TORONTO’S MASSEY
Is Toronto in the midst of a cultural renaissance? As Canada’s
largest urban centre at just over 6 million people, the
population has grown since 1834, overtaking Chicago to
become North America’s fourth most populous city. Toronto’s
longstanding institutions are undergoing massive
overhauls to meet the demands of a quickly changing metropolitan
area.
Built in 1894, Toronto’s Massey Hall has been the location
for famous performances by artists like Bob Dylan, Lenny
Kravitz, Billy Joel and Dizzy Guilespie. The venerable venue
is undergoing its first major upgrade in more than a century;
a seven-year, $135-million renovation at 178 Victoria
Street will revitalize and improve patron amenities and offer
much-needed additional backstage, administration and production
space. The new six-story addition will also better the
back-of-house space for performers, crew and support staff.
The project is even more forward-thinking: new space will
be dedicated to educating and developing future talent and
artists. These upgrades will enable Massey Hall to carry its
legacy into the future and keep the space captivating and distinct
for years to come.
Preserving Toronto’s heritage buildings while
incorporating the city’s new developments
A brand new, 60-story luxury condominium, aptly named
Massey Tower, will be constructed just to the southwest of
Massey Hall. The tower will incorporate the remarkable historic
features of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
(CIBC) building, built circa 1905. At 197 Yonge Street, Massey
Tower will preserve the breathtaking mosaics and structural
columns of the old CIBC building to serve as the front
façade and lobby of the new skyscraper’s main entrance onto
Yonge Street.
The Massey Hall and Tower projects are actually two separate
entities, with no physical connection between the two
structures. Each project has different owners and investors;
Building
Information
Modeling
(BIM) aerial
view of site
HALL LEGACY
What’s the future; What’s the foundation
By Marc Paoliello, P.Eng., Deep Foundations Contractors Inc.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
This article originally appeared in Foundation Drilling magazine,
the official publication of ADSC: the International Association
of Foundation Drilling. It is reprinted with permission.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEEP FOUNDATIONS CONTRACTORS
PILING CANADA 49