Twenty Niagara offers such thoroughly integrated advantages for new inner-city residential development that it could well revolutionize Toronto’s urban planning, but it might still prove unable to stem the flood of new townhouses that imitate what the nineteenth century left undone. At six storeys (eight if one counts the partly sunken parking garage and the penthouse mezzanine), the building provides the density the city needs, while at the same time its organization preserves the domestic values Torontonians hold so dearly. Each of the 21 units has a dual aspect that not only allows through ventilation and light penetration, but also preserves the spatial variety and clarity of orientation characteristic of a townhouse. The park face has two elevators at its quarter points, each serving two units per floor. The tiny entry lobbies above grade are still public spaces, and thus need two means of egress. The architects have devised an ingenious solution: an electromagnetic control (connected to the building’s fire alarm) to unlock the unit doors in an emergency, thereby giving access through either interior to a narrow balcony on the building’s west face, which leads to exit stairs at the north and south corners, much like a traditional fire-escape. In effect, the architects have up-dated the traditional city walk-up to meet new code requirements and life-style expectations. The architectural benefits are profound; the efficiency of the corridor-less plan even results in lower monthly costs. The building’s urbanity is demonstrated by its response to its park-side site. The top of the parking garage forms an elevated terrace along the edge of the park without impinging on the public; instead, one feels the presence of a fresh and distinctly urban attitude.

Kenneth Hayes