The 78-storey Aura condo tower had a shimmering, ethereal appearance in today’s early morning mist above downtown Toronto. Part of the College Park complex at Yonge & Gerrard Streets, Aura is the tallest condominium building in Canada. Below are several more pics of the tower displaying its aura. I shot the photos from my balcony five blocks to the northeast of Aura.
The new RBC WaterPark Place office tower practically blends into the clouds in this view from the west on lower York Street on September 16 2014 …
… while four new towers reach for the clouds above the south downtown core. At left are the Delta hotel and Bremner office tower at Southcore Financial Centre on Bremner Blvd. Soaring skyward at right are the two ÏCE Condos on York Street.
The sensuous curves of the One Bloor condo tower are already adding interest and excitement to the once-drab Yonge & Bloor intersection in Yorkville.
Below are more photos of the towers shown above, as well as other hotel, office and condo skyscrapers that I photographed this past week.
RBC WaterPark Place office building
West side of RBC WaterPark Place viewed from lower York Street
South face of RBC WaterParkPlace seen from Queen’s Quay Blvd. The tower was designed by WZMH Architects of Toronto.
Upper half of the 30-storey tower, viewed from the southwest
Another view of the tower from Queen’s Quay to the southwest
Studio on Richmond condominiums
Looking up the north side of the Studio on Richmond condo tower situated between Simcoe and Duncan Streets in the Entertainment District. It will top off at 31 storeys. Its 41-storey sister tower, Studio2, is currently under construction behind it on Nelson Street.
Studio on Richmond podium and tower viewed from the north side of Richmond Street near Simcoe Street
The two-tower Studio on Richmond condo complex was designed by Quadrangle Architects of Toronto.
A view of the Studio on Richmond condo from the west on Richmond Street near Duncan Street. The building is a project of Aspen Ridge Homes.
Delta Hotel and Bremner office tower at Southcore Financial Centre
The Delta Toronto hotel (left) and the Bremner office tower are nearing completion at Southcore Financial Centre on Bremner Boulevard between York Street and Simcoe Street. The buildings are seen here from Roundhouse Park, near the Toronto Railway Museum.
The 45-storey Delta Hotel tower reflects on the west wall of the 30-storey Bremner office tower in this view from the southwest corner of Lower Simcoe Street and Bremner Boulevard.
Looking up the northwest corner of the Delta Hotel. The Bremner office tower is partially visible behind it.
Upper west side of the Delta Hotel. Scheduled to open in 2015, the Delta will be a premium 4-star hotel with 567 guest rooms.
The angled south face of the Delta Hotel, seen from Bremner Boulevard
The L Tower condominium
Upper floors of The L Tower seen from the west on Sept 16 2014. The dramatically curved skyscraper was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind.
A closer view of some of the upper levels of the 58-storey L Tower, which is located at the corner of Yonge Street and The Esplanade, directly behind the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
The L Tower makes an emphatic point on the downtown skyline
A telephoto view of the construction crane that has soared above The L Tower construction site for the past several years
The Mercer condo tower
Looking up the southeast corner of The Mercer condo building, which rises 33 storeys at the corner of Mercer and John Streets in the Entertainment District
The Mercer was designed by BBB Architects, and is a project of Graywood Developments Ltd. and Beaveerhall Homes.
Three Hundred Front Street West condominiums
The upper floors of the 49-storey Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower
Looking up the southeast corner of Tridel’s Three Hundred Front West condo. The building was designed by Toronto’s Wallman Architects.
Theatre Park condominiums
The 47-storey Theatre Park condo tower is under construction on King Street West, right next door to Toronto’s historic Royal Alexandra Theatre. I shot this photo of Theatre Park from two blocks to the northwest.
Theatre Park was designed by architectsAlliance of Toronto. The condo is a project of Lamb Development Corp., Niche Development and Harhay Construction Management Ltd.
Glass balcony panels are gradually being installed on the tower’s north side
Design details on the tower’s west side
ÏCE Condominiums
The upper west sides of the 67- and 57-storey ÏCE Condominiums, located at 12 and 14 York Street in the south downtown core
The top of the 67-floor ÏCE Condo at 14 York Street. A project of Lanterra Developments, the two skyscrapers were designed by Toronto’s architectsAlliance.
