Today I stopped by the Exploring KING exhibit that is currently on at 134 Peter Street. It is an exhibition celebrating the design of KING Toronto.
It explains how the design came about. Note all the different unit layouts on the floor.

It includes (foam) study models that go as far back as 2015. That's four years of design iterations.

It has samples of the glass blocks that will be used on the building's facades.

Related article: Glass blocks, that staple of 1980s kitsch, are trendy again. Sorry, it's behind a paywall.
It has a VR setup that allows you to explore the building's inner courtyard. It's going to be a fun space.

And there's even a KING Toronto candle for sale. (Aromatic woods with spicy overtones.)

I thought the overall exhibition was very well done and I am thrilled to see architecture and design so front and center. It is an exciting time to be living in this city.

This week two new office buildings were announced in Toronto and Vancouver by Allied Properties and Westbank. Both are being designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). As you would expect, Alex Bozikovic of the Globe and Mail has done a proper writeup, here.
The building in Toronto (called Union Centre) is generally located at 171 Front Street West. It is a revision to a previous proposal for the site that was originally submitted back in 2014. That project got approved by Council, but the implementing by-laws were never enacted.
My favorite image from their rezoning resubmission is this one here:


This morning I went through some of the floor plans for King Toronto, which are now up on BuzzBuzzHome. In case you’re wondering, they are currently showing an average price of $1604 per square foot.
Here is a 1 bedroom + atelier:

And here is a 2 bedroom + atelier:

Right away you’ll probably notice a few things.
There are no dens in these plans. They have been replaced with ateliers, which sounds cool. I want my own atelier where I make things. But it may also be a clever way to get around calling them studies or nooks.
A lot of people in the industry have been commenting on how they’ve included the exterior living space in the calculation of total area. That seems logical to me, especially for a project like this where the terraces form such an integral part of the architecture.
The other thing I noticed is that the buildings are, actually, being referred to as mountains. This has been part of the project’s design narrative since the beginning. So I like the consistency. The above plans are for suites within the “east mountain.”
But what I wanted to ask all of you today is whether you find the addition of a 3D plan helpful. It’s obviously not new, but it is still fairly uncommon, at least in this market. Do you think it’s worth it?
Today I stopped by the Exploring KING exhibit that is currently on at 134 Peter Street. It is an exhibition celebrating the design of KING Toronto.
It explains how the design came about. Note all the different unit layouts on the floor.

It includes (foam) study models that go as far back as 2015. That's four years of design iterations.

It has samples of the glass blocks that will be used on the building's facades.

Related article: Glass blocks, that staple of 1980s kitsch, are trendy again. Sorry, it's behind a paywall.
It has a VR setup that allows you to explore the building's inner courtyard. It's going to be a fun space.

And there's even a KING Toronto candle for sale. (Aromatic woods with spicy overtones.)

I thought the overall exhibition was very well done and I am thrilled to see architecture and design so front and center. It is an exciting time to be living in this city.

This week two new office buildings were announced in Toronto and Vancouver by Allied Properties and Westbank. Both are being designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). As you would expect, Alex Bozikovic of the Globe and Mail has done a proper writeup, here.
The building in Toronto (called Union Centre) is generally located at 171 Front Street West. It is a revision to a previous proposal for the site that was originally submitted back in 2014. That project got approved by Council, but the implementing by-laws were never enacted.
My favorite image from their rezoning resubmission is this one here:


This morning I went through some of the floor plans for King Toronto, which are now up on BuzzBuzzHome. In case you’re wondering, they are currently showing an average price of $1604 per square foot.
Here is a 1 bedroom + atelier:

And here is a 2 bedroom + atelier:

Right away you’ll probably notice a few things.
There are no dens in these plans. They have been replaced with ateliers, which sounds cool. I want my own atelier where I make things. But it may also be a clever way to get around calling them studies or nooks.
A lot of people in the industry have been commenting on how they’ve included the exterior living space in the calculation of total area. That seems logical to me, especially for a project like this where the terraces form such an integral part of the architecture.
The other thing I noticed is that the buildings are, actually, being referred to as mountains. This has been part of the project’s design narrative since the beginning. So I like the consistency. The above plans are for suites within the “east mountain.”
But what I wanted to ask all of you today is whether you find the addition of a 3D plan helpful. It’s obviously not new, but it is still fairly uncommon, at least in this market. Do you think it’s worth it?
It clearly shows the big idea behind the project, which is to push all of the building's elevator shafts to its north elevation. This opens up its large floor plates to the south, but also allows for a kind of elevator equalizer show on the outside of the building. The cabs are intended to be lit and the shafts are intended to be built using clear glazing. That's what you're seeing above.
I don't think we have enough fun with building lights here in Toronto. So I was pretty pumped to see this get proposed. What are your thoughts?
Rendering by Bjarke Ingels Group
It clearly shows the big idea behind the project, which is to push all of the building's elevator shafts to its north elevation. This opens up its large floor plates to the south, but also allows for a kind of elevator equalizer show on the outside of the building. The cabs are intended to be lit and the shafts are intended to be built using clear glazing. That's what you're seeing above.
I don't think we have enough fun with building lights here in Toronto. So I was pretty pumped to see this get proposed. What are your thoughts?
Rendering by Bjarke Ingels Group
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