10 York was an exercise in maximizing the effective use of a triangular-shaped lot. The height, shape, and structural systems were specifically designed to create a user-friendly building that presented striking architecture.

The site near Toronto’s waterfront posed several challenges: it was tight, awkwardly shaped, and located in one of the busiest areas of the city. Multiple versions of the structural system were modelled, noting each change that resulted in more usable floor space – a new practice that has become standard ever since.

The tower’s podium uses a strategically-placed system of steel tube framing to support the glass walls, eliminating the need for most columns and freeing up space in the lobby, rear parking area, and along the public sidewalks. The tube framing, painted white and still visible in the lobby, allows the building’s podium levels above the ground floor to extend to the edges of the site for maximum floor space. The tower’s height was chosen to avoid the cost of installing a Tuned Mass Damper in the upper levels while maintaining the comfort and safety of the condominium residents.