Modern architecture in Toronto

Toronto is completely consistent with the atmosphere of American cities. This city is located in the province of Ontario and is considered the largest city in Canada. The dense and numerous skyscrapers in the downtown of this metropolis are the most important similarity between Toronto and American cities.

Toronto is a global city and a hub for business, finance, art, and culture, and is known as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Toronto's diverse population reflects its current and historical role as an immigrant-friendly city, with more than 50% of its residents belonging to minority groups and more than 200 different ethnicities living in it. Although people living in Toronto mostly speak English, 160 different languages ​​can be identified in this city. In addition, Toronto is considered one of the prominent centers of music, theater, film, and television productions and is the headquarters of important Canadian media and television networks. Various cultural institutions, museums and galleries, festivals and events, recreational areas, historical places, and sports activities attract more than 25 million tourists to this city every year. Read the Architectural design of the tower in Toronto article for more information

A Guide to Toronto modern architecture

When Europeans first arrived in the present-day Toronto area, the Huron tribe lived in that area. The history of human habitation in this area dates back to more than 11 thousand years ago, more precisely, after the ice age, human habitation began in this area. Toronto, which originally belonged to Britain, took the form of a city in 1793 and entered a new era as an independent city in 1834.

Toronto architecture is an eclectic mix of different styles, ranging from 19th-century Georgian architecture to 21st-century postmodern architecture. Initially, the city was on the fringes of the architectural world, accepting the styles and ideas developed in Europe and the United States with only limited local variation. The old buildings of Toronto are influenced by the history and culture of this city. The design of most of the city's older buildings adopted patterns and styles found elsewhere in the British Empire, such as Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, and various Revival-style designs popular during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the years after the Second World War, Toronto experienced significant growth in various fields, and modern and postmodern architectural styles, including the international style. Since then, prominent architects such as Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Norman Foster, Will Alsop, IMP, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe have created important works in this city to form the structure of modern architecture in Toronto. Reflecting on this eclectic mix of architecture, Lawrence Richards, a member of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto, says, "Toronto is a new, flawless place - a great mix of eras and styles." The natural geography of Toronto provides various resources to builders so that they can take on their maximum creativity and ability in design.

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It should be noted that the significant economic growth of this city and the presence of young and educated people from all over the world have created a special position for it. Therefore, from the most modern and tallest skyscrapers to villas connected with the pristine nature of the region and concert halls, and exhibitions with the capacity of thousands of people can be found in the list of modern architecture in Toronto. Due to the extensive examples, this article will focus on Toronto’s residential part.

Skyscrapers are at the top of the list when we search among various sources regarding Toronto modern architecture. As if the presence of this type of architecture in Toronto and the modern and progressive face they have given to this city are considered the most important identity of its architecture and urban planning.

It is interesting to know that in the list of 15 super tall skyscrapers in the world, the name of the “Forma” skyscraper as a modern architecture in Toronto by Frank Gehry is also visible. Gehry's design includes two skyscrapers with a height of 262 and 308 meters and the same schemes. The facade of these skyscrapers is made of stainless steel and their wavy shape has a sculptural and folded shape.

modern architecture toronto

The lobby of the two skyscrapers has a higher height than the other floors which with its glass facade, is a reflection of the warm colors used in the interior design. These skyscrapers, which are expected to be completed by 2028, will be the tallest residential skyscrapers designed by Frank Gehry. The lobby has limestone walls with Scandinavian furniture and the ceiling will be decorated with an installation that features a metallic "shimmering motif of maple leaves."

Another example of skyscrapers in the list of modern architecture in Toronto is Harbor Plaza Residences, a multi-functional complex consisting of two skyscrapers that were built in 2018 on the shores of Lake Ontario. Along with all the features that have made the architects-Alliance project one of the finalists of the A-Awards 2021 competition, its social approach is very important. This complex is located on a commercial site, which before its construction, at 5 p.m., would take on an abandoned state and be empty of people. After the implementation of the Harbor Plaza Residences project with the presence of almost 9000 residents and workers and those who use the public facilities of the plaza, this part of the city turned into a 24-hour and lively neighborhood. The residential part is placed on a four-story platform with a commercial function, which plays an essential role in the revitalization of the area.

The dancing towers of MAD architecture studio are an important example of Toronto modern architecture, the twin towers introduced mad as a professional architecture group to the world for the first time, and Toronto showed the potential of introducing projects It has different designers to the world. These residential towers, designed to rethink the urban lifestyle, explore the question of “what is the home house of today” and “what message contemporary architecture should convey”.

