QUARTZ
LOCATION: Downtown Toronto
BUILDER/DEVELOPER: Concord Adex
SIZE: 443 to 1,032 square feet
PRICE: $245,000 to $650,000
SALES CENTRE: 23 Spadina Ave., south of Front Street. Open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CONTACT: Phone 416-813-0999 or visit www.cityplace.ca/quartz
The creative team behind the next high-rise tower at Concord CityPlace designed a small collection of suites without conventional walls and long halls but rather with sliding glass partitions and open-concept spaces that flow into one another in an endless circle.
This will give residents the freedom to seamlessly combine – or separate – sleep, work and living areas around the perimeters of a unit, while the kitchens, bathrooms and laundry facilities are grouped neatly around a wet wall at its core.
“We were impressed by how Concord wanted to experiment and push the envelope and try something new,” says Christopher Wright, a creative partner at figure3, which consulted on the project’s interior designs with architectural firm Raw Design and developer Concord Adex.
“Our initial approach was to create an essential core where everything is contained, and the balance of space surrounding this core, you could use as you see fit,” says Suzanne Bettencourt, who is a senior team leader at figure3.
“So if you want to entertain, you can put … away your Murphy bed, then your entire bedroom and living room can become an entertainment space,” she adds.
This layout will appear in more than 10 per cent of the units in the tower, called Quartz, which will rise more than 40 storeys from the west side of an eight-acre park in the master-planned community south of Front Street, between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street.
The model suite highlights the flexibility and practicality of this floor plan, which also adds up to two feet of width to areas such as the kitchen, allowing for ample counter space, storage and built-in stainless steel appliances, including a full-sized refrigerator.
“Concord really was inspired by this particular design,” says Ms. Bettencourt. “At the same time, in the vignettes that we’ve shown [in the model suite] – if you pull them apart – they’re the same thing that’s used in all the other suites.”
For instance, the emphasis on shine and sheen – desirable attributes of the polished gemstone the building was named after – will be apparent in the upscale appointments in all units, ranging from bachelors to three-bedroom suites.
“Some surfaces are reflecting light and others are absorbing light,” Mr. Wright says.
This could entail the mix of sleek white cabinetry and black quartz counters to frosted glass sliding doors and panels acting as a backdrop for projecting a film or a soft filter for sunlight to penetrate interior rooms.
The contrast of light and dark finishes will continue into the common areas, with dark, moody corridors and sun-filled recreational facilities.
On the ground floor, there will be rooms for parties, meetings, screenings and games.
The second floor will have a gymnasium, weight, cardio and yoga rooms, and tai chi deck. An indoor pool and outdoor hot tub will be situated on the third level.
Virtually any urban attraction can be found nearby, including waterfront trails and parks, trendy restaurants, comedy and dance clubs and major sports and event venues.
Monthly fees will be about 50 cents per square feet. Select units can buy parking for $38,000 and locker for $5,000.
Occupancy is scheduled for June 2014.
