The Drake Hotel Toronto Expansion, Canada, Ontario Boutique Accommodation Architecture
The Drake Hotel Toronto Building Expansion
Queen Street West Building ? design by Diamond Schmitt Architects, ON, Canada
12 Dec 2016
The Drake Hotel Toronto Building Expansion
Design: Diamond Schmitt Architects
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Diamond Schmitt Architects? Design to expand The Drake Hotel
TORONTO, December 12, 2016 ? The hottest boutique hotel in Toronto is about to enlarge its footprint on vibrant Queen Street West with a design by Diamond Schmitt Architects. The Drake Hotel will add 32 guest rooms and an expanded lobby in a thoughtful yet provocative addition to the original building from the 1890s.

?Our design for the expanded Drake engages history, modernity and urban collage to reflect the vibrant cultural scene of Queen West,? said Donald Schmitt, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects. The scale of the addition focuses on a modest horizontal growth along Queen Street that is in keeping with the urban form as well as the existing structure. A four-storey masonry base is topped with a setback, cantilevered suite crafted in reflective steel. The choice of materiality riffs on the layered textures of this historic neighbourhood, with its ties to industry, railroads, and now, as a hot bed of culture and entertainment.
?This design pushes the practice of conservation and challenges our idea of building tradition, evolving city form and furthering cultural value,? added h...