The Drake Hotel Toronto Expansion, Canada, Ontario Boutique Accommodation Architecture
The Drake Hotel Toronto Building Extension
Queen Street West Building design by Diamond Schmitt Architects, ON, Canada
12 Dec 2016
Design: Diamond Schmitt Architects
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Diamond Schmitt Architects’ Design to expand The Drake Hotel
TORONTO, December 12, 2016 – The hottest boutique hotel in Toronto is about to enlarge its footprint on vibrant Queen Street West with a design by Diamond Schmitt Architects. The Drake Hotel will add 32 guest rooms and an expanded lobby in a thoughtful yet provocative addition to the original building from the 1890s.
The Drake Hotel Toronto Building Expansion News
“Our design for the expanded Drake engages history, modernity and urban collage to reflect the vibrant cultural scene of Queen West,” said Donald Schmitt, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects.
The scale of the addition focuses on a modest horizontal growth along Queen Street that is in keeping with the urban form as well as the existing structure. A four-storey masonry base is topped with a setback, cantilevered suite crafted in reflective steel. The choice of materiality riffs on the layered textures of this historic neighbourhood, with its ties to industry, railroads, and now, as a hot bed of culture and entertainment.
“This design pushes the practice of conservation and challenges our idea of building tradition, evolving city form and furthering cultural value,” added heritage specialist Philip Evans of ERA Architects.
A new pedestrian bridge spans the existing Sky Yard, which will be framed by a large open steel form. Contemporary glazing on the new façade with both vertical and horizontal emphasis will pop out from the masonry frame against the embedded forms of previous facades and windows on the site.
“Our expansion reflects our deep commitment to growing alongside our neighbourhood, respecting our roots, and creating timeless spaces that act as a cultural bellwether for locals and visitors alike,” said Jeff Stober, founder and CEO, Drake Hotel Properties. The Drake’s signature, playful approach to interior design will be developed by +tongtong and the Design Agency.
To a full schedule of performance and art installations, The Drake’s expansion will add to its possibilities as a centre for contemporary expression in all its forms with an architecture that enables encounter. “The design approach is one of apertures, creating moments between spaces that heighten the kind of interaction one expects at The Drake – serendipitous, ephemeral and repeating,” added Schmitt.
Construction is scheduled to start in 2017, with a projected completion of 18 to 24 months following ground break.
The Drake Hotel Toronto Building Expansion images / information from Diamond Schmitt Architects
Address: 1150 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1J3, Canada, North America
Phone:+1 416-531-5042
Toronto Architecture
Ontario Architecture Designs – chronological list
Toronto Building News on e-architect
The Waterworks Toronto Building
Design: Diamond Schmitt Architects
image from architect
Another Toronto building design by Diamond Schmitt Architects on e-architect:
Creative City Campus, 100 McCaul Street
image from architect
OCAD University Creative City Campus
University of Toronto Mississauga Innovation Centre
Design: Moriyama & Teshima Architects
image from architect
University of Toronto Mississauga Innovation Centre
University of Toronto Law School Expansion
Design: Hariri Pontarini Architects
image from architect
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Toronto University Multifaith Center
Design: Moriyama & Teshima Architects
photo : Tom Arban
Toronto University Multifaith Center Building
Canadian Buildings
One Bloor Tower
Design: Hariri Pontarini Architects
photo Courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects
One Bloor Tower
Royal Ontario Museum
Design: Studio Daniel Libeskind
image from architect
Royal Ontario Museum building
Comments / photos for the The Drake Hotel Toronto Building Expansion design by Diamond Schmitt Architects page welcome
Website: The Drake Hotel Toronto
