Archinect - News

Toronto’s proposed Ontario Place redevelopment is getting even more contentious

2023-01-10T14:43:00-05:00

New details are emerging in the controversial plan to redevelop Toronto’s mostly decommissioned Ontario Place after the exclusive Toronto International Film Festival unveiled further plans for a partnership with Therme Group, the Austrian entity behind the proposed $350 million project.

Local website blogTO has more details on the community’s negative response to the partnership, which will “promote the role of art and film in creating more human cities” through a series of talks spread over a ten-year period.

The online responses are only the latest thorn in the side of the provincial Ontario government and Premier Doug Ford following last summer’s harsh responses that eventually yielded a revised plan which reclassified a mere 12-acre segment of beachfront property for public use while retaining the original plan to have more than one-third of the site be developed privately.

Previously on Archinect: Toronto reveals still-contentious revised plan for proposed Ontario Place redev...

Canada wants to make federally-owned heritage buildings more accessible

2021-12-24T12:07:00-05:00

Inclusive design consultancy Human Space has been commissioned by the Canadian government with the aim of making the country’s federally-owned heritage buildings more accessible. The two-and-a-half-year project will seek to improve accessibility for users with disabilities without compromising the buildings’ heritage value.

The project will begin with an environmental scan of federally-owned heritage buildings as well as an outreach program to establish dialog with disability groups, heritage professionals, and other relevant parties.

Archinect Feature: Unpacking The Spatial Implications Of Architecture's Accessibility Failures

The research will also involve the study of national and global precedents on accessibility guidelines in heritage structures, and a series of on-site workshops with focus groups, including users of mobility devices, and people with hearing or vision difficulties. The design team will then test solutions with user groups and publish a public report includin...

A new proposal for 55 Yonge Street will bring much-needed vertical space to burgeoning downtown Toronto

2021-05-25T12:31:00-04:00

An ambitious proposal for a new 66-story mixed-use tower in downtown Toronto has been released as developers H&R REIT eye an approval looming late next year.

55 Yonge is the product of a collaboration between Canadian groups PARTISANS and Quadrangle, which was acquired by the UK group BDP at the beginning of 2019.

55 Yonge Street, rendering by Norm Li

The tower will have retail spaces and over 180,000 square feet of office space easily accessible by the nearby King Street TTC subway station. The design also features space for nearly 500 one-, two- and three-bedroom residential units for lease at a site that currently hosts a 12-story 1958 building by modernist master Peter Dickinson.

Anchored by a cavernous base, the lattice facade stretches into an elongated high-rise that provides an updated take on podium typology and the mid-century modern style once popular in Canada’s largest city.

55 Yonge Street, rendering by Norm Li

Toronto is changing, in part because of COVID-related vaca...

UK Parliament renovations uncover 360-year-old hidden passage

2020-02-28T12:56:00-05:00

A 360-year-old passageway once used by British monarchs has been rediscovered inside Parliament, revealing a piece of history that was thought to have been permanently covered up after World War II. [...] access to the passage had remained hidden in plain sight for about 70 years.

As the Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom undergo a $5 billion renovation and restoration project by architecture studio BDP, an archival team has rediscovered a hidden passageway once used by British monarchs, members of Parliament, and dignitaries like Benjamin Franklin that dates to the 17th-century. The passageway, according to the report, was created as a procession route for a coronation banquet for King Charles II and was in use for 150 years for other official events.

The secret passageway was partially hidden and almost totally forgotten following renovations in 1950s. Inside the space, researchers discovered graffiti dating to 1851, when the passageway was first sealed off. The graffiti reads: “This room was enclosed by Tom Porter who was very fond of Ould Ale.”

BDP wins Northern Estate Programme - the development of a number of historic buildings for the House of Commons

2016-11-21T12:23:00-05:00

The Northern Estate consists of a series of Grade I and II listed buildings, which provide office space for the House of Commons.

Many buildings on the estate have not been refurbished in over 40 years however they are now non-compliant with a multitude of regulatory and statutory building regulations and refurbishment has become essential.

15,300 sqm of office space will be restored with works due to be completed in the early 2020s.

Architect director Tim Leach said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to refurbish the buildings on Parliament’s Northern Estate, close to the Palace of Westminster and at the heart of Whitehall, to create a modern office environment and external landscape to meet the needs of the House of Commons, its MPs, researchers and supporting facilities, well into the 21st century.”

Boxpark opens in Croydon

2016-11-02T11:57:00-04:00

Boxpark established itself in Shoreditch in 2011 and now, after five successful years, has opened a new venue in Croydon, designed by BDP.

The venture is part of the council's plan to transform the borough and create new public spaces. Next to East Croydon station, the venue, like the original site, offers dining as well as space for small independent traders.

Architect director at BDP Gavin Elliott said:

"Shipping containers are an intrinsic component of the Boxpark brand. There’s something quite magical about taking this mundane and ubiquitous object and turning it into something desirable and transformational. We’re using 96 containers in total and only four of them are unaltered. The whole assembly is like a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle but the finished result looks deceptively simple.

Boxpark Croydon is a place for people. The design comes alive now it’s occupied. It was incredible to see it over the opening weekend, at dusk, with the lights on and the music pumping. Rammed with people...

Our predictions for the Stirling Prize 2016 nominees

2016-07-13T03:45:00-04:00

It’s that time of year again…On Thursday 14th July the nominees for this years Stirling Prize will be announced. For anyone who doesn’t know the UK’s most prestigious award, it was founded in 1996 and recognises “the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture in the past year.”

Although the future of the industry is somewhat uncertain following the EU referendum a few weeks ago, firms have been optimistic; confident in their innovative skill and entrepreneurial ability to tackle the potential problems ahead.

Looking back over completed projects from the last year, it is clear to see why. It has been a particularly impressive year for UK projects - it was no mean feat selecting our predictions for the six nominations.

AHMM - 61 Oxford Street
Last year AHMM took first place for Burntwood School in Wandsworth. This year we think they may have a chance with 61 Oxford Street, a distinctive and contemporary landmark that takes inspirati...

Foster + Partners, HOK among shortlisted for massive Palace of Westminster restoration project

2015-12-12T04:00:00-05:00

Alongside the companies shortlisted for the management services, four of the UK’s largest architectural practices have been shortlisted to provide architectural advice. The companies shortlisted are Allies & Morrison, BDP, Foster & Partners and HOK. [...] The report, produced by Deloitte Real Estate, Aecom and HOK, stated that the major works would cost between £3.5bn and £5.7bn and take between five and 40 years to complete.