Breathtaking tower to rise 67 storeys across from busy Toronto shopping mall

A stunning addition could join postcard views of the Downtown Yonge strip and become a new architectural landmark for the Yonge and Dundas area. 

A fresh application with City planners seeks to redevelop a stretch spanning 239 through 247 Yonge Street, an assembly of properties situated midway between Shuter and Dundas, directly across from the CF Toronto Eaton Centre.

Angel Developments has signed on Hariri Pontarini Architects for what could prove a new statement piece helping frame the skyline south of Yonge-Dundas (now technically Sankofa) Square, rising 67 storeys with sweeping curves and glittering metallic finishes.

With a proposed height of just over 221 metres, the building would rise far taller than others in the immediate blocks south of the landmark square, though comparable heights already exist further to the south on Yonge while even taller buildings are under construction in the blocks to the north.

While it might not break any records on the skyline, renderings of the building boast an impressive street-level experience fitting for this bustling pedestrian corridor.

A total of 774 market-rate rental units are proposed across the tower, with no condominiums in the mix. If approved as proposed, 241 Yonge could one day take the title of the country's tallest purpose-built rental development.

The plan would emulate the form of the current series of storefronts along the site's Yonge Street frontage, while retaining the exterior of the heritage-protected Art Metropole building at 241 Yonge in the facade of the first few floors.

Just shy of 790 square metres of retail space would re-animate the project's street frontage along this busy stretch of Yonge Street.

The centrepiece of this street-level experience would be a restoration of the four-storey Art Metropole building at 241 Yonge Street, which would involve the preservation and rehabilitation of the building's architectural features.

The surrounding buildings would be entirely replaced by new construction, though these replacement storefronts have been designed to replicate the existing character of the street.

Michael Attard of Hariri Pontarini Architects tells blogTO that the project team has worked closely with Angel Developments' owner throughout the process.

"From day one – he's been keen to deliver a quality rental product that is a strong contribution to the skyline and builds on the energy along Yonge while remaining respectful to the built form that defines the character of the street."

The project team has even considered elevator wait times, with Attard explaining that the developer "set a target to deliver elevator wait times below 45 seconds." They have settled on a plan with six high-speed elevators to achieve 40-second waits and avoid capacity problems that have plagued high-rises across the city in recent years.