Behind the Design of an Award-Winning Facade in Toronto
2023 Best of Year Winner for Facade
Designed in 1930 by Canadian Pacific Railway chief building engineer John Wilson Orrock, the Scott Street signal tower’s square form, arched Italianate windows, and hipped roof make it a significant piece of heritage infrastructure in Toronto. The defunct edifice served as inspiration for RDHA Architects when the firm was commissioned to design a new emergency generator facility located next door. Conceived as a contemporary urban object that honors its venerable neighbor, the 3,600-square-foot steel-frame structure encloses the electrical generating plant behind a naturally ventilating skin. The latter comprises a shimmering expanse of polished aluminum panels that can be opened and shut to allow for passive airflow–cooling of the equipment when needed. Arranged in three tiers corresponding to datum lines on the historic tower, the dynamic facade is also a subtly reflective surface that mirrors its older companion both figuratively and literally, but in unmistakably modern form.
See Interior Design’s Best of Year Winners and Honorees
Explore must-see projects and innovative products that took home high honors.
PROJECT TEAM
tyler sharp; bob goyeche; rob boyko; patrick liu; marco tavaligni; ian huff; elizabeth antczak; john bettio.
read more
Projects
7 Community-Oriented Spaces Nodding To Nature
Whether in Bentonville, Arkansas, or Avignon, France, libraries, visitor centers, even a college dorm seamlessly meld 21st-century advancements with materials and forms sourced from the great outdoors.
Projects
HOK Updates Terminal 5 At Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Relax at Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 5, where HOK’s serene design features circadian lighting and quiet mechanical systems to calm anxious flyers.
Projects
Take a Peek at This Residential Tower Design in Harlem
Check out this 155,000-square-foot residential tower by Woods Bagot overlooking Central Park with its terra-cotta façade and scalloped windows.
recent stories
Projects
How A Historic Bank Became Corinthia Rome
For Corinthia Rome, a new boutique hotel, GA cashes in on a forgotten Roman landmark—the former headquarters of the Banca d’Italia.
Projects
Earth Tones Ground This Jewelry Brand’s Workspace In Valencia
X.arquitectos transforms a 6,100-square-foot office into a warm, light-filled workspace defined by terra-cotta screens and sculptural circular forms.
Projects
Sweet Dreams: A Mattress Showroom Is Reimagined In Madrid
The flagship Colchón Exprés, a 3,000-square-foot local mattress store, features domestic qualities to reflect how the product is used.