TORONTO | Highrise Developments Compilation Thread

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Never noticed that the exterior cross braces on the southwest side of The Well's office tower aren't complete. Assuming that's a temporary thing, but wondering how they'll place them without a crane.

The braces were removed for curtainwall replacement after this happened in high winds last November (the comment at the end of 14 seconds is ):

https://images.dailyhive.com/20211119133632/final_619818899d81d40139d15801_913934.mp4?_=1

Wasn't funny for the builder$$ (luckily no-one was hurt).... dozens of windows damaged and they've been gradually replacing them on the south, east (and maybe) the west elevations.

[Maldive]

522 University Avenue l 233m l 62s l 522 University Holdings l WZMH l pre-construction

At first glance I thought this new proposal, like its neighbour just south at 488 University (207m) would be reinforcing the existing office building to support a new tower, but if fact they plan to demolish it and build an all new office building below the residential tower that will rise above.

The 522 University Avenue proposal is on the right, 488 University Avenue to its left (built). More than 600 residential units planned.


Northern Light

The existing brutalist office building.

EMPORIS

488 University u/c from 2017, you can glimpse the large cross-bracing added to the existing office building to support the new residential tower that was built on top.


G.L. 17


The Rosedale on Bloor | 185.92m | 55s | Gupta | IBI Group l u/c

Topping out on the right, next to the red brick Selby (and its almost-famous ’notch’/set-back).


stjames2queenwest

Looking tall from the valley, driving down the DVP.

tstormers

Domenico


IMMIX | 131.06m | 38s | QuadReal | a—A l u/c

In many places a 38 storey building would look rather tall, but not looking south down Yonge from Bloor Street.

The u/c tower is in the centre of the photo and you can just glimpse the best element of the development… the restored clock tower still shrouded in white tarps to the left at street level. Can’t wait to see the restoration.

Johnny Au

The clock tower peaking through the scaffolding.

ndawgg

The clock tower beside the strange “ghost” building (still don’t know what it is… maybe art or a nod to a lost building?).


UT


The Well looking south-east: the planning poster child for the pethora of shopping centre redevelopment plans underway all over the city.

With so many city shopping centres planning huge redevelopments, they should be looking to this as a case study on how to build massive mixed-use communitys from scratch (many plans are little more than "towers in a park" - "parking lots" actually).

The Well Mix: high-rise office tower (employment), high-rise residential (with a mix of condo and rentals) sitting on gorgeous mixed-use podiums, mid-rise tiered residential stepping down to human scale/public realm… all knitted together by a weather-protected network of gallerias/atriums.


Red Mars

Rascacielo


950 King West | 50m | 14s | Intentional Capital | Sweeny&Co l pre-construction

Re-submitted (again and again and again) and the only change I can see compared to past itinerations is the use of darker brick on the new carbuncle behind the (to be restored) Palace Arms Hotel.

Hard to believe Sweeny&Co have their name on this given their remarkable design solutions for a number of heritage sites that are adding new buildings in sensitive and creative ways (like The Bridge)


UT

[Maldive]

Didn’t have a tower rendering for my earlier post on this proposal, so here it is along with the developer/proponent’s name.

Gorgeous imo ... especially if that’s white-grey “feathering of brick colour” all the way up, similar to Skale’s beautiful 1181 Queen Street West u/c:

775 Vaughan Road l ?m l 36s l Shannondale Developments l Studio JCI l pre-construction


AlbertC

AlbertC

A drawing/massing.



The One | 338.3m | 94s | Mizrahi Developments | Foster + Partners l u/c

Walls and super-columns all poured and formwork for the next floor slab underway earlier this morning.

Time to drop the annoying, unfunny, repetitive 'slow' comments for a while. Wow ;-). Most of those folks are already on the Ignore List so never-mind.

Benito

Benito

[Miss J.]

It's funny; ever since the construction crew hired that worker named Clarke Kent, things have really picked up building The 1 tower! 😀

[Maldive]

5 Jopling Avenue South l ?m l 39s l CentreCourt l BDPQ l pre-construction

A huge tall cluster in Etobicoke near Kipling and Bloor from (great) builder CentreCourt. First phase is a 39s residential tower with 405 units.


Northern Light


90 Eglinton East | 207m, 201m | 59s, 57m | Madison Group | Turner Fleischer l pre-construction

Oof.. TF strikes again… doubling the pain. What can I say about these (originally proposed as 1 shorter tower that looked ok, sitting on a smaller site), except they’d look neat from a drone or a helicopter.

As for the soul-sucking monster podium with a low budget sci-fi cathedral entrance (presumably the love-child of the CNE Bandshell and a Black Hole)… this is TF, doing what they do.

Will assume laughter is to follow this post, but this isn’t funny. These folks actually get hired to draw buildings. 1,116 residential units plus office and retail.


ChesterCopperpot

ChesterCopperpot

ChesterCopperpot

At least the tower floor-plates are somewhat interesting (curvy notches)... but that podium is a partical joke, no?


Sugar Wharf Condominiums (Phase 1) | 231m | 70s | Menkes | a—A l u/c

Looking north-west: waterfront aerial. As Bowie would say “Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes” (…are coming fast). Sugar Wharf Phase 1 is rising in the centre.

Recent activity suggests the much bigger and taller Phase 2 may getting closer to site prep/demolition.

ADRM

Justelena


Hyatt Place / The 203 Residences on Jarvis | 108.2m | 32s | Manga | IBI Group l u/c

This is starting to look as good as the wacky renderings.


skycandy

skycandy

Diving platform balconies appearing on the top right of the building.


skycandy

UT


900 St Clair West | 43.69m | 12s | Canderel | BDP Quadrangle l u/c

Way better than expected from Canderel.. so far. Fingers crossed for decent precast-imbedded brick.


ProjectEnd

UT


Artists' Alley | 121.91m | 39s | Lanterra | Hariri Pontarini l u/c

Have a feeling this HPA design will turn out great.

bilked

UT

bilked

Link

Link

Gonna take a heck of a lot of artists to fill this 2 tower development. Or maybe the artists will be consigned to playing for loonies in the alley?


UT


506 Church Street | 49.79m | 14s | Graywood | Diamond Schmitt l pre-construction

Some new images from the site plan application docs. Condo and retail located in the heart of the the Gay Village.


UT

UT


Concord Canada House | 232m, 202m | 74s, 64 | Concord Adex | IBI Group l u/c


Riseth

UT

Riseth

The podium’s charcoal brick precast is a bit oppressive, but I’ll confess the materials and build quality is better than I expected.

spaced

Link

Time and Space Condos | 101.8m | 29s | Pemberton | Wallman Architects l u/c

The Pemberton Borg™ continues to munch on an entire city block while its 2 towers at the north end keep rising. Somewhat shockingly, a few people who live in the neighbourhood like it.

At least the nearly 3,000 future residents who have been assimilated will keep the St. Lawrence Market and its new sibling u/c across the street busy.


Justelena

Social at Church + Dundas | 164.89m | 52s | Pemberton | RAW Design l u/c

Best seen from afar.

AlbertC

In this post by Raw Design, they are wisely using an extreme angle of the balconies to obscure terrible window-wall (not all their fault, they drew something better).


AlbertC

[colemonkee]

90 Eglinton East doesn't look that bad to me. I think the arches at the base work with the overall massing, balance and flow of the composition, but they need to make the lines actual curves, and not the angled straight lines, and use some sort of hard material - the metal cladding color of the base or the lighter metal color of the tower would work - to more clearly define the shape, maybe 2X thicker than the vertical mullions. Then it would work much better. But other than that, I find this to be decent.

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

90 Eglinton East doesn't look that bad to me. I think the arches at the base work with the overall massing, balance and flow of the composition, but they need to make the lines actual curves, and not the angled straight lines, and use some sort of hard material - the metal cladding color of the base or the lighter metal color of the tower would work - to more clearly define the shape, maybe 2X thicker than the vertical mullions. Then it would work much better. But other than that, I find this to be decent.

