Building at Toronto megaproject 'The Well' wins international design award

The Well has already cemented itself as one of Toronto's hottest new destinations, and the new megacomplex at Front and Spadina now has yet another feather in its cap after one of its buildings took home an international design award this week.

The Well's most prominent component on the Toronto skyline is its 36-storey office tower anchoring the northwest corner of Front and Spadina.

Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for RioCan REIT and Allied Properties REIT, this distinctive office tower at 8 Spadina was just recognized at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Awards in the Best Tall Building by Height, 100-199 metres category.

The annual CTBUH Awards program from the Chicago-based organization recognizes projects "that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability and human well-being at the highest and broadest level."

To that end, the 1.2 million-square-foot building is unlike any other office tower in the city, with its distinctive terraced massing consisting of three stacked volumes.

Its exterior includes aesthetic details that give off the appearance of structural bracing (but are merely for effect), as well as a unique projecting stairwell clad in metallic finishes on its north side.

But aside from its design, the most well-received feature of the new office tower is its multi-storey opening at the base, which invites pedestrians into The Well's open-air, multi-tiered promenade beneath a large glazed canopy, known as the 'spine.'

"We're pleased to be recognized by the CTBUH for a project that we believe is a unique and highly contextual reimagining of the office tower," said David Pontarini, Founding Partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects.