East Lofts contributes to the ongoing intensification of the King-Parliament Precinct, with a 14-storey building that blends retail and commercial space with one-and two-storey lofts, at the intersection of King and Princess Streets. East fits smoothly into the surrounding built fabric. A six-storey podium maintains the street wall and roofline of adjacent 19th century commercial buildings, with an expressive grid of windows and masonry piers that echoes the fenestration of the surrounding warehouses. Stepping back on floors seven through fourteen, a finer grained pattern of clear and spandrel glass takes over, relieved by projecting glazed balconies. East furthers the goals of the King-Parliament Secondary Plan. It achieves a compatible relationship with surrounding heritage buildings, and promotes a mix of retail, commercial and residential uses. In the words of Toronto Star architecture critic Christopher Hume, East has “considerable sidewalk presence… [and] does its job better than many… to strengthen the streetscape”.
East Lofts
Comments
Going by the photos
which don't show much, I don't like it. I do like the retail at the base, though.
Great addition to the area, and a model for similar-scaled infil
East Lofts looks quite sophisticated, but the photos for consideration here really don't do it justice. Its lower floors have a staggered arrangement of brick walls that looks quite refined, along with its glass curtain wall. The upper floors have a geometric sleekness. The retail has been skillfully integrated into the ground floor of the building, and it feels urbane. It fits into the streetscape well, and I'd be comfortable seeing similar buildings serving as infill all along major streets, particularly in the suburbs.
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Looks great with the store
Looks great with the store front space!