You saw my note about "The Well" cross-bracing (window replacement)?

[Gresto]

I agree with colemonkee. I do not find 90 Eg. E. unsightly. I'm also really looking forward to Sugar Wharf 2's getting under way.

[Maldive]

110 Eginton East - just some better(?) quality renderings of the top of the podium and bottom of the towers, and at grade (actually looks better up close). Note the new official address is 110 and includes 90 Eglinton E.

UT

ProjectEnd

ProjectEnd


Think this is my first-ever post for Brampton (another T-Dot ‘burb if you don’t know the place). This is kinda cool for them… likely a new tallest (?).

226 Queen Street East (Brampton) | 143.96m | 45s | Nahid Corporation | Wayne Long l pre-construction

Condo, retail and public space. The Queen BRT line is planned to pass by here. 

UT

UT

The Addison Residences | 49.9m | 16s | Adi | Core Architects l sales/pre-construction

Sales office just opened for this mid-rise from Core. Too many mullions imo but the (almost) punched window framing is nice. A very logical deference to the heritage elements via massing steps.


UT


The United BLDG | 179.52m | 52s | Davpart | B+H l u/c

Years(?) of epic work (heritage retention) before they can even build.


Towered
/
Towered

UT

T3 Bayside | 42m | 10s | Hines | 3XN l u/c

Just love how this box is turning out (and mass timber to boot).


RitchieS

RitchieS

RitchieS

261 Queen East | 112.95m | 33s | Tricon | Hariri Pontarini l demolition/site prep

Technically not u/c but demolition completed and graded/prepped on a portion of the site… maybe just for a sales centre or perhaps staging for more demolition?

Check out that row of heritage stock at the top of the photo.

Justelena

Office, rental, retail and public space.

UT

Only the facades of the big warehouse on the right are being retained so lots more demolition to go.

Justelena

More of the heritage elements on the site.

Justelena

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by Gresto

I agree with colemonkee. I do not find 90 Eg. E. unsightly. I'm also really looking forward to Sugar Wharf 2's getting under way.

How did you know...?

Today: It’s happening… wake me up in 4 or 5 years.


achender

[Nouvellecosse]

So many cool projects lately. The average quality of projects has really improved over the last couple of years.

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

So many cool projects lately. The average quality of projects has really improved over the last couple of years.

Check out this one:

15-17 Elm | 99m | 30s | Fora | PARTISANS l pre-construction

Got say this is egg-zactly what we need more of in this city. I think the wacky, sometimes weird but wonderful, design minds at PARTISANS are my long lost soul-mates. I should get in touch.

Condo and retail.

UT

UT

UT


1920 Eglinton East | ?m | 48s | Madison Group | Teeple, superkul & Turner Fleischer l pre-construction

This is a 21 building development, and UT forum member Northern Light has been trying to sort through 6 applications for at least 7 different blocks. He is also trying to sort out “who did what (architecturally)” for elements of the masterplan. Wish him luck.

NOTE: 2 good architect plus TF. From the master-plan:


Northern Light

Northern Light

This is Block 4 - TF’s contribution:

Northern Light

Northern Light

This is Block 6 & 7 from Teeple.

I’ll wait for a better rendering for this one before commenting because Teeple’s use of materials is usually top-notch.


Northern Light

More to come (21 buildings, whew) and maybe some news on superkul’s contributions. They designed the gorgeous, serpentine Broadview and Danforth project on over-looking the Don Valley.

Edited to add: a superkul contribution to the 21 towers. Kinda like the angled steps and this is the tallest of them all @ 48 storeys.

On the far right.

Northern Light

Northern Light


Bloor Street from Rosedale Ravine to Yorkville. Stay tuned for more (a super-tall and a fist-full others u/c + half a dozen more ’scrapers in the proposal pipeline).


Rascacielo

[colemonkee]

15-17 Elm is amazing. It's as if the ghost of Antoni Gaudi designed a high-rise. More of that, please!

