Category Archives: Pier 27

Downtown skyline views from the Toronto Islands

The downtown Toronto skyline as seen from Ward's Island

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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A peek at the Pier 27 waterfront condos

August 19 2013 view of the two buildings on the east side of the Pier 27 Condos site

August 19 2013: Most windows have been installed on the two east buildings at The Residences of Pier 27 condo site, but installation hasn’t yet begun on the SkyBridge linking them. The steel frames for the SkyBridge were built a year ago.

 

Waterfront wonders: Judging by the positive reaction of passersby, The Residences of Pier 27 prove that imaginatively-designed midrise condo buildings can be just as attention-grabbing and impressive as soaring 70-storey skyscrapers.

I don’t get down to the lakefront as often as I would like to monitor progress on the Pier 27 project, but each time I do I’m amazed by the number of people who are captivated by the construction.

In particular, passersby are fascinated with the 3-storey-tall SkyBridges than span the tops of the four towers currently under construction on Queen’s Quay Boulevard East, near the foot of Yonge Street.

“Wow” is the most common comment, while many people say how much they would “love” to live in one of the lake-facing SkyBridge penthouses and enjoy the fabulous views of the Toronto Islands. People I chat with — many of whom are tourists — think the building design is striking, and a refreshing change from the skyscraper condos that have been rising throughout the downtown area. I can’t recall any negative or highly critical comments about the buildings, which were designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

The Residences of Pier 27 is a project of Cityzen Developments and Fernbrook Homes.

Below is a link to the Pier 27 Condos album from TheTorontoBlog’s Flickr page. It contains more than 60 recent pics of construction progress.

 

Above is a link to dozens of recent photos showing construction progress at The Residences of Pier 27 condo construction site. Click twice on the image to view the photos in full-size format.

 

Winter building pics: March 2013

 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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Structure in place for first Pier 27 SkyBridge

The Residences of Pier 27

November 19 201: Construction is complete for the metal structure of the SkyBridge that links the two east buildings of the Residences at Pier 27  …

 

Residences at Pier 27

… while concrete columns indicate where the second SkyBridge will connect the two west condo buildings. Pier 27 is located on Queen’s Quay Boulevard East.

 

Linked up: When I last reported on construction progress for the Residences at Pier 27 project in my September 13 post, iron framework had just been installed for the SkyBridge linking the two east buildings. According to a November blog update by the developer, Cityzen Developments, the bridge is now “structurally complete with all the metal work finished.”

 

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First SkyBridge taking shape at Pier 27 condos

Pier 27 condos

September 11 2012: Iron framework for the SkyBridge span has been installed atop the two condo highrises on the eastern half of the Residences of Pier 27 construction site

 

Pier 27 condos

This artistic rendering, which appears on a marketing billboard outside the Pier 27 condo construction site, shows how the SkyBridge will appear when complete

 

Pier 27 condos

September 11 201: SkyBridge construction viewed from the public sidewalk along Queen’s Quay Blvd. on the north side of the building site

 

Bridge building: Construction activity at The Residences of Pier 27 has become considerably more fascinating to passersby now that a signature SkyBridge span is fast taking form atop the B1 and B2 buildings on the east half of the condo site.

The first time I noticed that SkyBridge construction had commenced was when I passed the site on August 22, and saw several beams jutting into the air from the west wall of one of the buildings. I couldn’t get back down to the area to take another look until September 3, by which point it appeared that work on the frame was complete.

 

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East waterfront skyline poised for profound change as Pier 27 condo construction reaches street level

Pier 27 condos on Toronto waterfront

September 13 2011: Construction crews arrange forms for first-floor walls at the northeast corner of The Residences of Pier 27 condo project site on Queen’s Quay East, just a stone’s throw from the Redpath Sugar Refinery

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

August 30 2011: A Toronto Islands view of four cranes towering above the Pier 27 condo building site and sales centre (white structure at bottom middle of photo). This view of the waterfront will look markedly different by this time next year …


Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

... once substantial progress has been made on construction of the East Bayfront condo complex’s distinctive design, seen in this artistic illustration …

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Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

… and in this video screen capture, both from the Pier 27 website

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Redpath’s neighbour ready to rise: Toronto’s eastern waterfront is about to get an exciting new look now that Phase 1 construction of The Residences of Pier 27 has reached grade along Queen’s Quay Boulevard East. The first condominium complex to be built on Toronto’s East Bayfront, Pier 27 will transform a prime piece of property at the foot of Yonge Street from a large dusty parking lot into a gleaming glass and steel midrise residential community with publicly-accessible waterfront green space and parkland. I’ll be thrilled to watch these condo buildings rise; their sleek modern architecture should vastly improve the appearance of what I consider to be one of downtown’s most dismal streets — a gritty stretch of landscape presently dominated by the huge, hulking Redpath Sugar Refinery.

