Archinect - News

Royal Ontario Museum unveils renovation design by Hariri Pontarini Architects

2024-02-14T19:50:00-05:00

Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum has unveiled plans for a renovation of its Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal expansion, which opened in 2008. Led by Canadian firm Hariri Pontarini Architects, the OpenROM project is being enacted to expand its public offerings to an anticipated 1.4 million visitors annually.

The brief calls for a reconfiguration of its main floor, plus the addition of upper-level gallery spaces and the reimagining of an existing entrance on Bloor Street. A new water feature will be added to the heritage facade surrounding the building on Bloor Street and Queen’s Park, punctuated by a cantilevered bronze canopy. A total of 4,000 square feet of programmable public spaces will be added through the overall design.

Image courtesy Hariri Pontarini Architects

Also part of the project is the addition of a four-story atrium called The Hennick Commons. The atrium will be serviced by a multi-level adjacent lily pad feature staircase replete with viewing platform...

Toronto’s race to the top gets a new 105-story contender

2022-11-14T18:58:00-05:00

In the quest to build the tallest skyscraper in Canada, developer Pinnacle International appears to be inching ahead, with a new proposal that would see the second tower at the foot of Yonge Street reach over 100 storeys. Pinnacle submitted an application late last month with the city, seeking to allow 12- and 10-storey increases to the already approved 80- and 95-storey towers in its development at the site of the current Toronto Star building.

Hariri Pontarini Architects’ amended design for the already-underway SkyTower could become Toronto’s first triple-digit-story supertall, equaling the height of the CN Tower’s observation deck. Anson Kwook, a VP of marketing for the developer said it would also add a “piece of artwork” to the city’s skyline.

Previously on Archinect: Construction kicks off on SkyTower, Canada's tallest residential tower

Toronto’s planning division has been flooded with proposed tall building designs since the beginning of last year, including designs for Studio Gang’s first Canadian venture; the forthcoming 55 Yonge mixed-use development by PARTISANS and Quadrangle; Frank Gehry’s revised King Street West apartments; and a proposed 31-story mass timber structure from local studio ICON Architects that would topple Milwaukee’s Ascent Tower for the world record use of that material upon its speculative completion in 2027.

HPA unveils design for new mixed-use flatiron tower in Toronto

2020-11-11T18:30:00-05:00

Hariri Pontarini Architects (HPA) and DesignAgency have unveiled the design for Galleria III, a new mixed-use tower that will be a part of the next phase of ELAD Canada's Galleria on the Park master-planned community.

The tower will mark the entryway into the 20-acre site with a flatiron design that celebrates the industrial heritage of the local surroundings. Once complete, it will become Toronto's tallest flatiron building.

At 31 stories, Galleria III features a deep red brick at the lower podium, paying homage to the site's neighboring structures. Metal panels throughout the structure's exterior are inspired by the patterns of steel radiators, further tying the design to the industrial heritage of the region.

Third floor amenities

Eleventh floor amenities

"We wanted to work on this influential tower so we could both build on the existing character of the neighbourhood and look to the future, setting the tone for the continued evolution of the West End," said David Pontarini, Foundi...

Construction kicks off on SkyTower, Canada's tallest residential tower

2020-09-15T13:20:00-04:00

Work has officially begun on what will soon be a 312.5 metre-high (1025 foot) skyscraper in Toronto, the tallest residential condominium tower ever built in the country. SkyTower, from Pinnacle International, is part of a multi-tower development that’s now under construction at 1 Yonge Street — the iconic Toronto address is also the inspiration behind the project’s namesake, Pinnacle One Yonge.

SkyTower, designed by Toronto firm Hariri Pontarini Architects in collaboration with Vancouver-based Pinnacle International, is set to become the city's second-tallest building overall behind the iconic CN Tower.

Rendering courtesy of Pinnacle International.

The building is the second of three towers at Toronto's massive multi-tower development Pinnacle One Yonge. The 65-story The Prestige next door is already under construction.

“In the fractured 21st century, we can respond to a human yearning to come together”: Baha’i Temple of South America by Hariri Pontarini Architects wins 2019 RAIC International Prize

2019-10-25T22:00:00-04:00

Built at the foot of the Andes near Santiago, Chile, the Baha’i Temple of South America by Hariri Pontarini Architects has attracted over 1.4 million visitors since opening in 2016. Tonight during an awards ceremony in Toronto, the RAIC announced the temple as the winner of their 2019 International Prize.

Established in 2013 by notable Canadian architect Richard Moriyama, the biennial CAD$100,000 prize — formerly called the Moriyama RAIC International Prize — honors socially transformative architecture and is open to architects worldwide. The temple was one of three competitive shortlisted projects.

Photo credit: Andrés Silva.

The domed temple plays a significant role for the local community by providing a welcoming space to gather and sit in quiet contemplation. Perhaps the building's most distinctive feature is the nine gracefully torqued wings that form an oculus at the top. The wings are made of an outer layer of cast-glass panels and an interior layer of translucent marble from ...

Designs unveiled for Toronto's massive multi-tower development: Pinnacle One Yonge

2017-10-17T18:13:00-04:00

Toronto's skyline will soon see the addition of five new buildings, all united in one massive development spanning two city blocks. Designed by Toronto firm Hariri Pontarini Architects in collaboration with Vancouver-based Pinnacle International, the project, dubbed One Yonge, will reportedly offer more than four million square-feet of (near) lakefront property.

Read on for more images and a project description we have received from the architects:

"The development, on Toronto’s waterfront, rethinks the typical mix of residential, commercial and retail space found in Toronto. It will be comprised of five new buildings and the re-clad existing Toronto Star building, all within two city blocks."

"The north block includes three residential towers (at 95, 80 and 65 storeys) with hotel, affordable housing, community ...