Thinking BIG: Danish Architects Have a Radical Vision to Build a Distinct Condo Community in Toronto

OPINION Thinking BIG: Danish architects have a radical vision to build a distinct condo community in Toronto

In Europe, Bjarke Ingels Group’s innovative approach has created buildings that feel like villages. Can they replicate that in orth America?

ALEX BOZIKOVICARCHITECTURE CRITIC COPENHAGEN PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO- SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Unzipped Toronto, an exhibition in a pavilion designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, opens on Sept. 15, giving Torontonians a lookUnzipped at the Toronto, geometrically an exhibition complex in a pavilion style the designed firm is by bringing Bjarke Ingels to a Group,condo opens development on Sept. 15, on giving King TorontoniansStreet West. a look at the geometrically complex style the firm is bringing to a condo development on King Street West. DEREK SHAPTON

“If everyone is different, then why do so many buildings look the same?” asks Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. “That’s something we’ve been thinking about for a few years now.” It’s an excellent question – and as our cities absorb new developmentopinion in the form of apartment buildings, how can those buildings create a sense of community? Thinkingr. Ingels and his firm, BIG: Bjarke Danish Ingels Group BIG, architects have been exploring that questionhave in aa string of innovative buildings over the past decade – and now that effort is coming to downtown Toronto, in the form of a particularly radical building. After 2½ years of negotiations, the condo project Westbank King Street has been approved and is about to start sales. It’s beingradical heralded by “Unzipped vision Toronto,” to an exhibitionbuild in aa BIG distinctdesigned pavilion that condo opens this week.

Thecommunity new condo will be hard into miss. Toronto It could be the strangest residential building ever constructed in Canada. Certainly, it will set an interesting example for new housing. While new condos and apartments are often faulted for being soulless, thisIn Europe, promises Bjarke to Ingels be a carefullyGroup’s innovative detailed approach building, has a distinctive created buildings place, that and feel a village like villages. that contributes to the larger city. Can they replicate that in North America?

ALEX BOZIKOVIC ARCHITECTURE CRITIC COPENHAGEN SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

The 2016 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by BIG, has been erected on the King Street property where the Westbank development will go. The 2016 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by BIG, has been erected on the King Street property where the Westbank development will go.

Mr.abitat Ingels andfor hisToronto firm, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), have Habitat for Toronto been exploring that question in a string of innovative buildingsBIG is also over making the past its decade mark – on and other now that effort is BIG is also making its mark onCanadian other Canadian cities, cities, comingcollaborating to downtown in each Toronto, case with in the B.C.’s form of a particularly collaborating in each case withWestbank: B.C.’s Westbank: The 2 Thestorey ancouver ouse recently topped off, 52-storey Vancouver House recentlyand the toppedoffice toweroff, and Telus the radicalSky, Calgary’s building. Afterthird 2½ tallest years building,of negotiations, the condo opens to tenants this projectwinter. Westbank King Street has been approved and office tower Telus Sky, Calgary’s third tallest building, is about to start sales. It’s being heralded by “Unzipped opens to tenants this winter. Toronto,”But the mostan exhibition interesting in a BIG-designed of them is the pavilion that King Street project, by Westbank in partnership with Toronto But the most interesting of themoffice is developers the King Street Allied project, opensroperties this week. EIT. It was inspired by by Westbank in partnership withMoshe Toronto Safdie’ offices abitat developers , the legendary assemblage of prefab Allied Properties REIT. It wasboxes inspired on by Montreal’s Moshe Safdie’s Theharbour. new condo Ian Gillespiewill be hard of to Westbank, miss. It could the be the ambitious developer strangestleading the residential King project, building says ever he constructed in Canada. Habitat 67, the legendary assemblageadmires abitatof prefab forboxes its

