Tag Archives: Fernbrook Homes

Excavation continues, but bottom parking level begins to take shape at Backstage Condos

Backstage Condos

March 10 2013: A view of construction progress at the west end of the Backstage Condos site at the southeast corner of Yonge Street and The Esplanade. The deep excavation will gradually fill in with 6 underground parking levels.

 

 

Backstage Condos

March 10 2013: The construction crane rises near the center of the pit

 

 

Backstage Condos

March 10 2013: Looking toward the east end of the construction site, from Yonge Street. A 1-storey-tall mound of excavation material near the crane still has to be removed from the oddly-shaped pit, which extends between the condo highrise at 25 The Esplanade (left) and the railway tracks that lead into Union Station (behind the giant retaining wall to the right).

 

 

 

Digging and pouring: Although dozens of truckloads of dirt remain to be excavated from the Backstage Condos site at Yonge Street and The Esplanade, construction of the 36-storey building’s bottom level of underground parking — P6 — is already well underway.

Crews have been busy pouring concrete for walls and footings at the west end of the site, while just a few dozen meters to the east a “long reach” excavator keeps digging away, gradually removing a big mound of excavated material from the middle area of the six-level-deep pit.

Interestingly, the 373 vehicle parking spaces aren’t being provided for Backstage Condo residents — they’re actually intended for use by residents at The L Tower, which is approaching the end of construction on the other side of the street. L Tower residents will reach the parking garage through a tunnel that has already been bored several meters beneath The Esplanade. Backstage will have 150 parking spots in its own 4-level garage, which will be built above ground in the tower’s 4-storey podium. (Backstage and The L Tower aren’t just neighbours on The Esplanade, they’re sisters — adjacent condo projects sharing the same parents, developers Cityzen Developments, Castlepoint Realty, and Fernbrook Homes.)

 

 

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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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Topping-off time for The L Tower

The L Tower October 4 2012

The L Tower viewed from the west on Front Street near University Avenue

 

The L Tower

A construction crew pours concrete on the top level of The L Tower, 58 storeys above Yonge Street & The Esplanade. Click on the picture to view a larger image.

 

The L Tower October 4 2012

 The upper levels appear to recede in this view of The L Tower ‘s north side

 

The L Tower October 4 2012

Looking up The L Tower’s northwest corner, from Yonge Street

 

Top-off time:  The L Tower marks a construction milestone this afternoon with a topping-off ceremony that will include an exciting aerial performance by a 5-member troupe from Vancouver’s Aeriosa Dance Society on the skyscraper’s north side.

Word is that the building’s internationally renowned architect, Daniel Libeskind, will be in the city to participate in the celebrations. The L Tower is Libeskind’s second major building design in Toronto in the past decade; his previous landmark, the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), opened during the summer of 2007.

 

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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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Topping off in sight as L Tower climbs to 55 floors

The L Tower Toronto

August 15 2012: West view of The L Tower, where construction crews were busy pouring concrete for the 55th floor of the Daniel Libeskind-designed skyscraper.

 

The L Tower

August 15 2012: The L Tower viewed from the south on Yonge Street below Harbour Street

 

Bending up: Construction of the 57-storey L Tower is close to topping off.

Yesterday, construction crews were pouring a concrete slab on The L Tower’s 55th floor, and today they are scheduled to pour concrete for walls and columns on levels 55 and 56. Meanwhile, cladding and laminated glass windows have been installed on much of the lower third of the tower.

 

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L-evating and adding colour: Cladding installation commences as The L Tower climbs to 23 storeys

The L Tower condo tower Toronto

January 30 2012: The L Tower, seen here looking south from the NW of Yonge & Front Streets, has climbed 23 storeys on its way to 57

 

More photos and information follow on the next page.

 

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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

 

 

L Tower asserts its presence on The Esplanade as condo construction climbs above fifth floor

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011: L Tower construction dominates the west end of The Esplanade as the condo tower rises past the 5th floor on its way to 57 storeys

 

L Tower condo tower construction

November 9 2010: Last fall, supply trucks had a bigger presence on The Esplanade than did construction of the  L Tower condo tower itself

 

High Five: It doesn’t take long for new building construction to make a major impact on the look and feel of a downtown street, as the L Tower condominium highrise demonstrates. Just five months ago, anyone heading west on The Esplanade, near Scott Street, could see only a tall white construction crane, hoarding and supply trucks as they approached the building site. They had to get within less than half a block of Yonge Street before they could see any signs of the base being built for the 57-storey condo tower. It’s a completely different story now that L Tower is five floors high — and counting. The construction is visible from much farther east on the Esplanade, and L Tower already dominates the western end of the road at Yonge Street. It won’t be much longer before L Tower climbs above the Sony Centre next door and begins asserting its presence on the city skyline, too. Designed by New York-based Daniel Libeskind, L Tower is a project of Fernbrook Homes, Cityzen Real Estate Group and Castlepoint Realty Partners. Below is a series of photos comparing construction progress since February, followed by several more photos taken today.  Further information about the condo project, along with pics I took during earlier stages of construction, is available in my March 8 2011 post.