ÏCE Condo towers viewed from the southeast on Queen’s Quay Blvd.
A view of the two towers from Grand Trunk Crescent to their northwest
Aura condominium
I shot this pic of the 78-storey Aura condominium tower from the podium green roof at Toronto City Hall. Aura is the tallest condominium building in Canada.
The upper third of Aura, viewed from several blocks to the southwest
A view of Aura from two blocks to the west on Elizabeth Street
Aura viewed from the northwest corner of College Park. A Canderel development project, the tower was designed by Graziani & Corazza Architects Inc.
The top of Aura, viewed from the southwest
The top of Aura, viewed from the north
Nicholas Residences condominiums
A view of 35-storey Nicholas Residences from the north on Balmuto Street. The condo is a project of Urban Capital and Alit Developments.
Looking up the tower’s northwest corner, from the intersection of St Mary and St Nicholas Streets. The building was designed by Toronto’s Core Architects Inc.
Nicholas viewed from the southwest on St Nicholas Street.
West side of Nicholas, viewed from St Mary Street near Bay Street
FIVE Condominiums
Looking toward the 48-storey FIVE Condos tower from two blocks to the southeast, at the corner of Yonge and Maitland Streets. To its right is the Nicholas Residences condo tower, two blocks north.
FIVE Condos was designed by Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects
Looking up the south side of FIVE Condos from Wellesley Street West
The tower has a wonky appearance when viewed from the south, thanks to the undulating pattern of balconies on the east and west sides.
Construction of the tower’s mechanical penthouse is underway. FIVE Condos is a project of MOD Developments Inc., Graywood Developments Ltd., Tricon and Diamondcorp.
Windows on the east side of FIVE Condos on September 5
FIVE Condos viewed from the east on the morning of September 11
A view of FIVE from the south on St Luke Lane, next to the Toronto Central YMCA Centre (left). This view will change drastically in several years when Lanterra Developments builds its 60-storey 11 Wellesley on the Park condo tower on the property partly visible on the left side of St Luke Lane (presently occupied by a row of trees and a condo presentation centre behind them).
Chaz.Yorkville condominiums
Chaz.Yorkville Condominiums, on Charles Street between Yonge and Church Streets, is a project of 45 Charles Ltd. and Edenshaw Homes Limited.
A signature design element of Chaz.Yorkville is the large rectangular box that juts from the tower’s south side. It’s the Chaz Club, a 2-storey private club for exclusive use of condo residents.
The tower was designed by Sol Wassermuhl of Page + Steele IBI Group Architects in Toronto. It will stand 47 storeys tall when complete.
Chaz.Yorkville is only a few weeks away from overtaking the height of its next-door neighbour, the 46-storey Casa Condominium tower, which was built in 2010.
One Bloor Condominiums
Although construction has climbed only one-third of the way to its ultimate 75 storeys, the One Bloor condo tower is already making a huge architectural statement at the Yonge & Bloor crossroads in Yorkville. I shot this photo from the southwest corner of Yonge & Charles Streets.
I often hear passersby comment favourably on the delightful sweeping curves of One Bloor’s podium and tower.
Looking up at One Bloor from the southwest corner of the Yonge & Bloor intersection. The building was designed by Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects.
A view of One Bloor from the northwest, on Yonge Street just above Bloor
U Condos
A view of the two U Condos towers from two blocks to the south on Bay Street, at Phipps Street. The construction crane at left is building the 32-storey 1Thousand Bay condo tower at the southwest corner of Bay and St Joseph Streets.
The west U Condos building has topped off at 45 storeys, while the east tower continues its climb toward 55 floors. U Condos is a project of Pemberton Group, and was designed by architectsAlliance of Toronto.
X2 Condominiums
Construction crews are closing in the mechanical penthouse levels of the 49-storey X2 Condominiums at the southwest corner of Jarvis & Charles Streets
X2 Condos viewed from one block to the southwest on Isabella Street. The tower is a project of Lifetime Developments and Great Gulf Homes.
A September 3 view from the south of X2 Condos left, and the first X Condos, right, which was constructed in 2010. X2 was designed by Wallman Architects, while X Condos was designed by architectsAlliance.
When nature calls, construction crews working on the upper levels of the Aura condo tower at College Park get to use this portable toilet …
… perched high above the northwest corner of Yonge and Gerrard Streets — about 76 storeys above the ground when I shot this photo on November 14.
