The L Tower (also known as the Libeskind Tower) is a residential skyscraper in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada designed by architect
Daniel Libeskind
Daniel Libeskind (born May 12, 1946) is a Polish–American architect, artist, professor and set designer. Libeskind founded Studio Daniel Libeskind in 1989 with his wife, Nina, and is its principal design architect.
He is known for the design a ...
. The project, which
broke ground
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are ...
in mid-October 2009, saw many delays. One cause for delay was a stop-work order caused by safety concerns about the crane at the top of the building. The crane was also an eyesore for many residents.
Despite the cranes (which were removed by May 2016 and September 2018 respectively), the building still won the eighth place
Emporis Skyscraper Award
The Emporis Skyscraper Award was an award for architectural excellence regarding the design of buildings and their functionality.
The award was presented annually by Emporis, a real estate data mining company with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany ...
in 2017.
In the 2000s, the Sony Centre (then known as the Hummingbird Centre) was expected to be demolished and the land sold; however, Hummingbird Centre CEO Dan Brambilla convinced the city to preserve the site and approve the condo development.
Developers
The building is being developed by three builders:
Cityzen and Castlepoint Numa of Toronto, and Fernbrook Homes of
Concord, Ontario
Concord is a suburban industrial district in the City of Vaughan in York Region, located north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. According to the 2001 Census, Concord has 8,255 residents.
It is accessed by two provincial highways: Highway 407 an ...
.
Sony Plaza and public art
The Sony Plaza is an open space elevated above the intersection of Yonge and Front streets. It is being designed by
Claude Cormier and Associates.
Canadian artist
Harley Valentine
Harley Valentine (born November 4, 1983) is a contemporary Canadian artist based in Toronto, Ontario. Valentine is best known for his metal-plate biomorphic sculptures that build on the formalism of mid-century American sculptors, such as Alexan ...
is creating a triptych of sculptures to be installed in the Sony Plaza. Called ''
Dream Ballet
A dream ballet, in musical theater, is an all-dance, no- singing production number that reflects the themes of the production. The plot, themes, and characters are typically the same—although the people playing the characters may be different, a ...
'' in hommage to the
National Ballet of Canada's four-decade residence at the site, the three sculptures depict abstracted ballet dancers in various dynamic positions.
Honor
In 2017, the L Tower was awarded an
Emporis Skyscraper Award
The Emporis Skyscraper Award was an award for architectural excellence regarding the design of buildings and their functionality.
The award was presented annually by Emporis, a real estate data mining company with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany ...
in the number 8 spot in the category of best new skyscraper.
[
]
Controversy
In June 2015, Ontario's Ministry of Labour
The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...
began investigating the L Tower's work site due to complaints about its partially assembled crane. A stop-work order was issued, and engineering reports were ordered to confirm the crane was structurally sound before continuing work; due at the end of July, these reports were not provided. The crane's operator resigned after he felt his concerns that the crane could collapse were being ignored by the construction manager, and the business manager of IUOE Local 793 stated: "We don’t believe we should be rolling the dice on a custom-made lifting device over the heads of the good people of Toronto."
See also
* List of tallest buildings in Toronto
Many of the tallest buildings in Toronto are also the tallest in all of Canada. The tallest structure in Toronto is the CN Tower, which rises . The CN Tower was the tallest free-standing structure on land from 1975 until 2007. However, it is no ...
*List of tallest buildings in Canada
This is a list of the tallest buildings in Canada. As of December 2017 there are a total of 133 completed and under construction buildings in Canada with an official height of or more. Greater Toronto has 86 (Toronto 83 (including the eight ta ...
* Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Meridian Hall is a major performing arts venue in Toronto, Ontario, and it is the country's largest soft-seat theatre. The facility was constructed for the City of Toronto municipal government and is currently managed by TO Live, an arms-len ...
References
{{Toronto skyscrapers
Residential skyscrapers in Toronto
Modernist architecture in Canada
Residential condominiums in Canada
Daniel Libeskind buildings
Residential buildings completed in 2016