 

L Tower condo tower

February 3 2011:  Construction of the tower base begins rising above the street …

 

L Tower condo tower

March 7 2011: Construction has reached the second level …

 

L Tower condo tower

April 21 2011: L Tower has almost blocked sight of the federal government building on the west side of Yonge Street …

 

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011:  The federal building is now barely visible from The Esplanade

 

L Tower condo tower

March 7 2011: Construction inches above the hoarding along Yonge Street …

 

L Tower condo tower

April 21 2011: In just six weeks, the condo tower construction now commands attention from Yonge Street

L Tower condo tower

March 7 2011: The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, next door to L Tower, is visible through this entry gate at the corner of Yonge & The Esplanade …

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011: The Sony Centre is now barely visible behind the L Tower

L Tower condo tower

March 7 2011: Skyscrapers in the Financial District are visible to the north of the L Tower site in this view from The Esplanade …

L Tower condo tower

April 21 2011: L Tower is gradually blocking the skyscrapers from view …

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011: Only the top floors of the BCE Place towers remain visible from The Esplanade — and will soon be blocked as L Tower climbs higher

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011: Looking northeast from Yonge Street at L Tower’s progress

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011: Distinctive angles accent the tower’s southwest corner

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011: L Tower will soon overtake the Sony Centre in height

L Tower condo tower

June 20 2011: L Tower begins climbing into view from the south; this photo was taken on the north side of Lake Shore Blvd. near Bay Street

Raising L : Daniel Libeskind-designed condo tower begins climb above Yonge St. hoarding

L Tower condo tower construction

Construction crews at the south end of the L Tower site on March 7 2011

 

L Tower condo tower construction

Construction is now higher than the hoarding along Yonge St.

 

L Tower condo tower construction

Rebar pokes above hoarding along the tower’s Yonge Street perimeter

 

Raising L: For the past three years, hoarding has hidden most of the construction progress for the 57-storey L Tower condominium going up on Yonge Street, between Front Street and The Esplanade. But now that construction is climbing higher than the hoarding, passersby are finally getting a glimpse of the controversial Daniel Libeskind-designed skyscraper. The big question now is: will people like it? When the condo tower project was announced in 2005, its original L-shaped boot-shaped design drew considerable criticism and downright blunt derision. The funky-looking “foot” and “heel,” actually an eight-storey podium, was originally intended to be a $75 million cultural facility dedicated to arts and heritage awareness. Since the podium “toe” would have extended over the roof of the city-owned Sony Centre for the Performing Arts next door, some people thought the image of a “boot” stomping on the Sony Centre looked ridiculous. However, as architecture writer John Bentley Mays explained in an Oct. 29 2009 column in The Globe and Mail, that project hit the skids when the federal and provincial governments refused funding, and no corporate sponsors could be found to step in and foot the bill. With the cultural centre axed, the much-maligned podium was chopped from the design and the resulting tower, to use John Bentley Mays’ words, “is half a Libeskind, a shaft without a strong base.”

(I always thought the boot would have been an excellent site for a Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the famous neon signs saved from the long-defunct Sam the Record store at Yonge and Gould Streets. Some of you might recall that, around the time the L-Tower was unveiled, plans were announced to build a Canadian Music Hall of Fame in the Metropolis entertainment complex being built opposite Yonge-Dundas Square. Those plans ultimately got derailed, while Metropolis itself encountered turbulence in its efforts to obtain construction financing. The complex did eventually get built, and was officially called Toronto Life Square after the owners of the local magazine with the same title purchased naming rights. But Toronto Life ended its affiliation with the building several years ago and the complex, which is home to AMC cinemas, restaurants and retail stores, is now known simply as 10 Dundas East.)

But the L Tower’s problems continued beyond the cancellation of the podium museum project. Funds from the condo tower development were going to be used to revitalize the 50-year-old Sony Centre (originally called the O’Keefe Centre, and more recently the Hummingbird Centre.)  The Sony Centre’s desperately-needed interior upgrades were supposed to begin in 2007; however, the renovation work got pushed to the fall of 2009.  Part of the delay was due to difficulties in arranging financing during the global recession, while it also took time for the developer to resolve various outstanding issues with the city. In an Oct. 21 2009 story in the National Post, former Toronto Mayor David Miller is quoted as saying: “You’re building a very significant new condominium building above a heritage building. That’s complicated, the financing is complicated and the neighbourhood consultation was complicated… There were 27 public meetings.”

