Quadrangle Architects’ renovation of 60 Atlantic Avenue in Toronto's Liberty Village, their most recent adaptive-reuse project, demonstrates the firm’s continuing leadership in transforming the historically industrial zone in Toronto’s west end into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood and hub for creative sector businesses. The brick building was constructed in 1898 as a warehouse for St. David's Wine Grower's Co. In 1922 it became a warehouse for Eaton's Department Store, and then in the 1990s Artscape converted it into artist studios. After a century of renovations, the exterior was in rough shape, the interior was congested and convoluted and the building seemed slated for demolition.
Instead, Hullmark hired Quadrangle to embrace the building’s potential and history, while infusing it with a contemporary spirit to transform the setting into a vibrant, neighbourhood hub. Quadrangle began by stripping away, revealing, reinforcing, power washing and sandblasting the building back to its original state. Honouring the industrial vernacular of the area, they added a Corten steel and glass circulation core that is boldly based in the here and now. The addition unifies the building at all levels, improving the flow and access to and through the building.
Excavating the site, they exposed the basement to a new outdoor courtyard, transforming the lower level into a bright and open space ideally suited to a lively restaurant with an outdoor beer garden. The new main entrance and courtyard provide an accessible entrance and intensify street connections. Upstairs, they created studio and office spaces that enhance the original brick walls and heavy timber beams, high ceilings, open floorplates and generous windows with the advantages of contemporary heating, cooling and air quality systems, making the units ideally suited to tenants from the creative and technology industries.
The updated design and materials visually illustrate the building’s history. Where reconstruction and restoration were required, new grey brick was used, contrasting with the original buff brick. This augmented the building’s brick stratum, which through changing materials already told the story of its transformation over a century. Inside and out, the design team infused art into the project to support the revitalization. A super-sized “60” painted on the south façade increases the brand presence and attracts the attention of the area’s many design studios and passersby. On the interior, an artistic film with a historic map of the neighbourhood draws on the site’s past to provide shade and privacy for its users.
60 Atlantic Avenue Quotes
When we began working on 60 Atlantic we realized how pivotal this centrally situated building is to the success of the mixed use neighbourhood emerging in Liberty Village. Although our brief began with an aspiration to clean up and expose the latent value that brick and beam buildings of this character possess, we quickly identified an opportunity to augment the initial story of restoration with a story of urban design. We evaluated the building as a series of elements rather than as one object, and proposed excavating the basement to create the sunken courtyard which adds contemporary circulation, improves accessibility and creates a space for social activity. Watching the completed building become occupied, we confirmed our understanding that the true meaning and value of heritage is not the restoration of existing bricks and mortar, but a repositioning which gives new life, new relevance and usefulness for the future. - Richard Witt, Principal, Quadrangle Architects
60 Atlantic is a watershed project for Hullmark as it embodies our new strategic focus on design and urban growth and renewal, primarily through renovations of character buildings. Working collaboratively with our consultant team we developed a design that brought new life to a building that would have otherwise been demolished, while providing sought after office and retail space that caters to new economy type tenants prevalent in the area. We hope to build on that success with several other urban, building conversations that seamlessly integrate historic and contemporary architecture, including soon to be finished commercial and retail rental properties at 545 King Street West and 100 Broadview Avenue. - Jeff Hull, President, Hullmark Developments Ltd