Certainly,“ambition it willto create set an community”interesting example and for new on Montreal’s harbour. Ian Gillespiebecause of eachWestbank, of its theunits has its own identity – just like a single family house. “If you live in housing. While new condos and apartments are often ambitious developer leading the King project, says he The 2016 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by BIG,a house, has been that erectedhouse becomes on the King part Street of who property where the Westbank you are,” he argues. With faulted for being soulless, this promises to be a carefully admires Habitat for its “ambition to create community” development will go. King Street, “That is the ambition: that for residents, their home is detailedunique building,to them.” a distinctive place, and a village that and because each of its units has its own identity – just abitat for Toronto contributes to the larger city. like a single-family house. “If you live in a house, that ike abitat, the King Street building is house becomes part of who youconfigured are,” he argues. as a series With of King BIG is also making its mark on other “mountains,” irregular stacks of boxes that eachCanadian contain acities, home or a piece of one. The residences rise up, over and around Street, “That is the ambition: that for residents, their home collaborating in each case with B.C.’s four centuryold brick buildings, which will all beWestbank: retained The entirely 2storey or in large part. The BIG design borrows the peculiar ancouver ouse recently topped off, genius of Mr. Safdie’s design by giving each homeand its the own office distinct tower expression, Telusis unique and to them.” its own terrace. As you step out from an Sky, Calgary’s third tallest building, apartment, you’ll be able to look across the way opensto wave to tenantsto your thisneighbours. “Residents will be able to see each other and winter. say hello to each other,” Mr. Ingels says. Like Habitat, the King Street building is configured as a series of “mountains,” irregular stacks of boxes that each But the most interesting of them is the King Street project, by eanwhile, the interior spaces of each home and office unit are relativelycontain straightforward. a home or a piece The of condoone. The floor residences plans are rise up, Westbank in partnership with Toronto generally either square or shaped, with sensibleoffice rectangular developers rooms, Allied and the leftover corners taken up by corridors or roperties EIT. It was inspired by laundry rooms. They are eminently livable. ThisMoshe is typical Safdie’ of BIG’ss abitat work, over, which and around tends fourto juxtapose century-old fantastic brick buildings, ambition which with the legendary assemblage of prefab business savvy and technical expertise. Their partnersboxes on on Montreal’s the Toronto will project all be areretained Diamond entirely Schmit or in larget Architects. part. The BIG design harbour. Ian Gillespie of Westbank, the ambitious developer leading the King project, says he admires abitat for its borrows the peculiar genius of Mr. Safdie’s design by giving “ambition to create community” and because each of its unitseach home its own distinct expression, and its own terrace. has its own identity – just like a single family house. “If you liveAs in you step out from an apartment, you’ll be able to look a house, that house becomes part of who you are,” he argues. With King Street, “That is the ambition: that for residents, their homeacross is the way to wave to your neighbours. “Residents will unique to them.” be able to see each other and say hello to each other,” Mr. Ingels says. ike abitat, the King Street building is configured as a series of “mountains,” irregular stacks of boxes that each contain a home or a piece of one. The residences rise up, over and around four centuryold brick buildings, which will all be retained entirely or in large part. The BIG design borrows the peculiar genius of Mr. Safdie’s design by giving each home its own distinct expression, and its own terrace. As you step out from an apartment, you’ll be able to look across the way to wave to your neighbours. “Residents will be able to see each other and say hello to each other,” Mr. Ingels says.

eanwhile, the interior spaces of each home and office unit are relatively straightforward. The condo floor plans are generally either square or shaped, with sensible rectangular rooms, and the leftover corners taken up by corridors or laundry rooms. They are eminently livable. This is typical of BIG’s work, which tends to juxtapose fantastic ambition with business savvy and technical expertise. Their partners on the Toronto project are Diamond Schmitt Architects.

Meanwhile, the interior spaces of each home and office unit are relatively straightforward. The condo floor plans are generally either square or L-shaped, with sensible rectangular rooms, and the leftover corners taken up by corridors or laundry rooms. They are eminently livable. This is typical of BIG’s work, which tends to juxtapose fantastic ambition with business savvy and technical expertise. (Their partners on the Toronto project are Diamond Schmitt Architects.)

Westbank, at King and Portland, has been approved for development after a two-and-a-half-year negotiation process. Image by Hayes Davidson

Westbank, at King and Portland, has been approved for development after a two-and-a-half-year negotiation process.

HAYESDAVIDSON

Westbank, at King and Portland, has been approved for development after a two-and-a-half-year negotiation process.

HAYESDAVIDSON

The development was inspired by Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 in Montreal.

Each home at Westbank King Street will include a tree and vine-laden trellis. The development was inspired by Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 in Montreal. The development was inspired by Moshe Safdie’s Habitat HAYESDAVIDSONEach home at Westbank King Street will include a tree and A new model

67 in Montreal. Image by Hayes Davidson Still:vine-laden The design breaks trellis.a lot of rules. WhiImagech is why byit took Hayes two years of difficultDavidson negotiations with city planners to reach approvals. “We wanted it to be quieter,” says Lynda MacDonald, a senior Toronto planner who was involved in overseeing the project. “It’s a very large project, and we wanted to make sure it respected the character of King Street.”

