The experts behind 50 Scollard share their excitement around the new condo, and the construction beginning this fall

In Toronto, it may seem like luxury high-rise condos are popping up at every corner, but Yorkville’s latest build is worth paying attention to. The 41-story tower at the corner of Bay and Scollard is shaping up to be the most showstopping condo building in the city. Construction is starting this fall, and units are already 50 per cent sold out. The early buzz is easy to justify: developer Lanterra has put together an award-winning team, including British architect Norman Foster and Toronto-based Italian designer Alessandro Munge, who have created an elegant structure that’s guaranteed to stand out amid the Yorkville skyline. Inside are a variety of timeless units, with floor-to-ceiling windows, stunning marble fireplaces, minimalist Dada kitchens and impeccable finishes worthy of the building’s design cred. Innovative indoor/outdoor spaces, like terraces with retractable doors, let residents take in the neighbourhood however they like. The condo sizes range from 716 square feet all the way up to 5,943 square feet, and include family-approved spaces with up to four bedrooms. The amenities were thoughtfully designed with the residents in mind: there’s a pool, private dining rooms with fully-stocked kitchens and even an enormous wine cellar for storing your favourite bottles. Here, we asked some of the experts behind the build to chat about their experience with the project thus far.

Alessandro Munge, Principal,  Studio Munge

On what makes the project so special:
“This is the most exciting project in my repertoire right now. 50 Scollard is a project that I think will become a residence of class, and part of the fabric of our city. It doesn’t scream trend. It has timeless elegance and lines that will last forever. And I think that’s exactly why people are buying into it. It’s not about being flashy—it’s about having a piece of an iconic building our city will be blessed to have.”

On the inspiration behind the design:
“The inspiration was multifaceted. The design had to speak to the core essence of quality. We wanted to give buyers a beautiful, neutral palette that didn’t have any gaudiness to it. I wanted buyers to feel free to express themselves. Even in the public spaces, like the beautiful double-height lobby, there’s nothing garish: there’s no fancy staircases lined in marble, for instance. It’s all about understated elegance in a world-class building.”

On a few of the standout features:
“This is a very contemporary way of living. It’s about the views, and not necessarily the cabinetry. For instance, there are also these gorgeous panelled doors that let you go from indoor to outdoor space in a non-traditional way. We chose a neutral palate so that the views can really come into your home, and so that residents can decorate as they wish. The gallery-like lobby connects all the spaces together, and will be filled with gorgeous artwork hand-curated by the owners.”

Doug Wood, VP of Construction Operations at Lanterra Developments

 On the building’s heritage elements:

“Now that we’ve finally reached the ground-breaking point, it’s like the starters’ pistol. There are a lot of moving parts: there’s a heritage component and a beautiful high-rise building in a central part of the city. This project is the most prominent architectural design we’ve ever undertaken. There are four historic row houses which we are picking up and storing onsite during construction. Then, we will restore them, bring them back and tie them into the new building.”

Henry Burstyn, Director at IBI Group and Project Architect at 50 Scollard

 On the structure’s unique characteristics:

“This project is truly exceptional: you have a building that’s been created that’s both iconic and fabric. It has very strong vertical lines through the façade of the building and signature Norman Foster structural elements. There’s an architect Mies van der Rohe, who had a saying, ‘God is in the details.’ We really feel that’s the ethos of this project. The end result is a very pure architectural statement.”

 On the addition to Yorkville:

“It has quite an elegant form, but one of its strongest contributions will be the ground floor and the public realm. There will be this wonderful plaza that will be created by relocating the heritage building to another portion of the site. This corner will become an open park with a sculptural tree, which will allow for different activations to occur, whether that’s farmers’ markets or open-air dining.”

Marin Braco, Associate at Stoss Landscape Urbanism

 On the sculptural tree formation in the plaza:

“Pleaching has historically been used in larger estates and formal gardens across Europe. That’s a very different context than 50 Scollard, which is a very urban plaza. Given the many restraints, we wanted to make sure we used a tree that’s appropriate for the site. They’ll be planted in the formation in the spring, and will be trained for three years before they get moved to the site. The entire process will take five years.”

 Learn more by visiting fiftyscollard.com.