Located on one of the 10 city blocks which were laid out as part of Toronto’s original "Town of York" plan, the award-winning Globe and Mail Centre sits within the bustling St. Lawrence neighbourhood. The historical context informed the design and integration of this new 17-storey office tower.
The Centre’s podium is comprised of a public arcade that connects King and Front streets, creating a fully accessible 24-hour pedestrian connection with retail at grade. As guests enter on King St. they’ll notice the ceiling appears to get higher as the streetscape grade lowers toward Front St., making for an open and bright pedestrian experience. Home to high-profile tenants including Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail Centre is a new landmark for the city. Built by First Gulf, Figure3 designed the lobby space in collaboration with Diamond Schmitt Architects, who designed the celebrated building.
The polished white quartz slab walls are coupled with natural honed Piesentina stone floors hand selected from Italy. Figure3 intentionally contrasted the elevator banks of dark acid-etched mirrored walls to clearly distinguish the public and private areas. To celebrate the history of the site, the original foundation walls of the historical Berkeley House are preserved and integrated into the design of the lobby while artifacts recovered from the site are displayed in jewel cases recessed into the walls of the lobby for the public to enjoy.