Seeking to create a new identity for the rapidly growing suburb of Mississauga, the design team took this project as an opportunity to respond to the needs of an expanding city. Oval plates are used in the design of the towers, which are wrapped around the central vertical axis. The final result of this modern architecture in Toronto is the creation of a unique residential building, which is known as "Marilyn Monroe" among the locals due to its curved shape. To bear the loads resulting from the oval plates that make up the floors of this skyscraper, the walls and columns of each floor are designed separately and have a non-linear behavior.

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Acting as a gateway to the modern city, MAD's design features a continuous balcony that surrounds the entire building, eliminating the vertical barriers traditionally used in high-rise architecture. The whole building rotates at different levels and provides a 360-degree view of each residential unit.

Villa architecture in Toronto

Due to the extraordinary nature of the Ontario region, the desire to become one with the environment can be seen especially in the design of modern villas. The use of minimal style, neutral colors, and large windows that focus more on nature outside are common points that can be seen in the villa architecture in Toronto.

Waxwing Villa is a good example to understand the design features of modern Toronto villas. This villa with an area of ​​4200 square meters has three floors and six bedrooms. The idea of ​​this house is fully expressed in the front view: two volumes connected by a transparent glass bridge, inviting the surrounding trees to play in the interior.

The central core of Waxwing as modern villa architecture in Toronto on the ground floor is a wooden volume, in addition to housing the stairwell, it has also created a three-sided fireplace. The windows in this section are folded and gathered upwards and connect the living room to the terrace in front of it which is surrounded by trees. The trees that surround this villa evoke the feeling of being in an old and dense forest

One of the volumes of this villa architecture in Toronto, with its shiny titanium material, is a reflection of this mysterious forest.

Manitouwabing Lake Residence is another example of villa architecture in Toronto, a building that, with a smaller size than the previous example, has well displayed the features mentioned for modern villas in Toronto. This villa is placed on a rectangular plate, where about three-quarters of it are the building and the remaining part is a yard facing the lake.

The turning point of this villa architecture in Toronto is the stone slab that is placed in the middle of it, and its organic form, in contrast with the Euclidean geometry of the villa, creates a strong dialogue with the surrounding environment. The accordion-shaped windows and the simple and minimal design of the space have a double emphasis on the surrounding nature and cause the gaze to constantly move outward. In this example, the opening and closing of the windows add to the interior space and invite nature inside.For more information, visit the Modern villa design in Toronto page.

Toronto modern architecture

One of the most important topics in modern architecture around the world is the reconstruction of an old building and its adaptation to the needs of the modern era. This approach is also very important in terms of sustainability. Because a significant amount is saved in the consumption of materials and the waste from construction is reduced. In this regard, we will go to one of the examples of reconstruction in the Toronto modern architecture. An example that was renovated by PAUL RAFF architecture studio in Tonto in 2013 is considered one of the flagship projects of this group. The back facade of the house consists of a series of delicate wooden panels that can rotate and open simultaneously to create a courtyard with delicate layers.

The creation of semi-open layers that slowly create spatial boundaries has caused a constant movement between the inside and outside of the villa, and like most of the modern villas in Toronto, the wide windows throughout help the space to flow and the villa has natural light. The owners of this house describe it as saying: "This house is very big, but there is a feeling of intimacy and peace in it. The space and nature outside flow slowly inside the house and it seems that we are living in a garden”.

Modern architecture in Toronto covers a very wide range of various functions. In the examples reviewed in this article, attention to the way people interact with architecture was a very prominent issue; a factor that makes an area free from silence and desolation on a large scale, and on a smaller scale, a house with a large area becomes a cozy and intimate space.

Following the minimal design methods and not using the combination of complex volumes is another issue that can be seen in the modern architecture in Toronto. In other words, the integration of the building and the substrate is the most important point that is taken into consideration in the design process. The link with the site, especially in villa architecture in Toronto, is very impressive because these uses are generally built in the natural environment and the architects do their best to focus all the attention of the users on the outside environment. Perhaps Toronto modern architecture can be considered a branch of architecture that cares about the relationship with the surrounding environment more important than any other issue. It seems that the architects are well aware of the fact that designing in an international city like Toronto requires an approach that avoids chaos and disorder in the fabric of the city and even its outside environment while responding to different needs. Immigrants and indigenous people have their own identities.