Toronto earned some impressive architectural additions and public spaces over the past twelve months, adding new landmarks to the urban fabric and, in some cases, even restoring relics of yesteryear to their past glory.
There were too many standout projects to mention in the last year, but a few developments manage to shine through the clutter of a fast-evolving city that churns out hundreds of residential, commercial, and public realm projects every year.
Here are five of the most impressive buildings and public spaces completed in 2024.
2 Queen Street West
Toronto got its first glimpse at this majestic old building in eight years when its long-term restoration and addition was finally unveiled in 2024.
The heritage building at 2 Queen West was originally built for the Philip Jamieson Clothing Company in 1885 and endured years of renovations that stripped away much of the structure’s original character.
But that original lustre was restored this year when protective tarps and scaffolding came down for the first time since work began in 2017, revealing the careful restoration led by heritage architects ERA and the modern addition atop designed by Zeidler Architecture.
Breathtaking Toronto landmark fully revealed after years hidden away from public https://t.co/uOHelHk8wz
— blogTO (@blogTO) May 15, 2024
Humber Cultural Hub
Humber College’s Lakeshore Campus gained its latest architectural showpiece in 2024 with the opening of an impressive new 325,000-square-foot building housing the institution’s Faculty of Media and Creative Arts along with a new 318-bed student residence.
Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects — a firm that has received negative publicity over its involvement in designing the controversial Therme mega spa at Ontario Place — the eight-storey building at 3199 Lake Shore Blvd W. was constructed using “encapsulated mass timber” that greatly reduces the building’s carbon footprint.
This and other sustainability measures, like a vast geothermal energy field below the building, have earned the project certification under the Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard v1 by the Canada Green Building Council.
Diamond Schmitt Architects
Leslie Lookout Park
Toronto gained a brand new artificial beach and lookout tower offering spectacular views of the city skyline in 2024.
CreateTO’s new Leslie Lookout Park converted a stretch of former industrial land fronting the Ship Channel in the Port Lands into one of the reimagined area’s first destinations.
Construction for Leslie Lookout Park began in February 2022, and after delays that saw work stretch on for two and a half years, the CCxA-designed project finally opened for the public to enjoy in September.
Leslie Lookout is Toronto’s $8.5M new park with a fake beach and tower https://t.co/uzZY3F9APq
— blogTO (@blogTO) September 14, 2024
Spirit Garden at Nathan Phillips Square
The busy public square fronting Toronto’s City Hall got a brand-new addition with the opening of the Spirit Garden ahead of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in September.
The new public space features standout Indigenous art with five different installations from artists representing various First Nations. The Spirit Garden stands out among this year’s project completions with a two-metre-tall turtle sculpture by Anishinaabe artist Solomon King and a stunning pavilion building designed by Two Row Architect.
Jack Landau
Toronto House
Developers Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT added this new 58-storey mixed-use tower to the corner of Duncan and Adelaide in 2024, dubbed Toronto House.
Boasting a sleek design from Hariri Pontarini Architects, the tower soars over 186 metres high into Toronto’s Entertainment District skyline.
The project incorporates a heritage office building into its contoured commercial and retail base, anchored by the international news media empire Thomson-Reuters, as well as a mix of residential rental and hotel space on the floors above.
Jack Landau|DSAI|Fareen Karim|Hariri Pontarini Architects|Fareen Karim
