St. Lawrence Market North

Toronto

Canada

St. Lawrence Market is a beloved Toronto institution with over 200 years of history, serving as a vital hub for food, culture, and community. A new 5-storey North Market building has reimagined the previous brick building that had served marketgoers for nearly five decades.

The redeveloped building, spanning over 11,000 square meters, blends heritage with modernity, and creates new useful spaces while celebrating the site’s civic importance and public character. As part of this transformative project, CAST CONNEX designed and supplied custom steel casting “pairs” for the Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS) column capitals, located at both interior and exterior building locations.

Owner: City of Toronto

Architect: RSHP | Adamson Associates Architects

Structural Engineer: Entuitive

General Contractor: Buttcon

Steel Fabricator: E.S. Fox

Steel Erector: Steel2000

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These sculptural castings not only facilitate the transition between the concrete columns and the structural steel above but also enhance the architectural expression of the building—adding visual rhythm and technical refinement to the public realm.

Inside the building, the main lobby features standardized CAST CONNEX Universal Pin Connectors (UPC) at the ends of exposed structural braces. These fittings, known for their robust performance and clean aesthetic, bring continuity and elegance to the structural detailing.

By incorporating both custom and standardized steel castings, the result is a building that not only supports the community’s daily activities but also showcases the strength, precision, and beauty of modern structural design.

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This project was awarded a 2024 CISC Institutional/Industrial Award of Merit.

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Custom castings are found above each concrete pier, and CAST CONNEX Universal Pin Connectors are fitted to both ends of the round HSS struts for a sleek and minimalistic appearance.

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View Custom Castings

5-storey main atrium of St. Lawrence Market, North Building, which hosts the weekly Farmer's Market.

Pair of custom steel castings connecting the concrete columns below with the structural steel above. Lower casting integrated into the concrete with welded on rebar; upper casting shop-welded to the wide-flange column. The castings were field-bolted together.