Developer “could not find a better way” to tell the story of new downtown TO condo
One of Toronto’s most influential women is being celebrated with a 47-storey residential tower in downtown Toronto that’s both named after her and designed in her unique likeness.
The southeast corner of Adelaide and John Streets is the site of Natasha The Residences by Lanterra Developments, inspired by entrepreneur Natasha Koifman, founder and president of NKPR, a public relations firm whose office is a mere block away.
In addition to frequently appearing on lists of the most influential and powerful women in the country, Koifman is known for her all-black, well-manicured ensembles and love of art — all of which Lanterra managed to capture in Natasha The Residences.
Lanterra’s developments are known for their themes — Maple Leaf Square is next to Scotiabank Arena; inspired by London’s famous hotels, the Sutton Place Hotel at Bay and Wellesley was reimaged into The Britt Residences — but struggling to find a theme for its latest project in Toronto’s Cultural District, it suddenly occurred to Lanterra’s co-founder and chairman Mark Mandelbaum that the urbane Koifman, a close friend whose PR firm has handled the firm’s projects for years, would be perfect.
“I remember almost not being able to speak because I was so surprised and also so honoured,” Koifman recalled of her conversation with Mandelbaum.
New-York- and Miami-based artist, Peter Tunney, a close friend of Mandelbaum and Koifman, was commissioned to create artwork for the public spaces, while Alessandro Munge of Studio Munge designed the interiors and amenities with Koifman’s signature all-black aesthetic in mind, although soft white contrasts can be found throughout.
“We couldn’t come up with a better way to tell our story than Natasha, and it didn’t take a lot of work to explain it to her,” Mandelbaum said.
“It wasn’t very hard to educate a public about what we were trying to do,” Mandelbaum added, referring to its launch in 2021, which was followed up with a “starting construction” party at El Mocambo in March of this year.
Born in Kiev when Ukraine was part of the U.S.S.R., Koifman’s family immigrated to Canada when she was five years old and says it’s never been lost on her how the notion of strangers showed up and, bit by bit, helped the new Canadian family find its footing here.
“As I was building my career, I recognized the importance of showing up for others,” she said. “A big part of who I am is certainly because I wasn’t born in this country but have so much appreciation for what this country has done for me and my family.”
NKPR isn’t Koifman’s sole endeavour. She is also president of the Canadian and American Boards of Directors for Artists for Peace and Justice, which funded and built the first high school in Haiti to offer free education. To date, 27,000 students have graduated.
But NKPR is, in many ways, an extension of Koifman’s personality. Choosing only to work with brands she herself would use — the firm’s roster has included Smeg, Arc’teryx, Flow Water, Swarovski, The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, Kiehl’s — among others.
“The more women who are accomplished, the more the next generation will feel like they can do the same,” she said.
Natasha Residences will have a total of 353 units available ranging in size from studio to three-bedrooms plus den. Estimated completion date is December 2026.
Pricing available on request. For more information, visit http://www.natasharesidencestoronto.com
Source: www.torontosun.com