Construction has made the most progress at the northeast corner of the Pier 27 property, right next to the refinery, where pedestrians and passing motorists can now see crews working at street level, just a few meters from the security fence running along the south side of Queen’s Quay Boulevard. In late July, you couldn’t see the workers unless you walked right up to the fence to peer into the giant excavation; at that time, the crews were still well below grade, gradually filling in the underground parking levels for the Phase 1 construction on the easterly half of the site. The Phase 2 construction zone to the west isn’t visible from the street at all, but work has been steadily progressing on the foundation there, and a fourth construction crane was erected on the site last month. According to a July 25 2011 post on the Cityzen Urban Lifestyle blog, crews had been pouring 3,000 cubic meters of concrete per month just for Phase 1 construction — that’s equivalent to the load carried by 333 concrete trucks. Once Phase 2 construction gets going full steam, the pour is expected to increase to 5,000 cubic meters (555 truckloads) per month, the Cityzen blog says.

A project of Cityzen Developments and Fernbrook Homes, The Residences of Pier 27 was designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

Below are some of my photos of Pier 27’s recent construction progress. Photos of earlier building activity can be viewed in my posts on July 21 2011, April 22 2011, February 18 2011, and January 4 2011.

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Underground level construction on the east side (Phase 1) of the Pier 27 site, seen through the security fence on Queen’s Quay Boulevard

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

August 17 2011: A construction crew works at street level at the northeast corner of the Pier 27 site, mere steps from the Queen’s Quay Boulevard sidewalk

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

August 17 2011: Pier 27’s midrise towers, each topped by a distinctive multi-level “SkyBridge,” are depicted on this promotional billboard outside the project sales centre on Queen’s Quay Boulevard

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

August 17 2011: Billboard illustration of the SkyBridge spanning the top of Pier 27’s Phase 1 towers on the east side of the project site

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

August 30 3011: A Toronto Islands view toward the Pier 27 site

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

August 30 3011: Toronto Islands view of cranes above the Pier 27 building site

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

August 30 3011: Ward’s Island ferry view of cranes at the Pier 27 site adjacent to the Redpath Sugar Refinery (right)

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

September 12 2011: Construction moves above street level as seen in this view of the Phase 1 site from the sidewalk on Queen’s Quay Boulevard

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

September 12 2011: Building forms along the eastern perimeter of the Pier 27 site, next to the Redpath Sugar Refinery

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

September 12 2011: Building forms begin to rise above street level next to the construction crane near the northeast corner of the Pier 27 site

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

September 12 2011: Three construction cranes are visible in this view of wall forms rising toward the center of the Pier 27 building site

 

Pier 27 waterfront condos Toronto

September 12 2011: Looking up at the four cranes working the Pier 27 project

 

 

 

Laying foundations: Building progress at Pier 27, 300 Front West, Fly, and Cinema Tower Condos

 

Cinema Tower condos Toronto

July 17 2011: A view of the Cinema Tower construction site, looking south from Adelaide Street West. Cinema Tower is a project of The Daniels Corporation.

 

Cinema Tower condos Toronto

From the Cinema Tower project website, an artistic rendering of the 43-storey condo designed by Toronto’s Kirkor Architects & Planners

 

Cinema Tower condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking across the east side of the Cinema Tower site at the corner of Widmer & Adelaide Streets. Construction is fast approaching grade.

 

Cinema Tower condos

July 17 2011: Cinema Tower is rising behind the TIFF Bell Lightbox (left) and the Hyatt Regency Toronto (right). Earlier construction photos can be seen in my February 17 2011 post about the project.

 

Cinema Tower condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Construction progress at the southwest corner of the site

 

Cinema Tower condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Along the east side of the property, the foundation has climbed close to little more than 1 meter below street level

 

Three Hundred Front West condo Toronto

July 17 2011: A white and orange crane rises from the excavation for the Three Hundred Front West condo tower. For earlier construction photos and information about this Tridel project, see my April 16 2011 post.

 

300 Front Street West condo Toronto

From the Tridel website, an artistic rendering depicting a night view of the 49-storey Three Hundred Front West condo tower designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects

 

Three Hundred Front West condos Toronto

 July 17 2011: Foundation work observed from above the site’s southwest corner

 

Three Hundred Front West condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking to the northeast toward John Street

 

Three Hundred Front West condos Toronto

July 17 2011: A view of underground levels taking shape between the two construction cranes working the site

 

Fly Condos Toronto

 July 17 2011: Foundation progress on the east side of Fly Condos, a project by Empire Communities. Earlier construction photos appeared in my March 30 2011 post and my January 23 2011 post.

