Tag Archives: Museum House

Demolition underway at Bloor Street site for 32-storey Exhibit Residences stacked cube tower

February 3 2013: You can’t see it from the street, but demolition is well under way inside the buildings behind the fences and hoarding at 192, 194 and 200 Bloor Street West, where developer Bazis Inc. will build its distinctive “twisting cube” Exhibit Residences condo tower

This artistic rendering depicts how Exhibit will appear when viewed from Philosopher’s Walk on the south side of Bloor Street. The 32-storey condo tower was designed by Rosario Varacalli of Toronto’s r. Varacalli Architect Inc.

Restaurant razing: Three Bloor Street West buildings that once housed busy budget-friendly restaurants, including a controversial McDonald’s outlet, are being razed to clear the site for construction of the Exhibit Residences condo tower, which will cut a distinctive figure on the Yorkville skyline with its striking stacked cube design.

Four popular restaurants once occupied the low-rise buildings: Pho Hung and China Garden at 200 Bloor West, a Gabby’s Bar & Grill at 194 Bloor West, and an open-all-night McDonald’s at 192A Bloor West. Gabby’s has since relocated two doors down the street to 192 Bloor West (which originally was expected to be part of the condo redevelopment property, but was dropped from the site plan during revisions to the project proposal). Pho Hung closed last June, but its sister Vietnamese restaurants remain open in Mississauga and on Spadina Avenue in Toronto’s Chinatown. As reported in the Toronto Star, the McDonald’s closed nearly a month ago — on January 6 — after operating on the site for 41 years. But it will eventually return to occupy new street-level premises in the forthcoming condo tower.

February 12 2011: The McDonald’s outlet operated for 41 years at 192A Bloor West. The City-owned property had been leased to McDonald’s for only $15,5000 in annual rent. The 192 Bloor West building with the Gabby’s Bar & Grill is not part of the Exhibit Residences condo property, and will remain as is, but the 3-storey structure with the Stretch Fitness centre sign at 194 Bloor West is part of the redevelopment site and is being demolished along with the McDonald’s building.

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Museum House on Bloor tower topping off with construction of two-storey glass penthouse condo

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March 24 2011: Construction workers are now focussed on building the two-storey 6,770-square-foot penthouse condo at Museum House on Bloor.

Condo building rendering from the Museum House on Bloor project website suggests how the glass-walled penthouse will appear once construction is complete

Puttin’ up the penthouse: Museum House on Bloor is getting its crowning jewel — a sprawling two-storey, 5,618-square-foot penthouse with an 1,152-square-foot terrace. The posh pad, now under construction, will occupy the 18th and 19th floors of the slender midrise condo building that has been rising on the north side of Bloor Street just west of Avenue Road. While I was watching workers assemble forms to prepare for a concrete pour on the penthouse levels this afternoon (from the street, unfortunately; I doubt they’d allow me onto the construction site), a line from the “Green Acres” TV show theme song kept repeating in my mind. I know that Eva Gabor was referring to New York City when she sang, “I just adore a penthouse view,” but I’m sure she would have enjoyed the skyline and scenery from the top of Museum House almost as much. Its expansive — and highly expensive — penthouse suite will overlook The Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor Street, as well as tree-shaded Philosopher’s Walk, the University of Toronto campus, Queen’s Park and the provincial Legislature buildings. Views extend to the Financial District and CN Tower in the south. But while its occupants will no doubt savour the panoramic sightlines from their glittering glass box in the sky, they might not get to enjoy it privately once the 32-storey Exhibit Residences condo tower is constructed next door. And I’m sure there will be plenty of curious people living at Exhibit who will enjoy their prime views into the Museum House penthouse just as much as the downtown skyline. Below are pics I snapped of Museum House this afternoon. Additional photos can be viewed on my January 9 2011 post about Museum House.

Museum House on Bloor condo construction viewed from the southwest corner of Avenue Road and Bloor Street on March 24 2011. At left is the Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal of the Royal Ontario Museum

The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal of the Royal Ontario Museum, left, the One Bedford condominium tower at Bloor Street and Bedford Road, center, and Museum House

Southwest view of Museum House from the Bloor Street sidewalk outside the Royal Conservatory of Music. When the Exhibit Residences condo tower is built, it will soar 32 storeys on the east (right) side of Museum House

Southwest view of Museum House from Bloor Street. I haven’t seen any renderings that show how the solid concrete west wall will be clad

The palatial two-storey penthouse is now being constructed atop the tower

Direct view of the Museum House building from the south side of Bloor Street

Upper levels of Museum House; all suites have spacious south-view terraces

Southeast view of the upper floors of Museum House

Upper east side luxury condos

Safety nets along the east side of the penthouse levels

A construction worker in a perilous position high above Bloor Street

Getting forms in place to prepare for more concrete pouring

Westerly view of Museum House from the sidewalk in front of the Royal Ontario Museum. The Exhibit Residences tower ultimately will rise where on the site of the two-storey commercial buildings next to Museum House.

Museum House rises above its namesake on Bloor

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The Royal Ontario Museum’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal appears to point at the Museum House condo under construction across Bloor St.

Nearly there: With only three storeys left to build, and windows already installed on more than half its floors, Museum House on Bloor is drawing some attention away from its famous namesake across Bloor Street — the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The slender luxury condo tower will top off soon at its full 19-storey height, offering a mere 26 “discerning residences” to its very well-heeled buyers (fully detailed descriptions of the building and its suites are provided on the Museum House website.) Below are some fresh Museum House construction pics I shot this afternoon, along with a slideshow of other photos taken since 2008. I hope Museum House enjoys its moments in the limelight, while they last, because a much taller condo project is waiting in the wings to steal its thunder. Right next door is the site for the proposed Exhibit Residences condo tower, which is currently accepting registrations from interested potential purchasers. Sales for that project haven’t been launched yet, but its website does give some sneak peeks at the dramatic design being considered for Exhibit, as you’ll see in the three images at the bottom of this post.