FEDERAL COURT BUILDING
Toronto, 2007
PROJECT DETAILS
LOCATION
180 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
SIZE
259,000 sf
CLIENT
Great West Life Realty Advisers
COST
$50.0 million
COMPLETION
2007
SPLIT PERSONALITY
A competition-winning scheme for a modestly sized Toronto tower presents two distinct but complementary fronts.
QUEEN TO A KING
The new 180 Queen Street West tower is conceived as a companion/counterpoint to the broad-shouldered stone heritage building that stands at the heart of the Canada Life Campus – its iconic centerpiece, if you will, a Queen to King relationship.
SYMBOLISM
The main symbol for the building and project is dynamic balance: expressed through its hybridized form. It also picks up on the curves of neighbouring City Hall.
GREEN FLOOR
At the midway point, a green garden floor organizes the building in two parts, with a stone and glass base accommodating the Federal Court. Above that, a levitating, sail-like building with curved glass surfaces provides commercial space and the possibility of future Federal Court expansion.
CREDITS ↓
ARCHITECTS
KPMB ARCHITECTS: Thomas Payne (partner-in-charge), Christopher Couse (senior associate), Kevin Thomas (project architect), Luigi LaRocca, Goran Milosevic, Franziska Cape, Rita Kiriakis, Katya Marshall, Thom Seto, John Agnidis, Aaron Letki, Chris Wegner, Clementine Chang, Richard Wong, John Allen
CONSULTANTS
Stone McQuire Vogt Architects (consulting architects, production), Halcrow Yolles (structural, building envelope), The Mitchell Partnership (mechanical), Mulvey & Banani International Inc. (electrical), Urban Strategies (urban design), LEA Consulting Ltd. (traffic), Leber/Rubes Inc. (building code), Solucore Elevator Solutions with Soberman Engineering (elevators), Extreme Measures (floor area analysis), RWDI (wind study), Halsall Associates (LEED Federal Judicial Centre fit-up)
PHOTOGRAPHY
Eduard Hueber, Tom Arban, Peter Sellar