“It has taken this city by storm,” says Riz Dhanji, the VP of Sales and Marketing at Canderel Residential, “people can’t grasp the fact that you can create an infinity pool on the 66th floor and a lounge on the 64th.”

Riz is referring to our $5 million pool (AQUA66), and our 64th floor lounge (LOUNGE64) which will be the centrepiece of our amazing amenities. “You can pay up to $1500 a night for this kind of experience at a luxury hotel, but here you just have to be a resident of the building and you’ll get access to these world class amenities all year round.”

Two years ago, Riz started thinking about what will make our building stand out. Architecture firm Graziani + Corazza Architects explored various concepts for the building before finally coming up with the pièce de résistance - the black and white exterior. “Graziani + Corazza Architects thought this bold exterior was something unique and that it would resonate with people and really stand out from the rest of the buildings not only in the area, but in the city,” Riz told us. And that was the jumpoff. From there, Riz and Canderel knew that YC Condos was going to be different.

But how did the $5 million pool come into play? Riz told us the story, and it’s a good one:

“I was in New York at the Boom Boom Room, and if you’re not familiar with it, it’s the lounge at the top of the Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District, a very cool spot. When you’re sitting there, there’s this amazing lounge with an amazing view of the Hudson River. I was looking out at the view and an idea came to me. I immediately made a phone call to my architect and explained it to him - mind you, this was at around one in the morning - and I said to him, “we’ve got to do this at YC.” Of course, his response was, “it’s one in the morning, why are you calling me about a condo?” and that’s where the idea of AQUA66 originated”

Riz and the architects began looking at different concepts and then realized that they needed someone to actually implement this infinity pool design. There were a lot of interior design firms interested but Burdifilek was the clear top contender. “We were really excited about what they brought to the table,” says Riz. With their background in designing the W Hotels, along with retail like the Club Monaco in Manhattan, Burdifilek brought the New York modern, timeless feel to AQUA66 which really completed the concept, according to Riz.

Converting the top 2 floors of a condo building, the most expensive real estate in the building, definitely comes at a risk. “It was something that we were losing a significant amount of money on,” says Riz, “but we looked at all the benefits, which was that the pool made the building very appealing and something that really stood out among the rest of the downtown condos, and that the pool would be something that would resonate with buyers.” In the end, Riz says, “I think it was a really good choice. Canderel has pushed the envelope in a lot of our projects, from creating Canada’s tallest condo [Aura], and incorporating Madonna’s Hard Candy Fitness and the retail that we brought there. This is just another addition to what we’ve built, and how we’re living up to the standards we’ve created in Toronto.”