That heritage concern is reasonable, on a block with a fine collection of brickandbeam warehouses and factories. et, planners can show an excessive deference to the idea of “context,” with bad – and dull – results. Two nearby condos are clad in brick, but they’re poorly detailed, neither interesting nor a match for Victorian craftsmanship.

BIG, and their clients, were ready to do something more thoughtful, but had no interest in blending in. After much back andforth, they’ve settled on glass block as the building’s main cladding material. Mr. Ingels refers back to Pierre Chareau’s Maison du Verre, the Modernist house completed in 1932 in a Paris courtyard. “The glass has a varied character,” he says. “It’s always changing, and there are different degrees of transparency and translucency that could be incredibly beautiful.”

Mr. Ingels, with his characteristic flair for metaphors, adds: “It will look a bit like an iceberg.”

The King Street project is also an ambitious experiment with urban design. There are basically two species of tower in Toronto: a midrise slab of six to 10 storeys, which steps back at the top; and a “towerandpodium,” a model borrowed from ancouver that combines a fat, squaredoff base (or “podium”) with a tall, skinny residential tower. Both can work, but can also create the bigbox blandness that many people dislike about new urban housing.

As for BIG, “We try to be informed by some of the qualities we perceive in the surroundings and take them one step further,” Mr. Ingels says. In this case, the important “quality” is the maze of laneways and courtyards on the site. The mountains will frame a central courtyard, which opens to the street to the north and towards a new park to the south. At ground level, the courtyard will run up against the facades of the heritage buildings, which will contain retail and office space and the courtyard itself will feature a dramatic design by local landscape architects ublic Work, including a graphic paving pattern that imitates s terrao, and a misting device they call a cloudmaker. It will have restaurant patios, and there will be performances Mr. Gillespie, whose company and partners will retain ownership of the retail and office spaces, promises a consistent slate of events. “It will be lively,” Mr. Gillespie says.

The landscape also extends, very significantly, up onto the fringes of the residences themselves. ach home will include a tree planted in a purposebuilt, irrigated planter and a trellis planted with vines. In drawings, the building looks spectacularly green; Mr. Gillespie and Mr. Ingels each describe those flora as critical to the design. “Westbank, and we, are very committed to making this work,” Mr. Ingels says.

And yet even before all those trees grow in, the building will be distinctive and varied: terracing up and down, lifting up to create an arch over a pedestrian pathway. “It is not just a giant rectangle,” Mr. Ingels says. Rather, it is deliberately intended as a device to create all sorts of social interaction. A new model partners will retain ownership of the retail and office spaces, promises a consistent slate of events. “It will be Still: The design breaks a lot of rules. Which is why it took lively,” Mr. Gillespie says. two years of difficult negotiations with city planners to reach approvals. “We wanted it to be quieter,” says Lynda The landscape also extends, very significantly, up onto MacDonald, a senior Toronto planner who was involved the fringes of the residences themselves. Each home will in overseeing the project. “It’s a very large project, and we include a tree planted in a purpose-built, irrigated planter wanted to make sure it respected the character of and a trellis planted with vines. In drawings, the building King Street.” looks spectacularly green; Mr. Gillespie and Mr. Ingels each describe those flora as critical to the design. “Westbank, That heritage concern is reasonable, on a block with a fine and we, are very committed to making this work,” Mr. collection of brick-and-beam warehouses and factories. Ingels says. Yet, planners can show an excessive deference to the idea of “context,” with bad – and dull – results. Two nearby And yet even before all those trees grow in, the building condos are clad in brick, but they’re poorly detailed, neither will be distinctive and varied: terracing up and down, interesting nor a match for Victorian craftsmanship. lifting up to create an arch over a pedestrian pathway. “It is not just a giant rectangle,” Mr. Ingels says. Rather, it BIG, and their clients, were ready to do something more is deliberately intended as a device to create all sorts of thoughtful, but had no interest in blending in. After much social interaction. back-and-forth, they’ve settled on glass block as the building’s main cladding material. Mr. Ingels refers back to Pierre Chareau’s Maison du Verre, the Modernist house completed in 1932 in a Paris courtyard. “The glass has a varied character,” he says. “It’s always changing, and there are different degrees of transparency and translucency that could be incredibly beautiful.”

Mr. Ingels, with his characteristic flair for metaphors, adds: “It will look a bit like an iceberg.”