Maldive, yes, I did get your answer on The Well's cross-bracing. Thank you!

[Miss J.]

Originally Posted by Maldive

How did you know...?

Today: It's happening… wake me up in 4 or 5 years.


achender

Hi, Maldive. Do you know which towers are going up 1st of the 3 in phase 2 once the demolition work is through? Is that a part of this work, or do you know if they will hold off before starting any of the new towers? I don't know what the sales figures for the 3 towers in phase 2 are or when they're supposed to start. I'm super excited about this project!

[Maldive]

Lower Don Lands Redevelopment | Waterfront Toronto l u/c

Great aerial of all the progress from Waterfront Toronto looking due east towards The Beach(es).


DSC

^ The shot above is pretty much the reverse (and wider) angle of this rendering which looks west.

UT

achender

Not sure what he’s up to in front of The Cherry Street North bridge.

achender

Armour stone laid like interlocking pavers on the ice management area of the river bed.

achender


Maverick | 154.53m | 49s | Empire | IBI Group l u/c

I’ve said before (I’ve said before) but with only 12 floors above grade completed so far, this skinny fella is going to took tall at only 49 storeys.

Red Mars

Much smaller east to west floor-plates than this rendering suggests.

UT

Red Mars


160 Front West | 239.87m | 46s | Cadillac Fairview | AS + GG l u/c

Streeeetched (14mm lens) shot of 160 Front West rising and 19 Duncan u/c on the far right. Actually makes the entertainment district look roomy (rather than the increasingly sun-deprived area it can be).


Dustin William

Red Mars

Red Mars

yyz222


72 Perth | 37.95m | 9s | Castlepoint Numa | IBI Group l pre-construction

Nice mid-rise for this neighbourhood south of Bloor and a few blocks east of Roncesvalles Avenue.


UT

1220 Yonge Street l ?m l 22s l Trinity Point l BBB l pre-construction

Mixed-use near the Summerhill Subway stop on The Yonge line.


Northern Light

Northern Light


Y9825 | ?m | 22s | Metroview | Wallman Architects l demolition soon

Condo, townhouse and retail up in Richmond Hill.

UT

UT


510 Yonge | 196.9m | 59s | KingSett Capital | BDP Quadrangle l pre-construction

RANT: This was one of my favourite proposals in the city, a great design from BDPQ with great materials, set on an angle on Yonge Street… which I guessed would drive planning nuts. Back in mid-July we heard of a confidential report to oppose this at the Ontario Land Tribunal but no details were provided. Oh oh....

I jokingly(?) predicted this would happen:
"Confidential Attachment 1: As requested by planning staff, the primary facade is no longer angled and is situated parallel to the street.”

Guess what happened? Exactly as predicted only worse… they also nixed the crown which had a series of step-backs (set-backs). Yay... keep the good news coming you planning idiots.

Yesterday they released the rendering below (just a dolled up massing exercise) because the site is now for sale. The sale (with approved zoning in place) is probably the only good news in this planning mess… someone else can have another shot at squeezing a decent design past the lame-ass gang on the 12th floor.

This place drives me nuts some times (RANT over ;-).

AFTER (now on sale)

UT

BEFORE (city urban design/planning got their knives out).

UT

UT

30 Eglinton Ave W (Mississauga) | 113m | 34s | Plaza Partners | BDP Quadrangle l pre-construction

Think l missed this one but nice BDPQ design for Mississauga. Residential and retail at the corner of Eglinton and Hurontario (6 lane highway ;-) Street.

UT

UT


Sugar Wharf Condominiums (Phase 2) | 299m | 90s | Menkes | a—A l prep

As mention above, something is definitely happening on site (a few weeks ago hydro was doing work to accommodate Phase 2 construction)… dumspters and equipment have arrived and they punched a hole in the warehouse (some of the facades to be incorporated into the new podium)… wake me up in 4 or 5 years ;-).

