The impact that a project rendering has on a proposed or pre-construction condominium development is immeasurable. Contemporary purchasers expect high quality images as a given, showing every last detail on projects ranging from 6- to 76-storeys. Developers, architects and marketers have further realized the impact that different types of renderings can have on purchasers, and how lighting, angles, and what is included/excluded appeal to different people. 

88 Scott Street, a 58-storey condominium by Concert Properties located between the central core and the St. Lawrence Market, recently made available a new set of highly detailed renderings which incorporate all of the changes made to the building since the original design, and newly reveal many features. The project is cast in a twilight glow and is seen from below, emphasizing the sheer scale of the tower. The full-scale image below brings to light the variety of treatments being applied to the facade, helping to better visualize Page + Steele's design as set against the Financial Core's commercial towers in the background.

Project rendering for 88 Scott Street, image courtesy of Concert

While it's great to get new renderings that show a project in a different light, it's even better to receive massive, over-the-top size renderings that let us do the nit-picking and allow us to zoom in on those features that we want to see more of. We took the liberty of dividing the image seen above into a few bite-sized pieces to make it easier to digest, and to simultaneously explore how the tower evolves from the ground floor up to the top.

The podium of 88 Scott will incorporate the reconstructed limestone facade of the circa 1951 Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company currently on-site. The rendering below does the material justice in differentiating it from the tower-base above, simultaneously casting it against the historic Commerce Court North building in the upper left.

Podium and tower base for 88 Scott Street, image courtesy of Concert

Just above the 6th floor Core Club — where residents can work up a sweat while overlooking lush Berczy Park — we come across the transitional facade treatment, where the heavier pre-cast treatment begins to make way for the lighter glass curtain-wall. Below the protruding box stretch vertical columns recalling the art-deco podium; on either side and above is a strict grid system pulling inspiration from the geometric office towers to the east.

Mid-tower rendering for 88 Scott Street, image courtesy of Concert

We swing around the building in the image below to get a better view of the Sky Lounge, located near the top of the tower on the 47th and 48th floors. A slightly protruded box provides all building residents the opportunity to enjoy the expansive views of the city and Lake Ontario, regardless of where their suite is located. Whether you choose to entertain in the private dining room or curl up with a book in front of the fireplace is your prerogative.

Detail rendering of Sky Lounge on floors 47 and 48, image courtesy of Concert

We'll finish by checking out the very top of the tower, a feature that has seen recent criticism on UT forums following a change in design earlier this year. The original top found its way, ziggurat like to a symetrical pinnacle, but a result of the city's strict shadowing policy, the tapering was re-fashioned to avoid casting new shadows on St. James Cathedral to the northwest. While we appreciated the earlier version on its own architectural merits, the building clearly retains its staggered-terrace design, with balconies cutting off at various levels and a real variety of protrusions making for quite an engaging roofline.

Roofline rendering for 88 Scott Street, image courtesy of Concert

The power that a rendering has in swaying opinion on any given project is a relatively new revelation to many developers, no doubt pushed to the forefront of their agendas due to the variety of social media outlets such as UrbanToronto that provide access to these images. The new renderings for 88 Scott most definitely present the project in a new light, and have re-ignited our excitement to see this project come to fruition.

What do you think of the new renderings? You can check out many more in the updated UrbanToronto dataBase listing below, including new interior renderings, or join in the conversation about 88 Scott in our assocaited forum threads.

Related Companies:  EQ Building Performance Inc., Kramer Design Associates Limited, U31