Sky-high porta potty: Construction isn’t finished yet, but the Aura condo building at College Park already ranks as the tallest residential tower in the country. It probably holds another record, too — for having the highest outdoor toilet of any urban area in Canada.
As Aura has steadily climbed higher towards its final residential floorcount of 78 storeys, a porta potty has moved upward one new floor at a time as well, situated since May near the tower’s southeast corner.
But Aura isn’t the only downtown building site boasting sky-high outdoor toilet facilities for construction crews. The top-level porta potties on the two ÏCE Condominiums towers rising at 12 and 14 York Street have also reached dizzying heights as those buildings have ascended toward their final 57- and 67-storey floorcounts.
September 4 2013: A view of the two ÏCE Condominiums towers on York Street, at which time construction was continuing on the mechanical penthouse levels for the 57-storey building at 12 York Street (left). Two outdoor porta potties are visible on the southeast corner of the 14 York Street condo (right) about 60 storeys above street level. That tower will top off at 67 floors.
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A Ward’s Island view of the downtown Toronto skyline earlier this month
Pics and video: A lunchtime bikeride on the Toronto Islands earlier this month gave me a chance to check out how much the downtown skyline has changed in the one-year period since my last trip to the islands.
Although there are dozens and dozens of condo towers and several office highrises under construction in downtown Toronto, only a handful of projects have so far made a significant impact on the skyline views.
The southwest downtown core is now dominated by the two ÏCE Condominium towers which are still under construction on York Street, while the nearby Delta Hotel tower at Southcore Financial Centre on Bremner Boulevard also makes a big impact from some perspectives.
Off to the west, the Library District Condominium tower is a noteworthy addition to the Concord CityPlace skyline; a year ago, only its construction crane was visible.
Over on the southeast side of the downtown core, The L Tower is the most eye-catching new building, with the water’s edge Residences of Pier 27 also commanding attention even though it’s only a midrise condominium project. Much farther east, the Distillery District is easier to locate now that construction is drawing closer to completion on the Gooderham Tower.
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August 16 2013: Construction progress on the Aura condo tower, viewed from the northwest corner of College Park
[Editor’s note: This post was updated on August 25. See below.]
55-floor plunge: Tragedy struck the Aura condo building site at lunchtime this afternoon when a 29-year-old male construction worker plunged to his death from the 70th floor of the tower.
Local media reports say that the man fell around noon, tumbling about 181 meters (55 floors) onto the roof of a 15-storey building nearby. News reports quote a Toronto Fire Department official as saying that the worker’s body was found about 24 meters away from the Aura tower.
A report by CTV News Toronto said the firm that is building Aura, Reliance Construction Group, had no comment on the incident. But in a report posted later on the Toronto news page of the CBC website said Reliance had issued a statement in which it noted that the worker had been an employee of an on-site contractor.
“This is a very sad and difficult time for all involved,” Reliance said in its statement. “Our thoughts today are with the people involved in this incident as well as their families, friends and colleagues. Health and safety is an utmost priority for our company. Our team is cooperating fully with local police and authorities to investigate this matter.”
The accident is under investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
Worker’s safety harness broke, news report says
A Global News Toronto report on August 24 identified the construction worker as Hamilton, Ontario resident Kevin Raposo, and said he was an employee of Verdi Alliance. The report says the tragic accident occurred when the metal clasp that secured Mr. Raposo’s safety harness broke. He fell onto the roof of the College Park Suites apartment building at 424 Yonge Street immediately to the north of Aura.
“The force of the impact caused structural damage to the gravel rooftop. Raposo’s body remained at the scene, covered by an orange blanket, for more than seven hours before crews laid down support beams and pieces of plywood so investigators could examine it. His body was removed after dark,” the Global News report states.
Aura will be the tallest residential building in Canada once construction is complete. The tower will be 78 storeys high.
Below are screen captures from local television news reports about the horrific accident, followed by a photo of Aura that I shot last week from the northwest corner of College Park.
This image from a Global Toronto television news video show the roof of the College Park Suites building at 424 Yonge Street (center), onto which a young construction worker fell after his safety harness broke while he was working on the Aura condominium tower (upper right) on Friday.