 

Fly Condos Toronto

A rendering of the 24-storey tower appeared on this Front Street billboard. Fly Condos was designed by Toronto’s Graziani + Corazza Architects Inc.

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Overlooking the southeast corner of the construction site

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking toward the crane near the center of the site

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: The bottom underground level is starting to take shape in the northeast corner of the excavation

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking toward the northwest corner of the property

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Machinery in the northwest corner of the excavation

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Wall forms on the south side of the site next to the crane

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking toward the northeast corner of the excavation from the west construction entrance on Front Street

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Excavation continues on the west side of the site

 

Fly Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Forms for supporting walls near the construction crane base

 

The Residences of Pier 27 condos Toronto

June 21 2011: Looking south from Queen’s Quay Boulevard across The Residences of Pier 27 waterside construction site, a project of Cityzen Developments and Fernbrook Homes

 

The Residences of Pier 27 condos Toronto

From the project website, a rendering of one of the buildings being constructed at The Residences of Pier 27 complex on the waterfront. The condos were designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

 

The Residences of Pier 27 condos Toronto

June 21 2011:  Construction progress in the Pier 27 site’s southeast corner. Photos of earlier stages of construction can be viewed in my April 22 2011 post, my February 18 2011 post, and my January 4 2011 post.

 

The Residences of Pier 27 condos Toronto

June 21 2011:  Construction progress on the east side of the massive building site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking south from Queen’s Quay Boulevard as the foundation continues filling in the east side of the Pier 27 site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Underground levels are fast taking shape on the east side of the site, but excavation work still continues on the west end of the Pier 27 property.

 

The Residences of Pier 27 condos Toronto

July 17 2011: The supporting wall in the foreground rises close to street level

 

 

Pit stop: First underground floor taking shape for The Residences of Pier 27 waterfront condos

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: View toward the southeast corner of the enormous excavation for phase one of The Residences of Pier 27 waterfront condos

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Floors and walls take shape along the east side of the site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: The Pier 27 foundation is four levels deep

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: A closer view of progress in the center of the construction site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Two construction cranes are operating on the site at present; this one is situated near the southeast corner of the excavation

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: A closer view of the southeast corner of the excavation


Big basement: The excavation for Phase One of The Residences of Pier 27 is finished and the bottom underground level for the eastern half of the waterfront condo complex is quickly taking shape. Meanwhile, the excavation on the west side of the site (Phase Two) is roughly two-thirds complete and proceeding on schedule, according to an April 8 entry in a blog published by the condo developer, Cityzen Developments.

Below are two illustrations, from the project website, that suggest how The Residences of Pier 27 buildings — designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architects Alliance — will look once completed. Also below are several more photos I shot of construction activity at the massive Pier 27 building site yesterday afternoon.  Earlier construction photos can be viewed in my February 18 2011 post about The Residences of Pier 27 condo project.

 

The Residences at Pier 27 condo building

From The Residences of Pier 27 project website, this illustration suggests how the condo development will appear on the Toronto waterfront.

 

The Residences at Pier 27

Also from the project website, this illustration suggests how the condo complex will appear when viewed from Toronto harbour at dusk.

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Foundation construction at the north end of the excavation

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: A glimpse through the fence at the NE corner of the site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Building activity at the southeast corner of the excavation

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Surveying the construction activity four levels below grade

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: A crane in the east (Phase 1) excavation, and an excavating machine at the west end (Phase 2) of the Pier 27 condo construction site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Piles of rebar at street level high above the east (Phase 1) side of the Pier 27 construction site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: South view of one of the cranes and foundation construction progress on the east side of the Pier 27 site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011 Looking southeast at the enormous excavation. Digging is finished for Phase 1 and is about 60% finished for Phase 2

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Building activity in Pier 27’s southeast corner

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: The long retaining wall along the south perimeter of the property

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Lower-level foundation forms in the southeast corner

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Construction workers and support columns four levels below grade

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Support columns in the southeast corner of the Pier 27 excavation

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Construction activity in the center of the building site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011:  An excavator above the west (Phase 2) excavation

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: East view of the Pier 27 construction site

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Southeast view of the Phase 1 excavation

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: Construction progress in the southeast corner

 

The Residences of Pier 27 Condos

April 21 2011: One of the two construction cranes working on the project

 

Taking a peek at Pier 27’s construction progress

Pier 27 condos

From The Residences at Pier 27 project website, an illustration of the condo complex under construction on Queen’s Quay Blvd. E.


