When leading architect Moshe Safdie's initial renderings of Great Gulf Group's Monde development were revealed back in 2011, the dramatic design was seen as a welcome break from the same-same blueness of other waterfront towers. The perpendicular balconies on Monde's 44-storey tower make the building look like a big stack of Jenga blocks, in a good way. Only one problem: units didn't sell quickly enough. Presumably, buyers weren't eager to spend premium dollar on suites that were long and dark and narrow, and where not every room had a window.
In response, Safdie added a new set of six units to Monde, calling them the 'Boardwalk Suites'. The new suites are wider and shallower than those in the earlier design, so more light will flow in and the feel will be less claustrophobic. Monde breaks ground in the fall of 2014, with completion/move-in now scheduled for July 2018.
·Moshe Safdie's waterfront Toronto condo complex gets a makeover [Globe]
·Monde at UrbanToronto [UrbanToronto]
·Floor plan fix: Great Gulf Monde Condominiums [Now Toronto]
·Moshe Safdie retrospective [Huffington Post]