Seventy5 Portland

Toronto, Canada

Photo © CORE Architects

Visualization © CORE Architects

Drawing © CORE Architects

Architects: CORE Architects Inc.

Location: 75 Portland Street, M5V 2M9 Toronto, Canada
Year: 2011

Seventy5 Portland was complete in January 2011 and is an innovative modern jewel embracing the indigenous culture of this lively Toronto neighbourhood. The developer wanted to create a unique statement with the building facade, which formed an anchor to the terminus of the street. The design distinguishes itself with its lively facade and glass-fronted, cantilevered balconies suspended intimately over the street. The building exterior features smooth concrete together with clear glazing in anodized aluminium frames. The building site plan was designed in a unique U-shape that embraces a serene courtyard and complements the Portland streetscape. The eleven storey structure is characterized by massed elements that shift in and out. This is accentuated by soaring 18’ concrete ceilings in two storey units, floor-to-ceiling glass, generous balconies and terraces, which give the structure a bold dramatic presence and allow for an open-air lifestyle in a bustling setting. The projecting concrete fins also serve to frame neighbourhood views and give the exterior balconies a sense of enclosure. A flash of yellow, the only concession to colour, is emblazoned over the front entrance and repeated again within the front entrance hall. Concrete was the perfect material to express the complexity of the façade of our project. We needed a material that would be both structural and architectural while at the same time lending an elegance to the composition.