This image from the Global Toronto news video report shows emergency personnel standing on the roof of the College Park Suites apartment building, several meters from the tarp-covered body of the construction worker who fell from the adjacent Aura condominium tower construction site.
This image, from a CTV Toronto News video report, shows the roof of the College Park Suites, as viewed from a nearby building on the east side of Yonge Street
June 20 2013: The west side of the Aura condo tower as seen from Gerrard Street near University Avenue, at sunset last evening
Sweet 60: Construction has commenced on the 60th floor of the Aura condo tower at College Park.
That leaves 18 more residential levels to be built, plus the tower’s mechanical penthouse.
If you have roughly a million bucks to spare, you can still buy in the building. According to a listing on the project website, 7 “executive suites” are available on the 75th floor, at prices ranging from a low of $994,500 for a 1,090-square-foot unit, to a high of $1,454,800 for a 1,630-square-foot residence.
If you’d prefer to live higher up, four penthouse suites are still available, too — at prices ranging from $2,349,500 for 2,335 square feet to $3,559,000 for 2,961 square feet.
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My March 2013 album on Flickr features more than 500 photos showing dozens of downtown construction projects and building sites. Click once on the image above to view a small-format slideshow of the pictures, or click twice to access the actual album where you can view individual full-size photos with captions.
Frozen fingers: It’s only a few days into spring and I’m still sorting through hundreds of building and construction photos I took during the winter. What has struck me the most is how gloomy and grey the city looked most of the time. Sunny, clear days were few and far between — and when they came, it was usually too bitterly cold and windy for me to risk freezing my fingers by wandering around with my camera.
I did manage a few long photo walks, though, and have been gradually posting the pics in albums on thetorontoblog.com’s Flickr photostream. Above is a link to my fourth winter photo album, March 2013.
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Above is a link to my February 2013 Flickr album of building and construction photos I shot during walks in the downtown area. Click once on the image to view a small-format slideshow of the pictures, or click twice to access the album directly on Flickr and see full-size photos and captions.
Above is a link to my December 2012 Flickr album of building and construction photos I shot during walks in the downtown area. Click once on the image to view a small-format slideshow of the pictures, or click twice to access the album and see full-size photos and captions.
January 10 2013: Looking up from the University Avenue median at construction progress on the RCMI Residences tower at 426 University Avenue
Approaching 30: Won’t be much longer before construction of the RCMI Residences condo tower starts to soar above Zurich — the Zurich Insurance Canadian headquarters at 400 University Avenue, that is.
When I passed by the RCMI Residences building site this afternoon, workers told me that tower construction is now up to the 29th floor, on its way to 44. (I am certain they were mistaken about the final floor count; the project was approved on October 26 2009 by Toronto City Council on the basis of a September 18 2009 city planning report for a proposed 42-storey mixed-use building.)
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December 14 2012: Early morning sunshine glints off the east face of the Aura condo tower under construction at the NW corner of Yonge & Gerrard Streets
48 of 78: Bright sunny days have been few and far between in Toronto lately. But thanks to the Aura condo tower under construction at College Park, I can immediately tell if the morning sky is clear without looking out a window or even getting out of bed, for that matter. That’s because my apartment gets completely flooded with brilliant sunlight reflected by the glass windows and cladding on Aura, several blocks to the southwest.
Last week, Aura passed the two-thirds point of construction when work started on its 48th floor. The tower will ultimately rise 78 storeys, becoming the tallest residential condominium building in Canada.
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This illustration, from an online CBRE flyer, shows a mixed-use condo, retail and commercial development project being planned for the southeast corner of Yonge and Gould Streets
December 25 2012: The redevelopment site includes the vacant corner lot at 335 Yonge St., where the Empress Hotel heritage building once stood, and the adjacent 3-storey HMV retail building at 333 Yonge. At rear is the hulking 10 Dundas East restaurant, retail and cinema complex, formerly known as Toronto Life Square, that occupies the remainder of the block bounded by Yonge, Gould, Victoria and Dundas Streets.
December 21 2010: A view of the historic Empress Hotel building at 335 Yonge Street only two weeks before it was destroyed in a fire set by a serial arsonist
January 7 2011: A demolition machine razes the fire-ravaged remains of 335 Yonge only four days after the heritage building was set ablaze
Arsonist sentenced, redevelopment proposed: Only days after an arsonist was sentenced to prison for torching a heritage building at the southeast corner of Yonge and Gould Streets, signs have been posted on the property to advertise potential leasing opportunities in a major retail and condo redevelopment project being considered for the prime downtown site.
