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June 2004URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES

TORONTO GENERAL HOSPITAL

TORONTO

Development in the south-east quandrant ofUniversity Avenue and College Street will beconsistent with the following urban design

guidelines.

LOCATION

Lands owned by the Toronto General Hospital at thesouth-east corner of University Avenue and CollegeStreet.

GUIDELINES

INTRODUCTION

Existing College Wing Buildings and SitePlan - Figure 1A and Figure 1B.

The north portion of Toronto General Hospital site,on the city block bounded by University Avenue,Gerrard Street West, Elizabeth Street and CollegeStreet, has been included in an inventory of hospitallands that could be redeveloped. The College StreetWing at 101 College Street, is the only building onthat part of the site that has been identified ashaving heritage value with architectural andhistorical significance. There are two small originalbuildings on the subject site at 657 UniversityAvenue (the Shields and the Mulock-LarkinBuildings) that are not included on the Citys

Heritage Inventory.

A substantial part of the historic College Streetbuilding will be retained, restored and adapted for anew use. However, the former patient ward areas ateach end, and those extending to the south, may beremoved to open those parts of the site forredevelopment. The existing open space in front ofthe College Wing will be kept in its entirety for thefull width of the College Street frontage.

The purpose of design guidelines is to drawattention to the basic principles that underline thefeatures of architectural value in the College StreetWing of the Toronto General Hospital.

Since the building envelopes for the redevelopmentparcel sites are located at each end and behind theCollege Wing, it is essential that design direction fornew buildings take clues from an analysis of thearchitectural principles expressed in the faade ofthe heritage building.


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ANALYSIS

An analysis of the architectural characteristics of theexisting College Street heritage building (the

Surgical, Central and Medical wings) leads to designguidelines for architects to apply to the buildingdesign for each development parcel. The guidelinesassist in achieving compatibility between newarchitecture and that of the historic building and itssetting. They also help to retain continuity of theexisting urban character of the city block betweenElizabeth Street and University Avenue.

Symmetry Figure 5

The heritage characteristics of the College Wingreveal that there is a significant symmetrical

treatment in the architecture of the entire wing. Inaddition, there is also symmetry of composition ineach individual wing of the building, within theentire original building complex.

Materials

A controlled selection of materials and use of colouris a characteristic feature common to all of theoriginal buildings in the Hospital block. The speciallyselected brick was a warm buff tone. The terracottais lighter in a tone similar to the colour of thelimestone that was used in some areas and focalpoints of the building. The contrasting materials

provide visual texture and give definition to selectedsections of each faade.

Rhythm Figure 5

Brick pilasters were used singly and in pairs on thefaade in combination with the pattern, therecessing and the variety of groupings of windowopenings. This combination of detailing creates asense of rhythm in specific wall surface planes ofthe faade and enhances the appearance of thebuilding through the resulting shadowing effects.

Proportion Figure 7 and Figure 4A variety of window sizes, lintel types, sill and headdetailing, as well as divisional treatments of thesash, are carefully coordinated in the application ofthe principle of related proportional relationships inthe overall design. This permits integration of diversefeatures into the faade design. There is a linkbetween the proportion of the glazed window sashand muntin pattern, the window opening sizes andtheir positions within specific areas of the faade.

URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES

TORONTO


DEVELOPMENT PARCELS Figure 2.

Three parts of the site have been identified fordevelopment. Parcel A at the northwest corner ofthe hospital block, Parcel B located centrally to therear and south of the centre and east sections of theCollege Wing and Parcel C at the northeast cornerof the hospital block. All of the existing open spacefronting onto College Street will be retained andlandscaping elements restored.

Parcel A and Parcel C each has a maximum buildingenvelope created not only to meet planningrequirements, but also to preserve the historicalarchitectural design symmetry of the existing CollegeWing from Elizabeth Street to University Avenue.

It is acknowledged that the development of Parcel Amay precede that of Parcel C in design andconstruction or vice versa. The programs and thearchitects for each development may be different.Therefore, the first to be designed will haveestablished an approach to the use of the designguidelines that will have to be reflected in the laterbuilding if the historical and architectural symmetryof the entire College Street frontage is to bepreserved.