The King Street project is also an ambitious experiment with urban design. There are basically two species of tower in Toronto: a midrise slab of six to 10 storeys, which

8 House, in Copenhagen's Orestad neighbourhood, was an earlier attempt by Bjarke Ingels to use the clustered building steps back at the top; and a “tower-and-podium,” a model design that's now being brought to Toronto. borrowed from Vancouver that combines a fat, squared- JENS8 House, LINDHE in Copenhagen’s Orestad neighbourhood, was an earlier attempt by Bjarke Ingels to use the clustered off base (or “podium”) with a tall, skinny residential tower. building design that’s now being brought to Toronto. Both can work, but can also create the big-box blandness 8Image House, in Copenhagen's by Jens Orestad Lindhe. neighbourhood, was an earlier attempt by Bjarke Ingels to use the clustered building that many people dislike about new urban housing. design that's now being brought to Toronto. JENS LINDHE As for BIG, “We try to be informed by some of the qualities we perceive in the surroundings and take them one step further,” Mr. Ingels says. In this case, the important “quality” is the maze of laneways and courtyards on the site. The mountains will frame a central courtyard, which opens to the street to the north and towards a new park to the south. At ground level, the courtyard will run up Not every unit in 8 House is exactly the same. 'No doubt it would be simpler to repeat the same apartment, but there is a against the facades of the heritage buildings, which will quality in diversity,' Bjarke Ingels says. TY STANGE contain retail and office space; and the courtyard itself will Zoom/Pan feature a dramatic design by local landscape architects

Public Work, including a graphic paving pattern that Not every unit in 8 House is exactly the same. 'No doubt it would be simpler to repeat the same apartment, but there is a quality in diversity,' Bjarke Ingels says. imitates 1950s terrazzo, and a misting device they call TY STANGE Zoom/PanNot every unit in 8 House is exactly the same. ‘No doubt it a cloudmaker. It will have restaurant patios, and there would be simpler to repeat the same apartment, but there will be performances; Mr. Gillespie, whose company and is a quality in diversity,’ Bjarke Ingels says. Image by Hayes Davidson TY Stange. The Orestad experiment As we walked down the ramp toward dinner at 8 House’s (very good) restaurant, I could take in the suburban Mr. Ingels and BIG have done this before. In the suburban normalcy and also the 3-D complexity of the architecture. Copenhagen neighborhood of Orestad, there is a cluster of Neighbours were grilling meat or sitting on their patios four apartment buildings by BIG and by Mr. Ingels’s earlier with glasses of wine; we strolled by on the paved, snaking firm. One of them, the Mountain Dwellings, is a stack of 80 Thepath, restad moving experiment through part of the building in a tunnel. Then apartments splayed atop a wedge-shaped parking garage. Mr.we Ingels veered and BIG have off done the this before. path In and descended a vertiginousthe suburban flight Copenhagen neighborhood of restad, there is a cluster of four Each unit has a terrace with planter boxes, which – when apartment buildings by BIG and by Mr. Ingels’s earlier firm. ne of them,of stairs, the Mountain passing Dwellings, is a stackby ofa 0 couple watering their gardenapartments and splayeda atop a wedgeshaped parking garage. ach unit has a terrace with I was there recently, nine years after the building was planter boxes, which – when I was there recently, nine years afterman the building reading was completed the – newspaper,looked and looking out acrossremarkably the verdant. completed – looked remarkably verdant. ot far away stands ouse, the largest and the most famous of The restad experiment theseadjacent projects. It’s thewetlands. subject of a 2015 documentary, The Infinite Happiness, that depicts the building’s basement tinkerers and yoga classes.

