Hill and Dale

Sitting at the corner of Yonge and Roxborough Street in mid-town Toronto, this project transformed a nondescript three storey office block into a six storey mixed-use building comprised of retail, office and residential programs. Located steps from Rosedale subway station, the site demanded intensification, while still maintaining the intimate scale of storefronts and cafés along this stretch Yonge Street. The design is sensitive to the character of the surrounding context. Along the primary street frontage, the façade’s rhythmic form of projecting bays breaks up the block, echoing Yonge Street’s fine-grained storefronts. The original structure was set 20 ft back from the sidewalk creating a break in the pedestrian realm. The renovation pulled the threshold forward in line with adjacent storefronts, re-engaging and enlivening the pedestrian experience.

The complex program mix, associated entrance and loading requirements, and a full storey grade differential across the corner site required careful treatment of the public realm. An entry forecourt fosters mingling of office tenants, café patrons and retail shoppers in an intimately scaled and warmly lit urban room. Black granite piers are offset by light limestone paving and the space is framed with a warm wood soffit. This public space sits at the street corner under a cantilevered glass and steel volume. The glass-clad bays facing the street unify varying programs within and provide a canvas that reflects the surrounding context and dramatic patterns of cloud and sky. At a pedestrian scale, the reflections create the illusion of the upper levels dissolving into the sky. The building’s structural system utilized elements of the existing steel structure and took advantage of larger span capabilities of steel as opposed to more conventional concrete. In addition to the cantilevered volume over the entry, the fourth floor acts as a giant truss suspending the third floor of offices over a column free double height retail space designed for the requirements a major retail chain.

Despite increased density, the building does not impose upon neighboring Rosedale’s largely low rise, residential fabric. Fourteen unique residential units, accessed from a discreet entrance along the secondary street frontage, make up the top three floors. These floors are set back, creating a sense of privacy while establishing expansive terraces with panoramic views of the downtown skyline. Penthouse suites each have private stairs that access rooftop terraces providing views in all directions. Large panes of curtain wall glazing, luxurious ceiling heights and a shallow floorplate ensure all suites have a beautiful quality of light. Frameless glass railings at the terraces beyond allow residents to experience the feeling of floating just above the lush tree canopy of the surrounding neighborhood.

City: Toronto, Ontario
Size: 75 000 sf.
Status: Completed 2019