The Victory Soya Mills Silos operated in the Toronto harbour area from 1940-1991. Built in the 1940’s, the 35-metres tall silo is the only remaining structure on the site testifying to the area’s industrial past. In recognising its historical significance, the building was added to Toronto’s City’s Heritage Registre in 2004. The development plan for the Victory Silo neighbourhood is centred around the reactivation of the silo; rather than leaving it as a passive, non-engaging historical monument, the impressive structure will reclaim its space and serve as the centrepiece – a landmark that links the past with the present and roots the neighbourhood in a historical context.
By using adaptive transformation, the original cylindrical concrete tube structure remains intact, while the addition of a modern, publicly accessible timber construction atop will revive it as an active place that welcomes the city and the residents to both explore and enjoy this new part of town. It is the lightness of the timber as a material that offers the opportunity to add new uses to the silo while leaving the original structure untouched.
While the silo holds a significant role in the development of Victory Silo, its true impact lies in its integration within a constellation of buildings, forming an appealing and harmonious neighbourhood along the waterfront. Complementing the silo, three buildings of different heights will provide a combination of residential and retail spaces, interconnected by public areas that link the neighbourhood from north to south, connecting the city of Toronto to the recreative spaces by the waterfront. By blending various functions such as residential, office, retail, and publicly accessible courtyards, the Victory Silo neighbourhood will create a dynamic urban environment that embraces and caters to the diversity of the city and its people.
