TSA Building Tour: The Corleck and Bathurst Quay Common

It’s time to pull out those hard hats again because we’re starting the 2024 TSA Building Tour season with an under construction double feature! Join us as we explore the creation of the central waterfront’s newest cultural hub and take a behind-the-scenes peek at the rehabilitation and transformation of the historic Corleck Building, as well as the surrounding Bathurst Quay Common.

Sitting at the end of Bathurst Quay and previously serving as the administrative offices of the Canada Malting Silos, the Corleck Building is a heritage designated early modernist/deco structure that is undergoing a multi-year transformation into the new home of the Canada Ireland Foundation. Planned for opening in 2025, this adaptive rehabilitation project will feature a multi-use double-height event space, conference rooms, office space, and a sun-drenched patio, with a goal of integrating its site design and framework into the overall development of the 1.8 hectare Eireann Quay redevelopment site. The surrounding site is also going through a transformation as the former industrial lands are being transformed into Toronto’s newest waterfront park, with the restoration of the former Malting Silos anchoring the entire development.

During this special 2-hour tour, we’ll be able to explore the current work happening both within the building and the surrounding landscapes and silos, seeing how multiple organizations have come together to accomplish this ambitious transformation.

Reflecting this multi-party effort, this tour will be jointly led by the Canada Ireland Foundation, Kearns Mancini Architects Inc., and the City of Toronto.

Tour Guides

• Robert Kearns, Chair & Founder, Canada Ireland Foundation
• William Peat, Executive Director, Canada Ireland Foundation
• Eileen Costello, Vice Chair, Canada Ireland Foundation
• Jonathan Kearns, Principal-in-Charge & CEO, Kearns Mancini Architects Inc.
• Bryan Bowen, Project Director, City of Toronto

PPE Required: All tour attendees must have a hard hat and safety boots. Anyone attending without the required PPE will not be allowed to participate. No exceptions will be made.

TSA Member Priority Access: This tour is 50% off for TSA Members using the promo code found in the latest TSA Bulletin or on the Member Dashboard. TSA Members also receive early access to tickets on Friday, May 24 at 9:00 AM. Spots remaining will then be made available to the public on June 4 at 9:00 AM. Not a member yet? Become a TSA Member today and get access to free, discounted, and exclusive member programming.

About the Project: The Corleck Building

The Corleck Building is a 9,600 square foot, two and a half storey brick early modernist/deco heritage building currently being restored and adapted to become the new home of the Canada Ireland Foundation. Re-imagined by Kearns Mancini Architects from the former administrative building for the Canada Malting Company, the new goal of this space is to provide a much-needed community hub, showcasing multiple cultural venues, as well as integrating its site design and framework to the overall development of the 1.8 hectare Eireann Quay redevelopment site.

Planned for opening in 2025, this adaptive rehabilitation project will feature a multi-use double-height event space, conference rooms, office space, and a sun-drenched patio. As of March 2023, the building has gone through two of its three phases of renovation. Most of the inside structural work has been completed and the process of cleaning the outside brick walls has started, bringing back the original colour of this heritage building.

Learn more about this project here.

About the Project: Bathurst Quay Common

As part of the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan, a multi-phase project to revitalise the Bathurst Quay community, a new approximate 4,000 square metre (1 acre) park is coming to the historic Canada Malting Co. property located at 3 Eireann Quay. The new park, named Bathurst Quay Common, will include seating areas by the water with lush plants and landscaping, a multi-purpose plaza that can accommodate special events and cultural programming, and architectural accent lighting to illuminate the historic Canada Malting silos during the evening.

The construction of this new park is a critical part of a larger plan to transform the under-utilised space into an attractive and animated destination for waterfront residents and guests, and to create a welcoming gateway into the downtown core for visitors to Toronto arriving from the adjacent Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. It is part of the multi-year project that has been the transformation and revitalization of Toronto’s Central Waterfront from a place of industry to a place of culture, leisure, work and play.

Learn more about this project here.

About TSA Building Tours 

Designed for architects by architects, the TSA Building Tours offer unique behind-the-scenes access to recently completed or under construction buildings across the GTA. Led by the team behind their design, these tours provide an opportunity to hear the stories behind the architecture and learn about the challenges and successes in ideating and realizing the vision for the building. 

TSA Building Tours are made possible thanks to the generous support of STEIN + REGENCY.