The new permanent home for the Toronto International Film Festival, this project provides a much needed showcase destination for festival premieres and gala functions as well as offering 46 storeys of downtown condominium units. NFL worked alongside the owner’s project team on a design assist basis, culminating in the supply and installation of 50,000 ft2 of unitized pre-glazed curtain wall, 55,000 ft2 of composite aluminum and zinc panels, and 7,200 ft2 of architectural louvres.

The Bell Lightbox, a horizontal, 5-story podium building, establishes its cultural image on the streetscape while the 42-story point tower, set back on John Street, commands the skyline. The two elements formally relate in the simple proportions of the volumes, common materials, and quality of detailing. The transition between the two occurs at the point where the roof of the Bell Lightbox meets the base of the Tower. The form and expression of the condominium tower creates a clean, contemporary figure with an illuminated light box at its top to enrich Toronto’s evolving skyline.

The King Street elevation is a composition of projecting volumes and surfaces contained within a continuous loop of movement that begins with the street level canopy and then rises to the upper levels to culminate at the stepped roof. The canopy, with its metal soffits and LED lights, enhances the arrival experience. Extended sequences of horizontal montages of clear, fritted and translucent glass panels animate the upper surfaces and in project the silhouettes of people moving within to the street.