Client

Waterfront Toronto

Urban Capital

Redquartz Developments

Building Size

31,418 sq.m / 338,180 sq.ft‍ ‍

Location

Toronto, ON

River City has raised the bar for large-scale residential development in Toronto, encouraging a fresh design direction for architects and developers. Entering pre-construction late this summer, phase three is slated to be the most impressive addition to the award-winning complex. Situated at the mouth of the Don River the LEED Gold, mixed-use development has been turning heads since breaking ground four years ago.

Designed in collaboration with Saucier + Perrotte Architectes, Phase 3 brings over three hundred residential units to a 29-storey tower situated immediately south of the elevated roadway which cuts across the site and over the river. The tower is striking from any angle - on one side a dark textured façade draws on the industrial nature of the area’s past while another exposes light-framed units stacked neatly but moving in and out irregularly. Midway up the rower, a green roof and lap pool offer a hidden urban oasis.

As the outside suggests the interior spaces are also unique. There are small units with huge terraces and big units with just a balcony and a unit jutting out above it. Common areas combine form and function with a 2,000-square-foot gym, two-storey common room, and a sloped lawn. Retail will be accommodated at the base of the building, bound by Lawren Harris Square and Corktown Common Park. River City demonstrates that even large-scale housing schemes can celebrate and express individuality.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 of River City are located north of the Adelaide ramps, running from King Street East to Underpass Park, while Phases 3 and 4 will be located south of the ramps, facing Don River Park and River Square. When fully built out, River City will contain over 1,100 residential units together with retail stores and townhouses at ground level.

Saucier + Perrotte Architectes / ZAS Architects Inc., in joint venture