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”.
