David Pontarini Discusses Super Tall Towers

By Penny Munoz

As one of the most prestigious architects in the city, David Pontarini of Hariri Pontarini Architects tells newinhomes.com why Toronto is ready to welcome super tall buildings into our skyline.

Hariri Pontarini is the leading firm on the highly anticipated 1 Yonge project. Supporters of the master-plan eagerly anticipate this multi-skyscraper development and all the benefits it will bring to the city. The plan, which includes a tower that reaches up to 88 storeys, features residential, retail and commercial space, in addition to a hotel and an innovative scheme to reduce inner-city traffic congestion.

“Super tall towers contribute to the liveability of the city,” says Pontarini about the practicality of these impressive buildings. By providing residents with a variety of uses, super tall towers can effectively reduce traffic congestion by providing necessary amenities. “Toronto is not suffering for lack of demand, people want to live and work in the city and by adding density, buildings can go higher.” According to Pontarini, developing taller, mixed-use buildings is a part of the natural evolution of city-planned accommodation for growth. “It helps feed diversity; changes the skyline, building upon it and making it better.”

Stressing the importance of building upon residential, commercial and retail space simultaneously, in order to adequately meet the needs of residents, Pontarini admits that the development of super tall towers also has a high price: “It’s expensive and complicated because it requires constant upgrade of infrastructure systems, but I think that too is part of a city’s natural evolution.” In the 1 Yonge plans outlined on Hariri Pontarini's website, there is mention of widening sidewalks and providing direct access to Union Station. Though the cost of these kinds of changes are quite steep, in the long run they aim to improve the overall quality of life in the city. The dream is to see less people hopping into their cars at 5 o’clock and seeing them out for coffees, dinners, shopping and enjoying all the city has to offer!

As a growing city, it’s important to keep up with the rest of the world and stay internationally relevant. Super tall towers have the ability to create the impression of forward-looking cities. In a global market place, this can help stimulate and encourage business, attracting investors from all over. With plans already popping up throughout the city, we wonder what effects they’ll have on our existing skyline and worldwide reputation. Pontarini’s view is that “[super tall towers] can develop as icons, creating the image of an advanced urban metropolis, making a statement about how progressive the city is. I don’t think we’ll have a lot of them, but strategically placed, in the areas that need accommodation for growth, we can use them to place us on par with other world class cities.”