It has been almost three months since the first signs of structural bracing were spotted on the north and west facades of the Canadian Westinghouse Building, a 6-storey, 1927-built warehouse building in Toronto's Entertainment District. In the time since, red-painted steel bracing has been applied to the red brick and terra-cotta facades on the southeast corner of King Street and Blue Jays Way, preparing them for their in-situ preservation and eventual incorporation into the podium levels of Greenland Group's King Blue.
Bracing on the north and west facades of the Canadian Westinghouse Building, image by Jack Landau
With the bracing in place, the next step in the complex preservation effort—being overseen by heritage specialists ERA Architects—involves the demolition of the remaining structure, leaving behind the temporarily supported facades. By yesterday afternoon, the demolition activity had become apparent to passersby with large notches having been cut from the remainder of the building. (Its south and east facades were stripped of their outside bricks and architectural details earlier this year.)
View from the south showing the facades almost fully disconnected from the surrounding structure, image by Jack Landau
The ongoing preservation work is notable in that it sets a new record for the highest historical façade ever retained in-situ in Canada. While other facade preservation projects in the country have indeed been taller, they have all been disassemblies and reconstructions, with the materials being stored offsite for a while.
View of the Westinghouse Building from the east, image by Jack Landau
The next step in the construction timeline for the Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed complex will be the completion of demolition of the remaining Westinghouse Building, followed by shoring work on the building's former footprint. After shoring is completed, excavation will begin, followed by the rise of the complex's six-storey podium and 48 and 44-storey condominium towers.
Rendering of King Blue Condos, image courtesy of Greenland Group
You can learn more about King Blue by visiting our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.