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Frank Gehry to design his largest building yet for his hometown of Toronto

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Frank Gehry to design his largest building yet for his hometown of Toronto

The mixed-use, two-tower development will feature a twisting design and over 2,000 condos.


By Novid Parsi, Contributing Editor | April 15, 2022
Forma Aerial
Forma is designed by famed architect, Frank Gehry. Courtesy The Boundary.

Famed architect Frank Gehry will design his largest building to date for his hometown of Toronto, Canada. Developed by Great Gulf Group, Dream, and Westdale Properties, the mixed-use, two-tower development, called Forma, will mark the first Gehry-designed new development in Canada.

Considered one of the world’s most influential contemporary architects, Gehry has received numerous honors including the prestigious Pritzker Prize. His most notable projects include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.

Forma Ext
Located in downtown Toronto, Forma will feature two residential towers. Courtesy The Boundary.

Mixed-Use Building

Located in downtown Toronto, Forma will feature two residential towers: one at 73 floors and the other at 84 floors. It will house a total of 2,034 condominiums, in addition to commercial and retail spaces and a new space for OCAD University, an art and design school.

Forma takes its name from the Latin and Italian word for form, shape, and appearance. The twisting design of Forma’s towers will create a sense of movement, and its iridescent facade will reflect the changing natural light as well as Toronto’s surrounding skyline.

“Forma will be an exceptional addition to the city’s downtown Entertainment and Financial District,” Krystal Koo, head of marketing and sales, Dream Unlimited Corp, said in a statement.

“We are confident that Forma will put Toronto on the map as a world-class architectural destination,” added Mitchell Cohen, chief operating officer, Westdale Properties.

Established in 1975, the Great Gulf Group has delivered major projects in Canada and the US. Dream Unlimited is a Canadian real estate company founded in 1994. And for over 60 years, Westdale Properties has owned, managed, and developed real estate in Canada and the US.

 

Owner and developer: Great Gulf Group, Dream, and Westdale Properties

Design architect: Frank O. Gehry Architects

Architect of record: Adamson Associates Architects

MEP engineer: Smith + Andersen

Structural engineer: RJC

General contractor/construction manager: EllisDon

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