Pharrell Williams’ New Luxury Development Is Pitch Imperfect

ByMyProperty Life

The high-end Toronto towers are jagged and austere, and supposedly were inspired by Williams’ song “Gust of Wind”—the impression lasts as long.

Designs and intentions for the grammy-winning artist’s new up-scale housing have finally surfaced. They’re a little bleh, and way out of tune with Toronto’s housing needs.

Approximately 751 units between two towers will be on offer starting early 2020, and pricing will begin somewhere near $400,000 for a studio apartment. The development is next in a slew of million dollar condos being built in Toronto, where an average income won’t buy a 650-square-foot apartment. 

Read another article:Design Trends for Creating a Vacation Vibe at Home

Alongside most major cities, Toronto is dancing on a skipping record that won’t soon come unstuck. Demand has skyrocketed over the last decade, inflating both rental and real estate prices by more than 75% in what is now North America’s fourth most populous city. 

The two towers will have 751 condominium suites ranging from studios to three bedrooms. Pricing for the apartments starts at $400,000 and they go on sale early 2020.

“What’s cool is as you go around the building, no two faces are the same. They all represent different moments from Gust of Wind,” says lead architect Mansoor Kaze, who used Williams’ song as inspiration. The zig-zagging facade seems that it’s nothing more than a loose visual interpretation of the song’s wave form. 

Rendering by Norm Li

Read another article:Hot Trends: 20 Best Farmhouse Style Kitchens in White and Wood

Williams did voice concerns to developers over providing affordable units alongside the towers, for which their are supposedly future plans. But the endeavor isn’t meant as a humanitarian mission—Williams is just improvising to a song written by major developers. The hitmaker has been shoulder tapped to put a spin on the thing because he’s likable, and in general, has good taste. 

The “good taste,” or the version of refinement Williams is offering each buyer is commensurate with the pricing of the units: a private balcony, rooftop dining with a sake tasting area, a spa, a basketball court, a state of the art gym, an indoor/outdoor pool, co-working space—in essence, an experiential lifestyle. 

Black, gray, and monolithic, this communal space has a solemn air.

Black, gray, and monolithic, this communal space has a solemn air. 

Read another article:Revamped Small Barcelona Apartment Combines Multiple Styles and Finishes

Rendering by Norm Li

See the full story on Dwell.com: Pharrell Williams’ New Luxury Development Is Pitch Imperfect
Related stories:

  • Rare Chairs, Rising Tides, and Everything Else You Need to See at This Year’s Design Miami
  • An Icon Revisited: Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year is Classic Blue
  • Packing Is a Thing of the Past Thanks to This Collaboration Between Rent the Runway and W Hotels

Similar Posts

  • Space in the Wall

    Space in the Wall The thought process regarding the challenging tall and narrow structure centers around a space that flows through the building and functions as a light cone that allows daylight to pierce through all the way to the basement and a joint wall, made of exposed concrete in “board” configuration, divided into squares, separated from the exterior wall of the house, which is made of glass, and acts as an artistic, somewhat “Brutalistic” element the house, one half of a two-family dwelling on a 220 square meters lot, and 360 square meters built, is designed for 2 young families with 2 children each, each family has 2 floors, the first family has the ground floor (living room, kitchen, dining room and garden) and basement (bedrooms and pool). The second family has the first floor (bedrooms) and the top floor (living room, dining room and a garden balcony)
    The front of the building that faces the street is made with a combination of concrete, steel and wood. We’ve used these natural materials throughout the building. Stairs and banister from steel plates on the ground floor and a banister and counter-top with a sink out of steel grid on the first floor.
    the flooring is out of concrete, with the concrete wall “accompanying” the entire house. Wood beams in the kitchen, the ceiling, a vertical shading and the floor.
    The challenge to create a living space while using every available inch and maintaining privacy, while communicating with the residents who are design enthusiasts was completed with 2 modern villas, each with its own connection to the outside and with a unique and fashionable living space in the dense urban surrounding. Architect: Yulie Wollman
    Photography: Shai Gil