Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

I found the inspiration for the building. The lipstick tower.

Nice effort, but you got the shade wrong. It's actually Coral Blue #5

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The (Blue) Lipstick Tower.

Awww, see you guys? Aura is winning people over, enough at least, for them to start giving it nicknames.
 
I really like curves from the south or even the east/west but it looks off when you see it from any Northern direction bc you can see that it's all open inside. It especially looks weird during sunset when only a small bit of sun shows on the very top. I'm left scratching my head why they would leave it open like they have.
 
The north end will be closed as far as I know - they have to take down the crane and elevator hoist in order for that to happen.
 
Oh, thank god lol.

I thought it might have been because of the crane but someone said earlier in thread that they were leaving it open and I just assumed they knew what they were talking about lol.

Does anyone know when they are taking the crane down?
 
You can actually see through the South/East corner of the roof line (from top to bottom) at certain times of day.

From my balcony at the Uptown I can see through the south part of the crown most of the day. At first I thought that the glass was backed by silver metal, then I realized that I was seeing through the glass making it look silvery.
 
Apologies to the mods for reposting this photo so soon after its original posting, but I believe it's needed to assist with what I'm about to say.

Over the years this tower has been repeatedly slighted for its execution -- more specifically for its use of spandrel, and the design and massing of its podium and lower tower portions.

While these criticisms aren't entirely without merit, in light of how the upper part of the tower is being done, they're both over-exaggerated and overblown.

Aesthetically, the most important parts of any tower how it relates to the street and how it finishes at its top. These now appear to be the areas where this tower excels.

I agree that the lower portion of its tower is somewhat clumsy, and the use of spandrel and associate materials don't come together well especially on the north side, but the tower caps off deftly and interestingly, in a way that echoes the asymmetry of its mid portions. It's also sleek and looming in a way that draws most attention away from its less well executed parts. And it meets the street nicely, both in terms of design as well as function: its restaurants, bars, shops as well as the generous and partially sheltered sidewalk around it ensure that its context remains vibrant at nearly all hours.

Other buildings may have more consistent quality throughout their design and cladding, other buildings may have a better mix of integrated uses, but overall I think this building excels where it counts and will serve as a handsome landmark. Overall I think it's raised the bar for buildings in Toronto.

I'm looking forward to its successors.

Thanks for posting this was a very thoughtful take. The top was a surprisingly satisfying finish. And the base offers a sort of mini-plaza, the way the sidewalk opens up is a nice break in Yonge Street. Good top, good base, great scale.
 

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