of access." Rudy Wallman, principal with Wallman Architects, says he was inspired by the lakeside location, the unique triangular geometry of the site and the challenges of building adjacent to a highway, surrounded by other tall office and residential towers. "I tested many different building configurations and exterior expressions, and in the end created a unique triangular floor plate that mimics the shape of the site in order to maximize the primary views south to the lake and west down the Gardiner Expressway," Wallman says. Triangular vertical fins on the exterior will contrast with the mainly horizontal expression of adjacent buildings, completing the client's desire to create a striking icon on the skyline. "The alternating vertical bands of white metal and glass curtain wall of the base will create a visually compelling experience for motorists," Wallman adds. The building's six-storey entrance lobby features a row of columns that give the impression that the tower is rising up behind a shear glass wall. Structural glass walls at grade provide a visually seamless connection between the interior and exterior, while creating an overhead canopy that provides weather protection for pedestrians. "The west end of the building is expressed with a triangular glass enclosure that comes to a sharp point," says Wallman. "Most of the exterior is clad with state-of-the-art curtain wall glazing, and the exterior amenity space and west facing balconies are protected from the wind with glass side walls." The amount of usable living space was limited due to the oversized structural shear walls required to eliminate wind-generated sway, which meant exterior balconies were eliminated to maximize suite sizes. "Mechanical HVAC equipment was accommodated on multiple floors in the base of the building, which created a podium that rises three floors above the adjacent Gardiner Expressway," says Wallman. "This in turn enabled us to place the first floor of residential suites a sufficient distance above the noise of traffic." The sheer volume of concrete and reinforcing steel estimated in this project – 54,000 cubic meters and 5,000 tonnes, respectively – poses a challenge for material storage and calls for an innovative forming strategy, says Hirboca. Typical walls reach over half of a metre thick. To speed up the process, concrete is delivered via a powerful concrete pump, and rebar comes pre- assembled in manageable sections. The tower's forming is done using an automatic climbing system (ACS) and a debris mesh below it. The self-climbing ACS spans over four- floors in height, containing all the forming work inside its enclosure. "Because of the lack of storage space around the site, the ACS system is more suitable, as the wall forms are stored at the top and not brought down on ground and lifted when a new level is poured," says Hirboca. "It is also a safer way of forming, keeping in mind the proximity to Gardiner Expressway and not being allowed to swing any weights above it." The building techniques aren't necessarily tricky, but the size of the project was a unique and challenging feature for structural consultants Jablonsky, Ast and Partners. Craig Slama, partner with the company, says to maintain wide open space in the lobby, space required four- foot-diameter columns that act like a podium for the upper 70 floors. The shape of the building is unique in that the slenderness of the building and its unusual shape act like a sail, says Slama. "It is not deep but wide so it catches the wind and doesn't have the depth to resist it," he says. "At the lobby entrance there is a glass facade acting like a canopy and the structural steel to support the angles is challenging to do." The interior finishes use natural materials and abundant texture to achieve a livable look of luxury. Dan Menchions, principal with II By IV Design, says space planning was a key element of the project, and working with the client to program the space to its maximum usability was an essential part of the company's scope. The lobby is approximately a 40-foot span of glazing, such that it looks like a piece of theatre, he says. "Similar to a retail vitrine, everything is on display; the lobby sets the tone and expectations for the building and by extension the lifestyle purchasers can expect." The interiors reflect the grandeur of the iconic architecture and the amenities are impressive in both look and scale. "The building offers something for everyone, there really isn't a need to go elsewhere because it is all here," says Menchions. Amenities will include a spa, fitness area, spin and yoga studios, juice bar, pool, rooftop terrace, media/games room, theatre, party and private dining room, and possibly a cafe. "The lobby was designed as classic, not trendy; it is sophisticated and refined. The finishes have a timeless elegance, a combination of natural stone, marble and a visually textured feature wall in neutral hues," says Menchions. The entire back wall of the lobby features a Japanese porcelain listello set in staggered levels of length and relief. "We want people to walk in and have a sense of awe, appreciate the space and its beautiful expansive volume," adds Menchions. One of the strongest interior features is the connecting stair between the upper amenity areas and the rooftop pool. The winding white drywall spiral is lined with wood and accented with stone stair treads. "When installed this will be visually spectacular," says Menchions. The project's beauty spills out to the grounds and rooftop terrace area with contemporary and sophisticated landscape design using high-end finishes like patterned granite paving, sculptural stainless steel benches and granite clad planter and seat walls. "On the amenity level, we highlighted the unique triangular pool by using patterned marble and glass paving, colourful seating area dividers that will glow from within at night, and a dramatic water feature that surrounds the circular stair leading to the indoor amenity below," says Greg Warren, landscape architect with Janet Rosenberg & Studio. Ten York breaks away from typical condo terrace features like rectilinear raised planting beds, wood arbors and concrete unit paving with a beautiful marble and glass pattern that will be unique to this building. "Ten York will be a LEED certified building, constructed in accordance with the higher Tier II level of the Toronto Green Standard," says Warren. "This means features like using harvested rainwater for irrigation, specifying paving materials that will not contribute to urban heat island effect, using night-sky friendly lighting and planting environmentally appropriate trees and other plants." Though the building isn't scheduled for completion until 2018, the effect of the building design features are evident in achieving the design intentions, says Wallman. "I'm very pleased with the outcome of the design to date and excited to see this building takes its place on Toronto's skyline," he says. A LOCATION 10 York Street, Toronto, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER/ GENERAL CONTRACTOR Tridel Corporation ARCHITECT Wallman Architects STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Jablonsky, Ast and Partners MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT MCW Consultants Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Janet Rosenberg & Studio INTERIOR DESIGN II BY IV DESIGN TOTAL SIZE 56,680 square metres TOTAL COST $200 million