Demoltion work to prepare for the construction of an eyecatching boutique condominium on Beverley Street is wrapping up, and excavation will soon be underway. This means it's the perfect time for UrbanToronto to catch up and add another gem to our growing dataBase of projects in the GTA: this time it's 12°, or 12 Degrees, and we are happy to make it our 250th entry.

12 Degrees is an 11-storey condominium at 25 Beveley Street, just north of Queen Street West, and just south of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Being developed by the BSäR Group of Companies and luxury home builder Prince Bay Developments, 12 Degrees is a modernist boutique condo building with a twist, whose name is immediately understood when you see the building: designer Core Architects have taken 4 of the building's 11 storeys and turned them 12 degrees off the axis. Combine that twist with further articulations in the varous façades, and you have a playfully stacked building, like someone piled up cd jewel cases, without being so anal about it! The message is we still love the Toronto box, but let's have a little fun with it!

12 Degrees by BSäR Group of Companies and Prince Bay Developments

Some amount of controversey did swirl around the development when it was first announced. When the AGO was recently expanded, the Gallery went to particular effort to remind people that chosen superstar architect Frank Gehry had grown up visiting the institution while living just a couple of blocks south - in a home which happened to be on the site now destined to become 12 Degrees. While many people called to save the Gehry's childhood home, Gehry himself went on record rejecting the idea, calling it "no great loss".

Frank Gehry's boyhood home at 15 Beverley Street, image courtesy of TObuilt.ca

Recent photos posted in the 12 Degrees thread by UrbanToronto Forum member NiceTommy, including the image below, show those 1858-built row houses are now gone.

Demolition to make way for 12 Degrees nears completion, image by NiceTommy

12 Degrees will feature an extensive amenity terrace atop the building with great vews of the city's skyline, created by leading interior design firm Munge Leung. Residents of the 90 units will find a relaxing and sophisticated rooftop lounge, cabanas, and pool to be a great place to get together, to unwind, and to entertain.

Rooftop Lounge at 12 Degrees by BSäR Group of Companies and Prince Bay Developments

Rooftop Pool at 12 Degrees by BSäR Group of Companies and Prince Bay Developments

UrbanToronto's dataBase has more information on the building for you to peruse, and you can join in the discussion in the Forum. All links are found below!

Related Companies:  Core Architects, L.A. Inc.