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The Sheraton Centre, a 43-storey brutalist landmark sitting across Queen Street from Toronto City Hall, is getting a facelift. The 41-year-old hotel will get new double-paned windows, while attention is also being paid to the concrete skin. Concrete wrinkles and rough patches will be filled, smoothed and buffed. Weathering by the elements over 40 plus years have meant that the team will go over all sections and touch up or repair as necessary.
The new windows are being installed top to bottom: the high-end insulated glazing will assist with energy savings and reduce street noise for those inside. Sheraton's spokesperson Cynthia Bond told us that the window installation team is already hard at work and management believes the new windows will all be in place in late spring.
One of the Sheraton Centre's best features is hidden from the street and will not be lost during the work. Within the complex is a landscaped courtyard with waterfall gardens and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool. The area is not just beautiful to look at; it also benefits from energy recovery from the complex's mechanical systems. Steam condensate, which normally would go into the drain, is diverted to both the Waterfall and to swimming pool. Essentially these feature are heated for free, and the diversion also results in water consumption savings.
Questions remain as to whether the Sheraton may someday address its biggest shortcoming, that of the building's connection to Queen Street, which many people would like to see significantly opened up to the sidewalk. A driveway in front of the Sheraton giving access to City Hall's massive underground garage makes the Queen frontage a difficult one to improve.
