545 Lakeshore Condos

As the planning is currently in the early stages, various options have been presented for the development. All three options will treat the site’s podium similarly, utilizing the site’s heritage hexagonal pavilion. The west, north, and east facades are all expected to be maintained, and utilized in the podium. What will be removed is the non-heritage facade fronting the lake. Other aspects that will be preserved include the existing building’s upper floor levels.

The ground floor of the project will be home to retail spaces, with a northwest connection to the heritage hexagonal pavilion in the form of a “Market Hall.” A new main entrance is anticipated to stand at the site’s southeast corner.

Investors will want to take noite of the variety of office, retail and residential spaces available in the towers. Office spaces will be located on the podium’s second and third floors.

What’s currently being explored by architects is the current above grade ground floor, as architects are looking into into the option of lowering the ground floor level. This is expected to help direct street level entrances into the retail spaces. Apart from these elements, all three presented options vary greatly.

Option 1 is heavily inspired by the heritage building’s hexagonal form. This option presents the podium as extended from the existing building front in a loose hexagonal shape. This option calls for a new hexagonal pavilion with the southeast corner of the site acting as home to an atrium. This would mirror the pavillion and act as the Market Hall’s second main entrance. Two identical irregular hexagonal towers would stem from the four-storey podium. The south tower would ideally stand at 33 storeys and 115 metres, with the north standing at 38 storeys and roughly 130 metres. The residential units would reside in the aforementioned towers, with the upper podium levels housing amenity and lobby spaces.

Option 2 and 3 were designed with the city’s comments on the initial proposal in mind, with specific alterations to the concept behind the podium. The city would like the building to sit parallel to the east side property line, and align with the west side’s heritage facade. In either case the podium would have the floor built out to the street. The upper three floors would have a C shape, setting it apart from Option 1. The latter two options would also see a bigger difference in the mass of the two towers.

Option 2 would boast a cascading profile created by stepped terraces, setting it apart from other buildings in the area. The south tower would stand at 75 meters and 22 storeys, with the north being 115 meters tall and 33 storeys.

Option 3 would see an aesthetic of stacked and rotated boxes created by expansive terraces that step up to the towers. The north tower would stand a 133 meters and 39 storeys, while the south would stand at 65 meters with 17 storeys.

Canderel’s Chief Operating Officer, Ben Rogowski, said of the project in a statement that “545 Lake Shore and the urban lakeside community in which it is located offer our company yet another opportunity to bring positive change to one more iconic Toronto neighbourhood through distinctive design and smart urban planning.”