The Galleria on the Park development is one of the largest communities to be introduced to Toronto this year. Located on the corner of Dufferin and Dupont Streets, the site is transforming the 20-acre Galleria Shopping Centre into a vibrant master-planned hub.
Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Urban Strategies, Galleria on the Park will feature eight mixed-use buildings, encompassing nearly 2,900 condominium residences, 300,000 sq. ft. of retail, 150 rental housing units, an 8-acre park, and a 95,000 sq. ft. community centre.
“Galleria on the Park reflects the Toronto we live in today – a city that is active and diverse, featuring amenities and public spaces that reflect how we want to live,” says Dror Duchovny, Vice-President of Marketing and Asset Management at ELAD Canada.
Over the past four years, ELAD Canada has taken a community-centred approach to the site’s reimagination by including the opinions of hundreds of people in the final master plan.
ELAD Canada will deliver the expansive Wallace Emerson Community Centre, designed by Perkins and Will, and Wallace Emerson Park designed by Public Work. The site will also incorporate Galleria 01, a 29-storey mixed-use tower with condominium residences, and 40,000 sq. ft of commercial space spanning two storeys.
“Galleria on the Park will be transformational for this neighbourhood’s growth, bringing a downtown lifestyle to this western stretch of Dupont St. On top of creating viable housing options, we are proud to be delivering larger and modernized public amenities and greenspace that will become the central gathering place for the entire neighbourhood,” says Duchovny.
According to ELAD Canada, the new 95,000 sq. ft. Wallace Emerson Community Centre will include an outdoor skating trail, daycare, community kitchen, dance studio, swimming pools, and running track. It is expected to become one of the largest community centres in Toronto.
“The new Wallace Emerson Community Centre and Park will be the anchor and heart of the new development. An urban gathering place where the existing neighbourhood and new community residents will meet,” says Andrew Frontini, Design Principal at Perkins and Will. “The building’s materiality and colour were designed to create a vibrant community beacon that feels like an extension of the park, emerging to make a dramatic statement along Dupont Street.”
As the development’s flagship building, Galleria 01’s design by CORE Architects pays homage to the industrial character of the neighbourhood, clad with dark and rich metals.
The heavily articulated podium steps with stacked boxes, and a soft, earthy finish becomes welcoming at the pedestrian level. Creating a draw for active street life, the double-storey retail at-grade opens out to the park.
Galleria 01 is the first tower of the two-tower building with 267 residences, ranging from 493 sq. ft. to 1,107 sq. ft.
The amenities and suites by U31 emphasize family-friendly lifestyles. The third floor features a co-working space that doubles as an events space, while residents on the 12th floor can enjoy views of the park in the fitness centre or by the pool.
“Galleria 01 required a highly-creative design approach that not only took inspiration from its neighbourhood but also responded to the adjacent community centre and park. While the community centre curves concavely, Galleria 01 curves convexly, creating a really interesting architectural dialogue between these two buildings,” says Charles Gane, Principal at CORE Architects.