Below, Phase 1 with the balcony patterns is rising in the centre of the photo. The three towers of Phase 2 will rise to the left of those Phase 1 towers, close to Pinnacle One Yonge’s - Phase 1 which is seen further left in the photo.

Super-tall SkyTower (podium u/c) will eventually join the view of these very tall few blocks.

ADRM

UT

UT


The Well | 174.03m | 46s | RioCan | Hariri Pontarini l u/c


skycandy

Some detail shots:

Cross-bracings removed for window replacement after last November’s high-winds accident (dozens of windows damaged by an out-of-control curtainwall panel being lifted by crane).

skycandy

Terracotta podium below, zig-zagging frosted balconies above.

skycandy

skycandy

skycandy

The western-most podium getting its dark red pre-cast brick.

Red Mars

The transparent curtain-wall on the crown/mech-penthouse suggests a roof-top amenity space with a view of the lake.

Red Mars

Hues

Red Mars

Canopy between the mid-rises on Wellington Street.

Red Mars

skycandy

Nice glass on the most westerly mid-rise on Wellington Street.

Red Mars


30 Merton Street | 125.3m | 37s | QuadReal | Sweeny &Co l demolition/site prep

The clean-up after a multi-level parking garage demolition, before shoring can start.

Wysiwyg

Not remotely what I would expect from Sweeny&Co, particularly that towering mechanical penthouse for a 37s building (maybe a micro-nuclear reactor to power the street?).


UT

[H2O]

So is the cross bracing on the Well entirely decorative and not structural? Or is it part of the glazing retention system and they are at risk of losing some glass until the cross bracing is replaced?

[Dale]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

So many cool projects lately. The average quality of projects has really improved over the last couple of years.

For years it used to be a common complaint that TO was “pinstripe conservative” in its modern architecture.

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by H2O

So is the cross bracing on the Well entirely decorative and not structural? Or is it part of the glazing retention system and they are at risk of losing some glass until the cross bracing is replaced?

It's just decorative.

IIRC David Pontarini mentioned that some of the decorative whimsy at The Well was a quiet homage to modern London architecture generally, and possibly Norman Foster specifically (HSBC Hong Kong etc.).

The external stairs running up the office tower's north elevation are a much louder homage... but I just can't remember what building has a very similar feature lol.

Stairs on the north side of The Well:

Red Mars

[H2O]

Originally Posted by Maldive

It's just decorative.

IIRC David Pontarini mentioned that some of the decorative whimsy at The Well was a quiet homage to modern London architecture generally, and possibly Norman Foster specifically (HSBC Hong Kong etc.).

The external stairs running up the office tower's north elevation are a much louder homage... but I just can't remember what building has a very similar feature lol.

Stairs on the north side of The Well:

Red Mars

That is disappointing. I'm not all Adolf Loos - I don't mind some decoration on a building but I would prefer it be more like a carved tableau of Greek Gods or something more obviously decorative. Faux structural elements are very dishonest, and possibly a crime. I think the stairs most resemble the Lloyd's Building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd%27s_building

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by H2O

That is disappointing. I'm not all Adolf Loos - I don't mind some decoration on a building but I would prefer it be more like a carved tableau of Greek Gods or something more obviously decorative. Faux structural elements are very dishonest, and possibly a crime. I think the stairs most resemble the Lloyd's Building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd%27s_building

Thanks I couldn't pull Lloyd's out of my head.

I don't agree that all faux structural elements are dishonest and certainly not a crime.

Before SkyTower was V-E'd, the golden triangular lattice all over the curtainwall was vaguely channeling structural elements that didn't exist and had nothing to do with the traditional concrete slab floor-plates (but shaped) and columns. Though decorative, I thought it was gorgeous (whimsy again?)... and added visual relief from 95 storeys of glass. They could have just slapped on some mullions where needed.

More honest examples might be when exterior elements/cladding at least reference an unseen structural element of a building.

Maybe not the best example but The One's substantial goldish/champagne angled cladding which though much larger than the actual steel hangers supporting the floor corners, echoes the actual build behind the glass.


UT