On December 14, convicted “serial arsonist” Stewart Poirier, 53, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for setting a blaze that destroyed the historic Empress Hotel building at 335 Yonge Street. The 124-year-old building, which was a city-designated heritage property, was consumed by a 6-alarm fire in the early morning hours of January 3 2011. The fire-charred ruins were demolished that same month and the property has sat vacant ever since, being used from time to time as a construction staging area for the new Ryerson University Student Learning Centre being built on the opposite side of Gould Street. In the nearly two years since the fire, speculation has run rampant about what type of redevelopment the property’s owner, Lalani Group, might propose for the site. Potential plans for the property now seem to be coming into focus.
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September 19 2012: Looking up the north side of the Aura condo tower. Construction reached the milestone halfway mark this week when work commenced on the 39th floor of the 78-storey skyscraper. (Click on the photo to view a larger-size image.)
September 22 2012: My balcony view of the Aura condo tower this afternoon. Construction forms for supporting walls are in place on the north side of the 39th floor.
September 22 2012: Cladding and window installation has started on the 30th floor
Midpoint milestone: The Aura condo tower at College Park has reached the halfway point — 39 floors — where building activity including concrete floor pours and construction of supporting walls has been underway the past two days.
When it tops off at 78 storeys, Aura will become Canada’s tallest residential building.
I can’t help but watch Aura’s construction progress — the window next to my computer looks straight at it. Even though I’m more than five blocks away to the northeast, I can feel the strong presence of the big rectangular slab of concrete and glass looming over my left shoulder. I’m not impressed by the building’s appearance so far, but I am looking forward to the point at which Aura reaches the 59th floor and construction commences on 16 levels of “executive suites” and five floors of penthouse and sub-penthouse residences. The oval shape for that top section of the tower will give Aura a unique silhouette on the city skyline, and be considerably more interesting and appealing to look at.
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August 25 2012: The RCMI Residences condo building on University Avenue below Dundas Street has climbed above 10 floors on its way to 42
August 25 2012: Simcoe Street view of the west side of the slender tower
This artistic rendering of the RCMI Residences tower once appeared on the website for its developer, Tribute Communities. It shows how the condo tower will compare to neaighbouring office highrises and hospitals on the west side of University Avenue
RCMI on the rise: Now that construction has climbed more than 10 floors, the condo tower being built on the site of the historic Royal Canadian Military Institute is beginning to make a big visual impact on University Avenue.
RCMI Residences will rise 42 storeys at 426 University Avenue, just below Dundas Street, and will tower above the adjacent office buildings to its north and south. The 312-unit building will include new facilities for the military institute on its first six floors, and will incorporate the rebuilt heritage facade of the RCMI’s 100-year-old headquarters, which had to be dismantled in 2012 to make way for condo construction.
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August 13 2012: Aura at College Park condo tower construction viewed from my window to the northeast. The building behind it, with the green-hued windows, is the new SickKids Centre for Research and Learning at Bay & Gerrard Streets.
August 11 2012: Aura viewed from the east on Gerrard Street, next to Ryerson University
August 11 2012: Aura seen from the southwest on Gerrard Street beside the Delta Chelsea
August 11 2012: Aura viewed from the west, in the green space at College Park
August 11 2012: Aura viewed from the north, outside the entrance to the College Park shopping mall
Looming large: The Aura condo tower under construction at College Park already has a formidable and massive presence in central downtown Toronto — and the building has reached only 33 floors so far. I’m still trying to imagine the impact the tower is going to have on both its immediate area, and on the city skyline, when construction tops off at 78 stories. And from a purely personal perspective, I’m curious and anxious to see how the tower will affect the daylight and sunshine that pours through the windows of my condo six blocks away to the northeast.
Aura started climbing into the view from the window next to my computer desk in late May, when construction had reached about 15 floors. By July, it had blocked nearly all my view of the new 21-storey SickKids Centre for Research and Learning tower, which is approaching the end of construction two blocks to Aura’s southwest. As Aura continues its ascent, it will fill in much of the sky that I see between the two Radio City condominium towers on Mutual Street near my home.
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