Construction eventually did commence on a revised tower design. As described by John Barber in an Oct. 3 2008 column in The Globe and Mail, “the revised plan…shows a plain, generous plaza on the [Sony] Centre’s Yonge Street frontage, where the boot was meant to come down. The handsome limestone cladding of the centre’s western elevation remains largely unmolested, as does it roof.” But while the Sony Centre lost a new cultural attraction, the condo tower gained a great new place for some of its facilities. “Such amenities as an indoor pool, fitness facilities, spa and a party room were moved above ground from basement level. The development also includes a landscaped outdoor plaza running north to Front St. that will be open to the public,” Paula Kulig wrote in a Nov. 7 2009 article in the Toronto Star.

Below are renderings of the L Tower’s original and revised designs, along with photos I’ve taken at the condo construction site over the past three years.

 

L Tower condo tower renderings

A rendering of the much-criticized original “boot” design for L Tower, left, compares with a rendering of the revised footless condo building, right

L Tower condo development proposal sign

September 3 2008: Original development proposal sign for the L Tower condo tower, seen here outside the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

L Tower condo tower construction site

September 3 2008: L Tower billboards on hoarding outside Sony Centre

L Tower condo tower construction site

The building under construction behind the Sony Centre is the London on the Esplanade condo complex, another project by the same developer as L Tower.

L Tower condo tower construction site

Sept 22 2008:  CN Tower view of the L Tower site (circled)

Original L Tower design rendering

April 25 2009: Original L Tower design rendering on a billboard on the hoarding along the Yonge Street side of the construction site

L Tower condo marketing sign

November 8 2009: L Tower condo tower marketing sign, featuring the revised building design, propped on a sidewalk on The Esplanade

L Tower condo tower construction

March 9 2010: Demolition and early excavation work at the L Tower site

L Tower condo tower construction

March 9 2010: Excavator digging at the south end of the site near The Esplanade

L Tower condo tower construction

March 9 2010: North view of demolition and excavation activity

L Tower condo tower construction site

March 9 2010: Hoarding along the Yonge Street sidewalk next to the L Tower construction site; note that exterior work has finished on the nearby London on the Esplanade condo building behind the Sony Centre

L Tower condo tower construction

November 2 2010: CN Tower view of cranes at the L Tower construction site

L Tower condo tower construction

November 2 2010:  Another CN Tower view of the L Tower construction site

L Tower condo tower construction site

November 9 2010: L Tower construction site viewed from The Esplanade

L Tower condo tower construction

November 9 2010: L Tower foundation building progress viewed from Yonge St.

L Tower condo tower construction site

January 3 2011:  L Tower construction site viewed from The Esplanade

L Tower condo tower construction

January 3 2011: Above-grade construction viewed from Yonge St.

L Tower condo tower construction

January 3 2011: Rebar for wall forms extend one storey above street level

L Tower condo tower foundation construction

January 3 2011: Foundation construction forms viewed from Yonge St.

L Tower condo tower construction

February 3 2011: Floor building forms for L Tower construction are stored on the future Esplanade location of the Backstage condo tower

L Tower condo tower construction

February 3 2011: A crane hoists an L Tower building form into the air

L Tower condo tower construction

February 3 2011: Construction progress viewed from The Esplanade

L Tower condo tower construction

February 3 2011: Building forms for L Tower’s street level along Yonge Street

L Tower condo tower construction

February 3 2011: Street-level construction viewed from Yonge Street

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Yonge Street view of construction crews on the L Tower site

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Building forms viewed from the west side of Yonge Street

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: L Tower construction viewed from the west side of Yonge Street

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Two tall cranes are being used to build the 57-storey condo tower

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Workers and the crane at the south end of the construction site

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: The construction is most visible at the south end of the site

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Workers put metal bars in place for construction of the next level

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Northeast view of the site from the nearby GO bus terminal

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Construction viewed through the southwest truck entrance

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: Construction viewed from the south side of The Esplanade

L Tower condo tower construction

Once it reaches its full 57-floor height, L Tower will block most of this view, from The Esplanade, of these Financial District skyscrapers

 

LTower condo construction site

March 7 2011 view north, from The Esplanade, of the L Tower construction site

 

L Tower condo tower construction

March 7 2011: First level of above-grade construction viewed from The Esplanade

 

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