Ribbon Cutting Opens Sales Centre for Solmar's Edge Towers

Urbantoronto.ca
Nov. 6, 2017
By Marcus Mitanis

A three-tower development coming to the corner of Hurontario Street and Elm Drive will significantly extend the Downtown Mississauga skyline, both upwards and southwards. Solmar Development Corporation's Edge Towers assigns the expertise of Roy Varacalli and Cusimano Architect to a towering trio of 35, 40, and 55-storey highrises. The first of the complex set to undergo its realization, the 35-storey tower was spotlighted this past weekend at a grand opening event attended by the development team and Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

With a ceremonial ribbon cutting, the on-site sales centre was officially unveiled. The marketing materials inside the sales centre — including a large scale model - prominently feature the 20-kilometre Hurontario LRT that will border the property. Touted as the first project to take advantage of the upcoming rapid transit connection, Edge Towers is primed to play a crucial role in the city's maturation and intensification, a new phase of growth that will inevitably come once the $1.4 billion LRT goes online in 2022.

It's precisely Mississauga's development potential that has Mayor Bonnie Crombie excited for the future. "We're trying to build a complete city, a more livable and walkable city," said Crombie. "And there's a real buzz about Mississauga; investment is coming in."

Crombie put that investment in a more palpable sense, counting approximately 22 towers due for construction in the next five to ten years. "Mississauga is a place people want to be in. We have a thriving economy, we're business friendly and we have stable governance."

The building's architecture differs from the glass box typology that has run rampant in the GTA. At Edge Towers, a multi-level podium of glazing and precast concrete will anchor the project to the ground. From there, the tower's square footprint gives rise to a volume of clean lines until it reaches its first stepback. The volume dissipates in scale as its west and east elevations are carved away, leaving a staggered silhouette on the Mississauga skyline. "A lot of buildings are fashionable and they go out of date," said Roy Varacalli, architect of Edge Towers. "We always try to do buildings that are monumental or timeless."

The western edge of the site will be home to a public park, a $6 million piece of land that was injected with another $3 million to design it. Here, Terraplan Landscape Architects has imagined a contemporary urban park rather than a traditional neighbourhood park, and peppered it with fanciful play equipment, a dog run, and a sheltered seating area inspired by the architecture of the building. A bidirectional walking trail loops through the park while a green perimeter fashioned with naturalized plantings contributes to the urban forest.

Led by Adriana Mot, Dochia Interior Design has crafted a classically articulated interior scheme that emphasizes airiness through colour and composition. The lobby and glass-enclosed galleria aim for a "timeless elegance" designed with stained glass murals and dramatic pilasters. The building's traditional styling continues up to the fourth floor party room, which spans the entire width of the building. A vegetated outdoor terrace wraps the party room on three sides with multiple lounge areas and a central pergola covering an open flame fire pit. A wellness centre and a fully wired media centre will also be at the ready when residents get their keys.

Over 1,200 units will eventually be built across the elongated property, with 293 residences situated in the first phase. The Tower One Collection, spanning levels six through 30 and starting at $319,900, features one and two-bedroom floor plans ranging in size from 484 square feet to 880 square feet. Start of construction is anticipated for spring 2018.