M4 is a single tower made up of four tall, slender “towerettes” which diminish the presence of the tower’s 926 sm floor plate. The floor plate of the M4 tower resembles an “S” in plan which eliminates any long, broad elevations and creates six corner units.The four “towerettes” are expressed with alternating solid cladding around balconies and glass curtain walls around living areas. The overall effect is a bundle of simple elegant vertical bars rising out of a dynamic podium and terminating at different heights at the top of the building.
The architectural concept is to have the podium read like an assembly of volumes that are a familiar scale. Each of the articulated volumes mimics the proportions of a three-storey main street building. The “stacking” of the boxes is intended to be a reference to the interconnected volumes of the tower. The boxes create a visual ensemble that breaks down the scale of the podium. At the same time, the podium and tower formations provide for a unified expression as a timeless modern composition.
Three sides of the podium have residential units, some with wrapping balconies. At grade on the west side, the lobby and amenity space provide a street-related presence. On the east side of the site is a private Mews street shared between M3 and M4. The podium steps down to three storeys along the private right-of-way to allow sunlight to pass through and provide some visual relief along its length. The north side of the site is classified as ‘permitted retail frontage’ and M4 delivers 9000 sq. ft. of retail space along this frontage. The retail façade is also broken down into boxes similar to the residential floors above to support a smaller scale of retail tenants.
The new design of townhouses located at the south as individual boxes would emphasize the sense of independent units. The two-storey amenity terrace will open up the southeast corner of the building to create elegant views of the new public park. The roof design has also been simplified to highlight the various heights of the towerettes and provide the ability to bury BMU and elevator overruns inside the Mechanical penthouse.
