Project Details
- Project Name
- LCBO Headquarters, 100 Queens Quay, Sugar Wharf, Toronto
- Architect
- B+H Architects
- Client/Owner
- Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Size
- 763,000 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2021
- Shared by
- kga pr
- Team
- Patrick Fejér, Principal-In-Charge
- Consultants
-
Architect of Record: B+H Architects,Other: Menkes Development,Landscape Architect: NAK Design Group,Consulting Engineer: Stephenson Engineering,Planning + Heritage: Urban Strategies Inc.
- Certifications & Designations
- Other
- Project Status
- On the Boards/In Progress
- Room or Space
- Exteriors
- Style
- Modern
Project Description
Location: Toronto, Canada Size: 700,000 ft2 Status: Under Construction Developer: Menkes Developments Ltd.
25-storey, 763,000 square foot office tower, 300,000 square feet of commercial retail space
Considering that urban expansion often happens within small pockets of land, large-scale master plan communities present an exciting and rare opportunity to go beyond simply building towers to accommodate growth.
The Lower Yonge Precinct redevelopment in downtown Toronto exemplifies such an opportunity. Responding to the needs of an evolving city, this development is part of Toronto’s plan to transform its waterfront into a lively community and destination for people to eat, sleep, live, work and play. Serving approximately 28,000 new residents and employees, this ambitious 22.2- acre redevelopment is poised to become a vibrant new community through a strategic mixed-use development plan that’s focused on sustainable high-density design principles. Proposed for this neighbourhood are thirteen towers; a community recreation centre; an elementary school; two child care facilities; affordable housing units; enhanced cycling infrastructure; and modifications and connections to main arteries of transportation within the city.
The first phase spans across 11.5 acres and features four to five million square feet of mixed-use space. The 24-storey, Class “AAA” LEED® Platinum commercial and retail building planned at 100 Queens Quay East is an integral component of the first phase of the Lower Yonge Precinct redevelopment, setting a precedent within this future community. A place of work within a predominantly residential community, the tower creates a level of density at the south corner and within the Lower Yonge Precinct that’s required for this urban hub. It has provisions for a large food market and will include the new headquarters of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO).
An expansive three-acre public park and residential towers are also planned for the development. The plan includes a diverse range of spaces and services that encourage people to interact and promotes livability through a single destination that supports many needs and connects people, spaces and services. Linked to the downtown core via major pedestrian, vehicular and public transportation networks, the building celebrates all modes of transportation. Connections in the building are accommodated through joining floors and a potential atrium designed for collaboration, while internal spaces allow for flexibility for both perimeter offices and open workspace layouts. While fostering connections among individuals is crucial to creating livable communities, it’s equally important to create connections with nature, particularly within the city. At 100 Queens Quay East, this connection is created through the implementation of, and subtle reference to, natural and green features.
“The façade planned for 100 Queens Quay E features accents of inward angled glass panels that optically fragment the face of the building and create a shimmering plane reminiscent of ripples on the surface of a lake,” explains B+H Architects Principal-In-Charge Patrick Fejér. “These sloping panels produce dynamic reflections of the surrounding environment – reflecting the nearby park, the building’s green roof and the sky above.”
In response to the need for more natural spaces within urban centres, the tower will feature a large green roof located atop the building’s podium. Far enough from the action on the street to create a respite from the bustle of city living, it’s also close enough to keep people connected to the energy of the area. Additional green space is provided by the adjacent park, which functions as the building’s front lawn – the ultimate urban amenity space.
Extensive sustainability features complete the green package for the tower with elements that target a LEED® Platinum rating. Commanding a presence through its adjacency to the surrounding residential landscape, 100 Queens Quay E serves as a prominent office centre that extends a newly built commercial node established nearby. Located off a major city artery, the welcoming and humanly scaled main entrance is supplemented by various points of entry on other faces of the podium, inviting traffic flow and subsequently, animating the main elevation of the tower. The building’s orientation not only offers views of the lake along its long axis but also establishes a protective buffer for residential tower clusters located to the north. At the base of the tower, an intimate two-storey podium provides much-needed retail space.
Necessary functions and requirements of the flagship LCBO store, the potential anchor grocery store and ancillary convenience retail outlet have been neatly addressed by concealing surface parking from the exterior and strategically tucking loading below grade. The 100 Queens Quay East tower is a prime example of a comprehensive design approach where planners, designers and developers respond to the need for spaces that encourage people to live, work and play together. People instinctively want to be where other people are. When spaces in communities are created to encourage connections between people, spaces, services and amenities, we create a dimension of livability within neighbourhoods that contributes to the livability of cities and adds to our overall quality of life.