This is where I met redrik Lyng and Gabrielle adeau, two young architectsSo how who work will for BIGthis and livemodel in – of intimacy and spatial complexityouse. They and their two young daughters live in a townhouse on the 10th floor; Mr. Ingels and BIG have done this before. In theeachand suburban day, surprising they make their way homejuxtapositions along a – work in an old partgentle of outdoor a ramp that winds upward from the street, past their neighbours’ patios and around green courtyards. Copenhagen neighborhood of restad, there is a cluster“INorth feel like we American are partof of a 3fourD community,” city? Mr. Ms. Nadeau, Ingels who grew is up optimistic. in Quebec, told me in “I her think living room. “I see 8 House as a village much more than a building.” apartment buildings by BIG and by Mr. Ingels’s earlierTheyone had power just firm. moved a architecturefew doors ne down into aof new can apartment, have,” slightly differentMr. Ingels from their old says, one with “isa bonus to living room tucked behind an elevator. The building is full of such variations, which allow residents “to find, much more precisely, what they’re looking for,” Mr. Ingels tells me. “No doubt it would be simpler to repeat the same apartment, but them, the Mountain Dwellings, is a stack of 0 apartmentstherecreate is a quality different in diversity.” splayed niches where life can occur, and create As we walked down the ramp toward dinner at 8 House’s (very good) restaurant, I could take in the suburban normalcy andencounters also the 3D complexity so of that the architecture. the communityeighbours were grilling can meat or be sitting more on their patios tightly with glasses of atop a wedgeshaped parking garage. ach unit haswin ae; we terrace strolled by on the paved, with snaking path, moving through part of the building in a tunnel. Then we veered off the pathknit.” and descended In Toronto, a vertiginous flightwe’ll of stairs, see. passing by a couple watering their garden and a man reading the planter boxes, which – when I was there recently,newspaper, and looking nine out across theyears adjacent wetlands. So how will this model – of intimacy and spatial complexity and surprising juxtapositions – work in an old part of a orth American city? Mr. Ingels is optimistic. “I think one power architecture can have,” Mr. Ingels says, “is to create different after the building was completed – looked remarkablyniches where life can occur, andverdant. create encounters so that the community can be more tightly knit.” In Toronto, we’ll see.

ot far away stands ouse, the largest and the most famous of these projects. It’s the subject of a 2015 documentary, The Infinite Happiness, that depicts the building’s basement tinkerers and yoga classes.

This is where I met redrik Lyng and Gabrielle adeau, two young architects who work for BIG and live in ouse. They and their two young daughters live in a townhouse on the 10th floor; each day, they make their way home along a gentle outdoor ramp Not far away stands 8 House, the largest and the most that winds upward from the street, past their neighbours’ patios and around green courtyards. HAYESDAVIDSON famous of these projects. It’s the subject of a 2015 FOLLOW ALEX BOZIKOVIC ON TWITTER @ALEXBOZIKOVIC REPORT AN ERROR EDITORIAL CODE OF CONDUCT documentary, The Infinite Happiness, that depicts the Image by Hayes Davidson. “I feel like we are part of a 3D community,” Ms. Nadeau,building’s who basement grew tinkerers up in andQuebec, yoga classes. told me in her living room. “I see 8 House as a village much more than a building.” This is where I met Fredrik Lyng and Gabrielle Nadeau, two Follow Alex Bozikovic on Twitter @AlexBozikovic They had just moved a few doors down into a new apartment,young architects slightly who work different for BIG and livefrom in 8 House.their old one with a bonus living They and their two young daughters live in a townhouse on Report an Error Editorial Code of Conduct room tucked behind an elevator. The building is full ofthe such 10th floor; variations, each day, they which make their allow way home residents along “to find, much more precisely, what they’re looking for,” Mr. Ingels tells me.a gentle “No outdoor doubt ramp it thatwould winds beupward simpler from the to street, repeat the same apartment, but there is a quality in diversity.” past their neighbours’ patios and around green courtyards.

As we walked down the ramp toward dinner at 8 House’s“I feel like(very we are good) part of arestaurant, 3-D community,” IMs. could Nadeau, take in the suburban normalcy and also the 3D complexity of the architecture. eighbourswho grew upwere in Quebec, grilling told me meat in her livingor sitting room. “I see on 8 their patios with glasses of House as a village much more than a building.” wine; we strolled by on the paved, snaking path, moving through part of the building in a tunnel. Then we veered off the path and descended a vertiginous flight of stairs, passingThey hadby justa couple moved a few watering doors down their into a new garden and a man reading the newspaper, and looking out across the adjacent wetlands.apartment, slightly different from their old one with a bonus living room tucked behind an elevator. The building So how will this model – of intimacy and spatial complexityis full of such and variations, surprising which allow juxtapositions residents “to find, – work in an old part of a orth much more precisely, what they’re looking for,” Mr. Ingels American city? Mr. Ingels is optimistic. “I think one power architecture can have,” Mr. Ingels says, “is to create different tells me. “No doubt it would be simpler to repeat the same niches where life can occur, and create encounters so thatapartment, the but community there is a quality can in diversity.” be more tightly knit.” In Toronto, we’ll see.

HAYESDAVIDSON FOLLOW ALEX BOZIKOVIC ON TWITTER @ALEXBOZIKOVIC REPORT AN ERROR EDITORIAL CODE OF CONDUCT