My Bicycle Trip to Corus Entertainment on the Waterfront Or, Where is the Lake?



Corus Quay Building, view of northwest corner.

Photo by Andrew Chiu


By Astra Burka, OAA

Architect and Filmmaker

After being terrified by a police officer, who warned me NOT to ride my bicycle along Queens Quay during G20 week from Bathurst to Sherbourne, I decided to do it anyway. Starting from Little Italy, I get terrified crossing the “anti-pedestrian” intersection at Lakeshore Boulevard and Bathurst Street to our waterfront.

Happily, I followed the bicycle path east on Queens Quay when it suddenly disappeared at Spadina. The path never reappeared until east of Yonge, where delivery vans were blocking it.

Finally, I arrived at the Corus building that is still under construction. The official opening is not planned until September 30th. My first reaction was that the somber greenish glass façade looked like any of the sprouting towers situated on highways instead of one of the first major Waterfront Toronto projects. What was the design review panel smoking? If I had not seen the small stainless steel Corus sign at the entrance, I would not have known that this was a building housing a successful integrated media and entertainment complex. Half of the lower portion of the city facing façade consisted of metal grills for the electrical panels. Where was the water view?

I took a photo, enjoying the moment when someone called me and asked: “What are you doing here?” I answered, “I am looking at the space.” I was immediately escorted to the lobby. I never got a chance to explore the TV studios located on the main floor and the actual office spaces.

Back outside, I met a gentleman who described to me where the radio studios were located (north east corner) with windows that can be opened, the green roof on the 8th floor, the 6th floor consisting of outdoor facilities for the employees and the retail space facing the lake. Lake water was used for cooling and heating the building.

The lakeside took on a different feeling. Here you could actually experience the lake inside the atrium space and get fabulous views of the water for the employees. Construction of a park to the west and a continuous boardwalk is in progress.

After leaving the building, I biked back to Lakeshore Boulevard wondering when the 2006 winning design for an innovative transit/pedestrian street would ever be built. How many years or decades does it take to get things moving here in Toronto?

Corus was the design community’s first opportunity to showcase how our waterfront will look with built form and its relation to our lake. I am trying to put “Corus” in context with the new waterfront vision and hope that the forthcoming building designs will be more ambitious, creative, fun and water and people friendly.

PS. If only the recent winning design competition for the North Farmer’s Market would be placed on the lake. We as citizens of Toronto would be able to enjoy a wonderful view through the building to the lake.