Here's what will happen to Toronto's iconic Cube House

After years of threats to Toronto's iconic Cube House, the beloved structure's long-feared end could be just around the corner.

Block Developments has submitted plans with the City seeking rezoning to permit a huge new development with what it describes as a pair of "architecturally distinctive mixed-use towers" that would soar 59 and 55 storeys above the site of the current Cube House.

The beloved geometric house at 1 Sumach Street, modelled after similar cube structures in Rotterdam and constructed in 1996, has also been the subject of community-led campaigns to spare it from redevelopment.

Block issued a news release on Friday afternoon ahead of the publication of the rezoning documents, stating that their proposal "reimagines one of the city's most complex interstitial spaces — located between Eastern Avenue and the Adelaide underpass — as a vital hub for new housing, retail and public life in Corktown."

The vision from architects RAW Design calls for a trapezoidal west tower and triangular east tower on either side of Sumach in response to the irregular site shape.

The west tower will feature the exteriors of two existing 19th-century semi-detached homes incorporated into its base.

RAW Design

Block states that the tower facades will take neighbourhood historical context into account, with plans to finish the structures in terracotta cladding that pays homage to Corktown's residential architecture.

The project team states that even "street-level masonry detailing [...] echoes the brick of the nearby Dominion Foundry."

RAW Design

The current plan is not the first for this site, and comes just shy of four years after another high-rise was proposed in 2021 to do away with the Cube House. 

RAW Design

Block Developments acquired the site from previous developer Markee in 2023, sharing more details about the future of the Cube House in a press release last October. At the time, it pledged to salvage portions of the heritage-listed landmark in a piece from local artist Benjamin Von Wong.

Joseph Reichmann, chief development officer of Block Developments, said that "after exploring multiple paths for the Cube House's future, it became clear that it could not be safely preserved. Instead, we have chosen to continue its legacy through this collaboration with Benjamin."

In Friday's press release, Reichmann elaborates on the challenges at hand, saying "this site is a complex urban puzzle, shaped by layers of history, evolving infrastructure and neighbourhood pressures."

"We've worked closely with City staff and heritage consultants to ensure the redevelopment proposal honours Corktown's industrial roots while delivering much-needed housing and everyday services to support the area's continued growth," he continued.

In a prepared statement issued on Friday, Von Wong noted that "usually, artists come in after the building's finished, with no real feel for the place beyond the shiny surfaces. This time, I get to grow the artwork alongside the building. It lets the piece breathe with the story of the land and the community as it evolves."