Roland Rom Colthoff of RAW Design Discusses Super Tall Towers

By Penny Munoz

A strong believer that Toronto will be one of the greatest cities in the world, Roland Rom Colthoff tells newinhomes.com what Toronto has to gain by investing in super tall towers.

“Cities thrive on density, that’s the whole point,” he says, pointing out that even in overcrowded cities like Manhattan and Dubai, there is a certain level of allure that not only attracts tourists but stimulates further growth. “With three million people here and people moving in at great rates, there is opportunity for tall buildings. It’s [Toronto] a great economic climate and a great place to live and tall buildings are a good way to make an iconic statement for the city and worldwide.” Elaborating on the exuberant capacity to symbolize forward-thinking, Colthoff says that tall towers have a lot to contribute to the overall livelihood of a city.

Though RAW Design has not (yet) been a part of these kinds of projects, with their largest tower reaching 50 storeys, Colthoff says the company would be open to partnering on projects consisting of taller developments. In regards to current proposals, like the six-tower development under review for 1 Yonge by Pinnacle and the Mirvish + Gehry towers by Projectcore, which will be conveniently situated, if approved by the city, on John Street and King, Colthoff says, “I look forward to seeing those buildings and what they can contribute.”

As a Holland native, Colthoff admirers Dutch architecture for its capacity to engage residents and produce a more ‘liveable’ environment. “People need to think more cosmopolitan, infrastructure needs to keep up so that these buildings can be supported.” With development in motion for the future of the Entertainment District on John Street, Colthoff thinks that the Mirvish + Gehry building could help create that more robust, cosmopolitan climate, “They [residents] can just walk, they don’t need to take the TTC to go shopping or get to their office. It’s about having those people come out, it’s not so much about the building itself, but how it contributes to the vitality of the city. I look forward to see the economic benefits to the city.”

Toronto can definitely benefit by looking at other, older and more experienced world class cities when it comes to strategies for growth management. As Colthoff suggests by drawing on the example of Holland in terms of infrastructure development with particular reference to designs of benches and streets; factors that act as attractive qualities in a city, he is also careful to note that attention to the placement of towers is of equal importance. As any expert in the field may know, super tall towers cast super long shadows. Critics often accuse tall towers of stealing the sun away from streets. Acknowledging this concern, Colthoff confidently assures us that there are solutions involving attentive urban planning that can strategically reduce the impact of shadows.

It seems like cities can thrive economically, socially, and physically with super tall towers. Do you think Toronto is heading in the right direction?