King Blue keeps historical Westinghouse facade

Toronto's upcoming King Blue project is reaching new heights - literally - and protecting history by incorporating King Street West's historical Westinghouse facade into it's modern highrise design. This thoughtful endeavour will see record breaking international developer Greenland Holding Group Co. orchestrating what is to be the highest historical facade ever retained in Canada.

Using a sophisticated process, Greenland is separating the facade of the former Westinghouse warehouse occupying the site. The structure holds historical value, and the facade maintains the cultural roots of this Toronto neighbourhood.

Says Paul McMurray, senior project manager of Greenland Group (Canada), “The complex process to save The Canadian Westinghouse involves separating the façade from the rest of the building, leaving it standing in a permanent location, which has never really been done before." He adds that this project differs greatly "compared to other historical facade retentions. Many structures are moved or dismantled and then pulled back to the site. We are also limited due to the site restrictions – the work is being done within a very confined space. There’s a very narrow corridor around the site.”

The nearly 100-year-old structure was built in 1927, named after inventor George Westinghouse and used as a district office and warehouse for his company. Westinghouse is responsible for patenting more than 400 inventions, and although originally he initially founded his company in Pittsburgh, Westinghouse also established a factory in Hamilton.

One of the most unique aspects of the Westinghouse structure is its classical detailing and the terra cotta trim on its brick surfaces, two features that are very rare among Toronto's other historical structures.

By using a high integrity steel structure, the plan is to keep the Westinghouse facade well supported while also protecting the integrity of its terracotta details.

Looking at Greenland's other international projects, it's not surprising the company took this approach. Founded in 1992, Greenland is a leading developer of ultra-highrises, with 23 buildings under construction, four of them among the top 10 tallest buildings in the world.

In a fast moving city such as Toronto, it's easy to forget the past. Stores, restaurants and businesses come and go on a monthly basis. With King Blue, Greenland is again demonstrating an interest in protecting the history of the cities it builds in.

Greenland's King Blue highrise will stand at the busy intersection of King Street West and Blue Jays Way. The condo will give end users a great view of some of Toronto's biggest and boldest entertainment offerings such as the Rogers Centre and the CN Tower. Most importantly, it will give residents a new view of the city while connecting with its past.

"From the dismantling, we reclaimed 30,000 brick pieces and they will be incorporated into the building. We’re also salvaging beams and connections to hopefully use as display or incorporate into the architectural design," says McMurray.

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