London-based architecture firm WilkinsonEyre got the nod from developers Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines to design Bay Park Centre, a $2 billion, 3 million-sf complex in downtown Toronto.
The Globe and Mail reports that the 81 Bay Street and 141 Bay Street office towers feature a glass façade wrapped around a diagonal structural grid, consisting of 10-story-tall steel diamonds that rise off the sides of the building. On the interior, bays and lounges fill the space created by the diamond protrusions.
The complex sits above a commuter bus station and next to Union Station, the busiest transit center in Canada. A one-acre elevated green space four stories above the ground will connect the two towers and serve as a plaza for workers in the buildings. The space will have slopes and hills, gardens, and shade groves.
Two Toronto firms, architect Adamson Associates and landscape architect Public Work, are also involved in the project. The first phase of the plan, the 54-story, 1.3 million-sf 81 Bay Street tower, has been approved.
(Click photos to enlarge)
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Jul 15, 2015
Pelli Clarke Pelli's Wolf Point tower would be Chicago's fifth-tallest
Updated renderings from César Pelli's firm show a taller, slimmer design, possibly exceeding 1,000 feet.
High-rise Construction | Jul 15, 2015
Landmark status could delay Hancock Center renovations
Chicago officials have started to marshal documents to protect the tower against planned architectural changes.
High-rise Construction | Jul 13, 2015
Herzog & de Meuron’s triangle tower stirs controversy in Paris
The 590-foot glass pyramid building will include a 120-room hotel, 754,000 sf of office space, and cultural facilities.
High-rise Construction | Jul 13, 2015
CTBUH honors top innovations in skyscraper design
The Holedeck coffer slab system is among the breakthrough technologies and projects recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat with Performance and Innovation Awards.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 9, 2015
Melbourne approves Beyoncé inspired skyscraper
The bootylicious tower is composed of 660 apartments and a 160-room hotel at the west end of Melbourne's business district.
High-rise Construction | Jul 7, 2015
Bjarke Ingels designs Frankfurt skyscraper with a surprise in the middle
Several levels in the center of the 185-meter tower are shifted outward to allow for terraces with city views.
High-rise Construction | Jul 5, 2015
ASHRAE releases design guide for skyscrapers
Tall buildings present unique and formidable challenges to architects and engineers because of their size, location in major urban areas, and multiple, complex occupancies, says Peter Simmonds, author of the guide.
High-rise Construction | Jun 23, 2015
The world's best new skyscrapers for 2015
One World Trade Center and Abu Dhabi's Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower are among the four towers named Best Tall Buildings by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Office Buildings | Jun 17, 2015
Daniel Libeskind unveils 'talking towers' design for Rome development
The scheme will drastically change the Eternal City’s skyline: three angular towers that look like they’re “in conversation with one another.”
High-rise Construction | Jun 15, 2015
Cornell Tech breaks ground on world's first Passive House residential high-rise
To achieve Passive House standards, Cornell Tech Residential will incorporate a number of sustainability-focused design elements. The façade, constructed of a prefabricated metal panel system, acts as a thermally insulated blanket wrapping the building structure.