Pier 27 condo

This truck was pumping concrete into the Pier 27 excavation today


Crane coming?: Thanks to the spring-like thaw in the weather over the past couple of days, the excavation at the Pier 27 condo development on the waterfront has become one enormous muddy hole in the ground. But construction work continues nonetheless, and today I saw a concrete pumper truck at the northeastern end of the massive waterfront excavation. Since it looks to me — from the street and sales centre parking lot, at least — that the lion’s share of digging has been done,  I suspect that concrete was being poured to build the base on which a construction crane will be installed sometime very soon.

I hope my assumption is correct, because I’m eager to see this development shake up the shape of the city’s lacklustre Lake Ontario shoreline. Right now, the waterfront is crowded with far too many tall buildings that share an unfortunate but common character trait: disappointing, dull designs. Whether they’re shiny glass and steel cylinders, or glass and concrete or brick boxes, most are boring, bland buildings that look like something you’ve seen somewhere else many times before. Some are downright ugly. What’s worse: they’re clustered in pairs and threesomes of lookalike towers. Most of the harbourside highrises would look drab enough individually, but as a long line of homely twins and triplets, they collectively give the city skyline a repetitive cookie-cutter appearance from the water.

Though they are basically just pairs of mid-rise glass and steel boxes themselves, it’s the dramatic rooftop “skybridges” linking the 12-storey Pier 27 condo buildings that will give this project an interesting flair and unique bold style that should finally break the decades-old pattern of architectural monotony along Queen’s Quay boulevard.

I also like the refreshing low scale of the development, which thankfully won’t create another wide, tall wall blocking the rest of the city from the water, like so many of the condos built in the last 30 years.

A project of Fernbrook Homes and Cityzen Developments, The Residences of Pier 27 were designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

Below are photos I have taken of the condo sales office and excavation, along with several artistic building renderings that appear on the project’s website. (Some pics I’ve published previously can be viewed in this construction progress post from early January.)

Additional renderings and six construction photos, along with an animated project video, can be viewed at the Pier 27 website.

 

The Residences at Pier 27

From the Pier 27 website, an aerial lake-view illustration of the condo complex


The Residences at Pier 27

From the website, an artistic waterside view of one of the condo buildings


The Residences at Pier 27

Side view rendering of one of the condo buildings and its rooftop “skybridge”


The Residences at Pier 27

Pier 27 sales office next to the construction site


The Residences at Pier 27

Another view of the Pier 27 sales centre


the Residences at Pier 27

The southwest side of the Pier 27 excavation on February 18 2011


the Residences at Pier 27

Another view of the west end of the giant excavation


the Residences at Pier 27

Break time? Idle earth movers at the top of the excavation


the Residences at Pier 27

Several huge mounds of dirt still must be removed


the Residences at Pier 27

Pier 27 residents with east-facing units will get to enjoy this view of the Redpath sugar refinery (along with the peculiar, syrupy odour that permeates the air)


the Residences at Pier 27

Concrete pumper working at the Pier 27 site February 18 2011


the Residences at Pier 27

A solitary excavating machine digs away at the south side of the enormous hole


the Residences at Pier 27

This is the east side of the excavation, next to the Redpath property


the Residences at Pier 27

On the edge: the concrete truck pumps away


the Residences at Pier 27

Another view of the concrete pumper truck



Big digs: A look at how the earth’s been moving for five condos and a new waterfront college campus

Hole-y moley! That’s my reaction to several mighty big excavations currently underway for a half dozen major construction projects in the southern half of downtown.

One of the biggest (above) is for the new waterfront campus of George Brown College, situated between Sherbourne Common and the Corus Entertainment head office, both of which opened in 2010.

Just down the road, an even bigger dig is in progress for the Waterlink at Pier 27 condo complex.

Meanwhile, York Centre is the site of an enormous L-shaped excavation where the two ICE condo towers (65 and 55 storeys tall, respectively) and their office highrise sister (31 floors) ultimately will rise alongside the new Infinity3 three condo building (35 storeys).

Finally, on nearby Front Street West, holes are gradually getting deeper for Fly Condos (24 floors) and the 300 Front Street West condo tower (49 storeys).

Here’s a set of photos I’ve taken of these project sites recently, including some aerial shots from the CN Tower.

 

New George Brown College waterfront campus site August 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus excavation August 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus excavation August 29 2010


Waterlink at Pier 27 excavation November 2 2010


Waterlink at Pier 27 excavation November 2 2010


Waterlink at Pier 27 excavation November 9 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


Fly Condos excavation January 3 2011


Fly Condos excavation January 3 2011


Fly Condos excavation January 3 2011


Fly Condos excavation November 2 2010


Fly Condos excavation November 2 2010


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation November 2 2010


300 Front Street West excavation November 2 2010