50 King Street, London, Ontario

The 50 King Street location is seen as part of a larger site that includes the courthouse and jail buildings extending from Ridout Street down to the Thames River. The area, locally known as ‘The Forks’, was originally called ‘La Tranche’ by the early French explorers and missionaries and ‘Deshkan Ziibi’, meaning ‘Antler River’ by the Anishinaabek people before that. 50 King Street also encompasses the area where the Middlesex-London Health Unit building stood from 1959 until its recent demolition. 

The site has seen several buildings come and go over the years with the 1827 courthouse remaining prominent and acting as the administrative, social and recreational centre of London. The need for larger more modern buildings, the new train station location, Fanshawe dam and alternate transportation methods re-focused the center of the city and growth to the east, diminishing the importance of this prominent site looking over the Thames River.  Many ideas and recommendations to resurrect the importance of this area have been put forth, the most recent being the community led initiative, ‘Back to the River’. This included the lands adjacent to the river and had a vision to connect London back to its natural assets creating accessible, inclusive community green spaces for the public.

“City Square“ is a new mixed-use development project that will infuse people and activity back to The Forks. It will provide a strong westerly anchor to the downtown and culmination of Dundas Street providing much desired round the clock activity and presence in the downtown.  City Square will be comprised of retail and commercial service spaces at grade, commercial offices in the podium, two residential apartment towers, courtyards with fountains and green spaces with connections to Ivey Park and the Thames Valley Parkway and the Thames River.

The retail and commercial spaces are contained within a three to four storey split podium that steps back from the river and forms a partnership with design attributes drawn from the courthouse building forming a strong podium base. The two residential towers are artfully articulated in a timeless design. Both podium and tower discreetly re-interpret features of the heritage building while providing recreational spaces and rooftop pools overlooking the city and river valleys. Parking and servicing are reduced to a minimum at grade in order to maximize the open spaces, courtyards and views between the buildings, to the park and over the river.