A stone building with a building of glass and concrete built behind and above it. The building has lots of windows.

Waterworks, 505 Richmond

Waterworks, 505 Richmond

A stone building with a building of glass and concrete built behind and above it. The building has lots of windows.

Waterworks, 505 Richmond, 2022 Heritage Toronto Awards in Built Heritage nominee. Image by Steven Evans.

A stone building with a glass extension behind it. The building has a sign on it saying "Waterworks Residence".

Waterworks, 505 Richmond, 2022 Heritage Toronto Awards in Built Heritage nominee. Image by Steven Evans.

the interior of a building with a large glass and metal skylight. The space has two floors with small stalls on the lower floor.

Waterworks, 505 Richmond, 2022 Heritage Toronto Awards in Built Heritage nominee. Image by Steven Evans.

A stone building with a glass extension behind it. In front of the building is a dog park with owners and dogs playing.

Waterworks, 505 Richmond, 2022 Heritage Toronto Awards in Built Heritage nominee. Image by Steven Evans.

Adaptive reuse of municipal buildings

Project Date of Completion: July 1, 2021

The site, once owned by the City of Toronto, operated as a public market from 1837 to around 1900. The Water Works Buildings were designed in the Art Deco style by City Architect, J. J. Woolnough and completed in 1933. The adaptive reuse of the Waterworks includes the full retention and reuse of the machine shop building as a food hall and the retention of the northern portion of the complex to accommodate a mix of uses. The new compatible construction features retail at grade, a full-service YMCA athletic facility on the second and third floors and a residential addition above. The development pedestrianizes the courtyard and drive aisle, which are partially reinstated, providing permeability through the site.

 

 

At the machine shop, matching steel windows were installed throughout, including at the reinstated full height south openings. Where new window and door openings were created, new and distinguishable designs were used. At the north side of the complex where the YMCA required a higher performance level, new aluminum windows were installed with a pattern and profile informed by the original design.

Finally at the skylights, the clerestory windows were maintained and reglazed and the skylight structure was preserved unmodified. The lighting design also highlights unique elements such as the sawtooth window jambs and decorative quoining to expose a different character at night. New glazing was added on top of the structure, with no modification to the appearance of the remaining original elements. The existing Richmond Street carriageway doors were preserved in situ, and the west driveway iron gate was rehabilitated and reinstalled in the carriageway.

 

Project Partners

Property Owners: Eve Lewis and Gary Switzer, Woodcliffe MOD Developments (St. Andrew’s) Inc.

Heritage Architect: Andrew Pruss, ERA Architects Inc.

Developers: MOD Developments and Woodcliffe Landmark Properties

Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects

Landscape Architect: Janet Rosenberg & Studio

Interior Design: Cecconi Simone Inc

Windows: Bliss Noram and BVGlazing

Heritage Contractor: Clifford Restoration

Building Envelope: Quest Window Systems

Construction Management: Bluescape Construction Management

Structural Engineering: Jablonsky, Ast, and Partners

Mechanical & Electrical Engineering: Smith + Andersen

Planning: Urban Strategies Inc.

Lighting: Marcel Dion

Signage Consultant: Entro

Other: Keller Foundations Ltd and LiveRoof Ontario Inc