There’s no denying that Toronto is cold – but that shouldn’t prevent us from enjoying everything our city has to offer, especially in the chilly winter months. The Google sister company, Sidewalk Labs, is taking the urban outdoors to the next level with its Smart City prototypes in Toronto’s Quayside.
Quayside Prototypes by Google-Affiliated Sidewalk Labs
Heated, hexagonal-shaped sidewalks that can light up and large umbrella-like raincoats that shield from precipitation are among the most exciting prototypes Sidewalk Labs has to offer. The building raincoats also adjust by season – effectively allowing a transition from indoors to outdoors based on the weather. Interactive projections are also projected onto the raincoats based on current events in the city.
Steel Raincoat Support Structure
As a leading firm for custom metal fabrication in Toronto, Weld Rich and Steel assisted with the structural steel framing that would support the plastic-like raincoat.
The project took roughly one week to complete, to assemble the steel components. The only caveats are Toronto’s harsh winter weather and the sheer weight of the steel components, totalling roughly 7500 lbs across all three steel parts. Regardless, the final product is stunning. The raincoats offer a level of contemporary style and functionality to the underdeveloped Queen’s Quay area – effectively maximizing the amount of time Toronto-dwellers can spend outdoors, even in the colder months.
Sidewalk Labs is actively working to develop Toronto’s Quayside neighbourhood. With the successful implementation of the hexagonal sidewalks and building raincoats, we hope to see more projects approved for this new and upcoming Toronto neighbourhood.
If you’re looking for custom metal fabrication in Toronto, look no further than Weld Rich and Steel. Our team of professionals is fully capable of bringing your design to life, regardless of the project scope and specifications. For all your custom metal fabrication needs in Toronto, call us today!