1 King West Hotel and Residence

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Birth of a Hotel and Residence A major component of the bank's transformation was the construction of the 51 storey condominium tower by Stanford Downey Architects Inc. The tower, nicknamed "The Sliver", is the tallest residential building in Canada at 578 feet, and boasts the most slender height to width ratio in the world. The Suites at 1 King West was designed in the spirit of 19th century apartment hotels, and as such, features an almost equal percentage of residential condominium units and hotel rooms. Adding to this number is the historic portion, which houses 200 units and a six-storey atrium enclosing 42 private suites. In 2009, the Suites at 1 King West received a refresh of its own, and is now known more simply as One King West Hotel and Residences, in tribute to this historically significant and prestigious address. Top A Modern Marvel In 1912 when the Dominion Bank Building was first constructed, there were no earthquake construction codes. Stanford Downey ingeniously used the new tower, however, to anchor the old building and make them both earthquake-proof. This was accomplished by tying the columns and beams of the old building to the new concrete tower, through a complicated system of cross bracing in the floors and in the walls. Added to this was a unique structural feature consisting of a 5,000 sq. ft. rooftop mass damper. The damper reacts to sudden wind bursts and minimizes perceived building sway. The swimming pool-style damper has 10 compartments of water, each designed to move opposite to the movement of the building. Architectural precast concrete wall panels were also a unique feature of One King West. RES Precast Inc. developed a mix for the precast curtain wall that is almost indistinguishable from the original terracotta cladding on the old structure. There were 1,071 precast panels covering 93,000 sq. ft. installed on the One King West tower.