Parcel B is a special site where the architecture mustbe conceived as the background for the mostprominent and central feature of the heritagebuilding, the tower and domed cupola. The faadeof this background building must appear to recede,while acknowledging the same sense of axialsymmetry, proportion and scale found in the centralbuilding of the College Wing. The roofline profile ofthis background building must be regular andwithout distracting elements or form. In generalterms, a new building on Parcel B must be simple indetail and non-competing in design expression.

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Wall areas are furthermore divided vertically intobays by pilasters and the projecting elements of theplan in each wing of the building, with consistent

proportional relationships throughout the entirebuilding facade.

The cornice, frieze line and band coursing addhorizontal dimensional form and divide the wallplanes into areas of related proportion in each wingof the building. This is particularly evident in thestrong relationship in scale and proportion betweeneach individual wing and the link sections of theheritage building. A strong sense of scale is achievedthrough these varied relationships which areintegrated into all parts of the entire street face ofthe College Wing.

Roofline

The roofline elements are used as unifying elements,bringing together the various elements and buildingforms at the top of the building. The compositionof each section is consistent with the symmetry ofthe whole faade.

The parapet is a roofline feature that addshorizontal expression of secondary importanceand caps the building composition with astrengthening element.

The roofline profile is augmented symmetrically byexpressing the vertical circulation spaces as carefullydetailed but higher elements at the upper level ofthe building.

DESIGN GUIDELINES

The Design Guidelines provide direction for architectsand assist those responsible for the design of new

buildings to achieve a respectful integration of newarchitecture with the architecture of the heritagebuilding at 101 College Street.

A literal interpretation or a copy of the existingarchitectural style should not be contemplated.Creative contemporary design of lasting value andquality must be pursued based on timeless designprinciples and the established guidelines.

The principles of good architectural design, exemplifiedin the heritage building, must be applied creativelywith equal skill and quality-control, to all new

buildings designed for the site.

Building Envelopes & Setbacks Figure 3Aand Figure 3B

Specific height limits and setbacks have beenestablished in the zoning diagrams. They define thefixed maximum building envelope for each site thathas been established for each proposedredevelopment parcel.

Horizontal Expression Lines Figure 4

Horizontal expression lines define the relationship

between base, shaft and cap elements of the building.They delineate the composition of the heritagefaade elements and define the most importantproportional relationships between these elements.

The architectural texture of the heritage faade isidentified not only by the major expression lines ofcornice, band course and plinth but also by theminor horizontal expression lines of window sillsand lintels and the modulation in the brickwork.

Acknowledgement of the major horizontal expressionlines is mandatory. They must be referred to in thedesign exploration stage of new buildings on a

development parcel and in the search for designcompatibility with the adjacent heritage building.

Special attention also must be given to therelationship between floor levels in the heritagebuilding and floor levels proposed for the adjacentbuildings. This relationship will have an effect oncontinuity in the mandatory horizontal expressionlines. There could also be conflict with thepositioning of the secondary horizontal expressionlines.


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June 2004 URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES

TORONTO


Creative ways must be found for how these lines canbe acknowledged in the form, positioning and useof materials, especially in the faade of each podium

building facing College Street.

Vertical Expression Lines Figure 5

Vertical expression lines organize the heritage faadeinto a series of bays. The division of an architecturaldesign into a series of vertical bays, stronglyinfluences how numerous building design featuresand elements may be composed so as to giverhythm and texture in the use and distribution ofmaterials in a faade.

They also help to establish a sense of scale andproportion in the arrangement of fenestration and

to emphasize the form and focus of entrance featuresand vertical circulation elements. The verticalalignment of window openings and their orderedgroupings offers minor vertical expression lines ofimportance in establishing rhythm throughout thefaade.

Attention to both major and minor verticalexpression lines will assist in developing desirableharmonious architectural relationships between theheritage building and the faades of newdevelopment buildings at each end of the CollegeStreet frontage.

The Podium North Building Elevation Figure 6

The podium, established by zoning setback andheight requirements at each end of the heritagebuilding, must be designed to be in sympathy withthe architectural character of the heritage buildingand to not compete with it in scale, while makingspecial reference to identified expression lines.

Materials selected for use in the new podium designmust reflect the characteristics, though not necessarilyan exact duplication, of those in the existing heritage

building. Brick masonry and cast or formed trimelements (replacing the role of terracotta) must beseriously considered for the podium elements of thenew buildings in order to provide continuity ofexpression along the entire College Street frontage.Compatible colour selection is essential.

