Block 33 and 37 are the last two city blocks within the area formerly known as the rail way lands and now known as Concord Cityplace. Raw design directors have been working in the area for number of years. They contributed to the Fort York Neighbourhood Masterplan and were responsible for the design of West Harbour city and LTD mixed use condominiums and are currently overseeing the construction of LTD.
As a result of the success of the designs for Panorama and Discovery, Concord requested that RAW design their last open sites, Blocks 33 and37 in Cityplace. The development comprises 1200 units and some 1.4M sf with retail and private amenity areas. In contrast to the heavy podium and tower configurations of the previous developments, raw design has sought to break down the blocks providing a more permeable pedestrian realm. Open public ways bisect the site linking the adjacent Canoe Landing to Fort York and the new pedestrian Bridge north on Dan Leckie way, south to the lake. This serves to extend a pedestrian network and strong organizing axis which begins at Spadina .
In order to give the development a distinct image in the area, and on the skyline, raw is working with a crystalline geometry for the towers and organization of the ground plane. The fractured geometry will allow raw to orient facades to specific views and defer to existing view corridors while using a subtle axial shifts to link the buildings together.
A small community centre with a 15m pool, a half gym and yoga, fitness, party and movie venues is provided on Block 33 to be shared by both blocks. Both blocks will feature extensive retail areas at grade bringing the Cityplace neighbourhood to Bathurst street and providing much need connectivity.
While the form of 37 will be distinct from that of 33 the general chiselled geometries will be carried forward.
The blocks have been carefully sculpted to strategically avoid shadow onto the adjacent Fort York and play area of Canoe landing.
