I think the podium is great, it doesn't give off a condo tower vibe to it, which is what it should do considering the bottom portion is retail and for the public. the podium looks beast now, but wait till we see the entire tower portion complete!!! gonna be overpowered by 78 stories of madness!
as for the tower cladding, it was pretty much what i was expecting... but the podium was mind-blowing.
Once the podium is complete and retail has moved in it will be all lit up, signs erected, have window displays... I think it'll look just fine. It all appears to be overwhelming right now because it is a large complex (I recall similar comments when that tin can 10 Dundas E. was being constructed) and because there's been nothing there for so long and never anything of this size. I don't doubt that people had similar thoughts when the Eaton Centre & the One Dundas W. tower were being constructed in the 1970's, though they were replacing several much larger buildings than ever stood where Aura is being built, or 10 Dundas E. but the EC was still a massive complex. At least with Aura we're getting a much more pedestrian friendly building than the Eaton Centre too.
Wow...If thats it (from setback to the most northerly part) for the taller portion of the tower, then its going to be stunning thin for a 275 meter tower.
Sometime ago,I saw a picture or two where lights were inside the podium. It will be nice to see as to how various levels look now when lights inside are lit.
"Aura will have two condo corporations, instead of the usual one, so that tenants can occupy the first 55 floors and close on their units while the finishing touches are put on floors 56 to 78 before buyers move in and close on those units."
