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Houses Canada
Published July 6, 2023 • read for 4 minutes
A granite and porcelain lobby with 24/7 concierge overlooks Queen Street. Picture by picture courtesy of Tridel
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As Toronto’s urban density escalates, some refer to the skyscraper boom as the “Manhattanization” of the city.
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The analogy has been picked up by development partners Tridel and BAZIS, who call the Queen and Church neighborhood – the site of a 57-story residential tower they’re bringing to the area – Toronto’s “lower East Side.”
“Rosario Varacalli designed this dynamic building where the height is accentuated by the vertical lines of the structure,” says Samson Fung, director of sales and marketing at Tridel. With Varacalli as the design architect and Kirkor Architects and Planners as the architects of record, Queen Church embraces the structural contrast between the restored heritage podium at the base of the building and the streamlined glass structure radiating skyward.
Located at 60 Queen St. E., Queen Church fits the trend toward smaller suites as a means for first-time buyers to enter the market. But with shrinking units, Tridel found buyers struggled to imagine the furniture layout.
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“Tridel took this unprecedented step to make a ready-to-use, turnkey unit available for purchase,” says Fung of Queen Church’s Ready Collection. “We used the example of studio suites to illustrate how built-in furniture can be moved or folded to maximize space, depending on how residents want to use it.”
With a starting price of $699,000 for 412 square feet, Fung says a unique collaboration with ALT Interiors showed how pieces like a Murphy bed and hidden kitchens could maximize space in a studio apartment. “This was in response to customer feedback and was a way for people to also have the option to buy one or more pieces of furniture that could work in the suite,” says Fung. “The Ready collection comes with many modular pieces, panel-ready appliances, and furniture pieces like a folding dining room table that transform and customize the space.”
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Houman Rahimzadeh, creative lead at Studio Houman, created a second look to inspire buyers. “(Rahimzadeh) reconfigured small spaces and made a fully staged version of the studio apartments,” explains Fung. “What could be a bedroom at night can then disappear and become an open work or party space.” Laundry rooms can also be transformed by a door that hides a closet, but can also become a fold-down ironing board. “Almost every feature has a dual purpose,” says Fung.
While 412 square feet is the smallest studio available, several others are available. For those who want more space, there are still several 80 square foot 3 bedroom units that cost $1.3 million. The largest, a 1,200-square-foot penthouse, has already sold for a cool $2 million. Commissioning is planned for the end of 2027.
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A light colored granite and porcelain tiled lobby overlooks Queen Street with 24/7 concierge. Varacalli teamed up with interior designers II BY IV design to bring a minimalist contemporary vibe to the area and other amenities: “It’s not a huge space,” Fung says of the lobby, “because this building, despite its height, doesn’t have a huge footprint, but the first floor has good flow between lounge, parcel storage, mail room and elevators and is well thought out.”
Some studio units are designed with transitional furniture such as Murphy beds and hidden kitchens to maximize space. Picture by picture courtesy of Tridel
It makes sense when you look at the number of people occupying the building. There will be 443 suites and more than 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities on floors two through six. These include indoor and outdoor lounges, theater and play areas, co-working spaces, digital studios, an indoor and outdoor children’s play zone, and a fitness center with yoga studio. “The sixth floor is really split between a traditional entertainment room with TV – perfect for parties, baby showers and so on, and then the dining room with a 10-seat table with catering kitchen,” says Fung.
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The seventh floor features a large deck, pet run and dining area with BBQs and fireplace lounge, as well as skyline views. “Pet runs like the one we put on the 7th floor are just a really important feature for residents because we recognize that there are a lot of dog lovers in the city,” he says.
Of course, the old adage about location really speaks for Queen Church. The apartment is two minutes from Toronto Metropolitan University and not far from George Brown College and the University of Toronto, making it an option for students.
As for their target audience, Fung says it’s been an interesting mix. “We’ve had a wide variety of buyers,” he says. “Of course there are professionals from Bay Street who want to be close to the center, but we also see many medical professionals making purchases in the building – as we are in the middle of the network of hospitals. It’s just convenient to be so close.”
Queen Church suites start at $699,000 for 412 square feet. For more information visit www.queenchurch.com.
Three things
Take a walk in Allan Gardens’ six spectacular greenhouses among a variety of tropical plants and flowers. There is also a dog off-leash area on site. 160 Gerrard St.E.
Grab a grilled Havarti sandwich or a rainbow-colored latte at Versus Coffee. 70 Adelaide St E.
Neighborhood favorite The Carbon Bar features Texas-style barbecue, freshly shucked oysters, and slices of banoffee pie. 99 Queen St.E.
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