Architect hopes 45-storey tower will be ‘flagship’ for Hamilton
Hamilton will see three versions of a 45-storey tower pitched as the anchor of a transformed west harbour.
They're part of a special design process meant to result in a civic landmark at Pier 8 that's visible from miles around.
It's not just a regular condominium building with balconies off the edges of them," architect Bruce Kuwabara told The Spectator.
It's not. It's really about defining a marker."
The proposed cylindrical 45-storey lakeside skyscraper connected to a 31-storey companion over a two-storey companion would be the signature standout of a 1,645-unit residential revamp of Pier 8.
In 2018, council agreed to partner with Waterfront Shores to redevelop the city-owned pier into condo apartments and townhouses with an eight-storey height limit.
But an appeal to the provincial land-dispute tribunal was settled with an agreement to consider a tall building to allow for more family units.
The current plan calls for a minimum of 396 two- and three-bedroom units as part of the overall redevelopment. Habitat for Humanity will also oversee 65 affordable units.
Last month, a representative of the Waterfront Shores consortium told The Spectator sales were expected to begin in the fall with construction getting underway in 2023.
For Kuwabara, a founding partner of KPMB Architects, the project is significant on a personal level. He grew up in the North End.
It's quite a story. You get an opportunity to build a tall building in the neighbourhood you grew up in. I mean, that's kind of it in a nutshell," he said in an interview.
Three detailed iterations of his concept will be presented to the city's design review panel March 10 and April 27 to refine the final product.
A virtual public information centre is also planned for March 8.
In a report before councillors Tuesday, staff wrote the end goal of the process is a blueprint for a metropolitan/regional level landmark" on the harbour.
The three options are to show innovation in the areas of quality of life, sustainability and design excellence."
I'm really looking forward to this process," Kuwabara told councillors, calling it one of the most complex" he's encountered, including the one that guided his firm's design of the Canadian embassy in Berlin.
The tower's aerodynamic circular shape, he said, lends itself to the irregular footprint by Williams Fresh Cafe, the former Discovery Centre and the ice-skating/roller rink. It will also command 360-degree vistas from the west harbour.
The flagship" building would also be visible from James Street North on the northern edge of downtown and the Thomas B. McQuesten High Level Bridge, which Kuwabara called the gateway" to Hamilton.
On Tuesday, city politicians signed off on the special design process and public consultation but haven't yet formally backed a 45-storey tower for the site. Staff hope to return with a recommendation report in September.
In the meantime, the North End Neighbourhood Association has formally voiced its support for the 45-storey concept in a letter to the city.
The single signature/landmark" serves to significantly" lower the density of the rest of the Pier 8 footprint, which will allow for more housing to attract families with children," president Andrew Robinson wrote.
The benefit of families to the neighbourhood will provide support to services, restaurants, education, retail and recreation," he added.
But there is also opposition in the North End, including a petition from residents of Guise Street East, which overlooks the harbour, that raises concerns over potential shadows and increased traffic in the area.
Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com