The faade of each podium, defined in the buildingenvelope east and west of the heritage building,requires a design approach that will reflect the

characteristic symmetry of the full College Streetfaade. Each faade will be articulated in a similarway, with attention given to variation in surfaceplanes. There will be modulation of the built formso that the faade may have dimensional depth anda distinct visual form.

The focus of each podium faade will be central,whether it is an entrance feature or an emphasizedwindow treatment. More specifically, any entrance tobe featured in the podium elements on both ParcelA2 and Parcel C, facing College Street, must belocated as a focal point at the central axis of thepodium faade. The end corner of each podium will

have a feature of equal emphasis to attainsymmetry.

The articulation of vertical bays in the faade, ofdivisional elements in the fenestration and theexpression of stairways and entrances will give thebuilding an identifiable form in keeping with thecontext. A bay system that may be divided andvaried on a modular basis will also respect thevertical proportions and symmetry that have beenidentified.

A podium corner roofline may be expressed in acontrolled way to emphasize the variations and the

articulation of symmetry and texture within eachpodium faade treatment.

Each podium forms the base for a tower above. Theorganization of bays in any new tower buildings willacknowledge the rhythm and proportions establishedfor its podium. The selection of materials for thetowers may relate indirectly to those in the podium.It is not necessary to duplicate them.


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GENERAL COMMENTS

The design characteristics developed in the faade ofthe first constructed podium and tower mustinfluence the architectural direction for otherbuildings. After the first development is approved forconstruction on one of the end parcels facingCollege Street, the concept for development at theother end must provide a similar approach tosymmetry, proportion, continuity of form and therepresentation of mandatory expression lines in theCollege Street faade.

The treatment of penthouse elements at the top ofany new building on each of the developmentparcels will be restrained and reflect the controlledapproach of the original heritage roof top elements.

Vehicle access will not be permitted along the entireCollege Street faade. However, there will be a rightturn in and right turn out access point on UniversityAvenue and an all turns access point on ElizabethStreet.

Access or exit structures that may be required toserve parking levels below parts of the landscapedopen space will be prohibited across the full CollegeStreet frontage. If required these elements must beincorporated within the buildings adjacent to thisarea. Any new ventilation facilities for underground

parking will be permitted if they meet the landscaperequirements of the Open Space Design Guidelines.

The TTC Subway entrance at the corner of CollegeStreet and University Avenue obscures what was theopen west-end of the landscaped frontage of theHeritage building. This vista could be reclaimed byremoving the existing covering structure, relocatingthe entrance to interior space of a new building onParcel A and restoring the original fence in this area.This initiative would be a desirable improvement.

FIGURES

Figure 1A

Existing College Wing buildings, with heritagebuildings hatched, in the context of other hospitalbuildings south of College Street on city blockbetween Elizabeth Street and University Avenue.

Figure 1B

Site Plan of the College Wing Heritage building inthe context of the Development Parcels and theother hospital buildings on the city block.

Figure 2

Site Development Parcels A, B and C.

Figure 3A

Maximum Building Envelope on DevelopmentParcels, in relation to the College Wing Heritagebuilding, showing podiums, towers and the openspace along the entire College Street frontage.

Figure 3B

Building Setbacks that establish a general massingfor new buildings where they must have acompatible and sympathetic relationship with theCollege Wing Heritage building.

Figure 4

Horizontal Expression Lines and the identification ofthe system of building bays in the College Streetfaade of the College Wing Heritage building.

Figure 5

Vertical Expression Lines indicating symmetry in theentire faade of the College Wing Heritage building,and in each wing, as well as a rhythm establishedin the varied but regular grouping of bays andwindow openings.

Figure 6

North Elevation of the College Wing Heritagebuilding in association with the maximumDevelopment Parcel building envelopes. The originalsymmetry of the College Street frontage is re-established in part by required setbacks anddefinition of the podium element rooflines for each

of the flanking Development Parcel sites.

Figure 7

The Proportional Guideline diagram shows howHorizontal Expression Lines and Vertical ExpressionLines may be used, in conjunction with the baysystem of the faade, as a guide for achievingdesign compatibility between the Heritagebuilding and new architecture on the adjacentdevelopment sites.


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