The ongoing densification of Toronto’s inner suburbs has made exponential steps forward in the past few years, especially surrounding the once resolutely suburban stretch of Sheppard Avenue East between Yonge and Don Mills. Spurred on by the relatively recent completion of the truncated Sheppard subway, the urbanization of Sheppard Avenue East continues at developer ELAD Canada’s Emerald City, a large multi-phased development currently reshaping the Don Mills and Sheppard intersection. Located directly above the Sheppard line's east terminus at Don Mills Station, Emerald City’s first three phases are closing in on their completion dates, with the tallest of the WZMH-designed structures, the 36-storey phase one, the furthest along.

Emerald City at Don Mills and Sheppard, image by Jack Landau

While 36 storeys may not seem like a great deal of height compared to some of the ambitious skyscraping projects we see downtown, the natural elevation of the Emerald City site—one of the highest points in the city—combined with the lack of adjacent high-rises, makes for some dramatic views across low-rise neighbourhoods towards the densely clustered North York City Centre to the west, Scarborough to the east, and the bustling Downtown skyline to the south.

Southern view from atop the 36-storey first phase, image by Jack Landau

The southern views are quite complex. In the photo above, you can see a wide angle view of the building’s southern vista, overlooking Emerald City’s shorter phase two and three towers, standing at 29 and 25 storeys respectively. In the wide angle view, we see a much wider field of view than the human eye, making the distance from downtown appear greater. Zooming in, we can see the downtown skyline in greater detail, silhouetted against the lake and the day's dramatic skies.

Southern view of Toronto skyline, image by Jack Landau

The views to the west are also pretty phenomenal.  In the image below, we can see Sheppard Avenue cutting through colourful autumn scenery on its path west towards North York City Centre.

Looking west along Sheppard towards North York City Centre, image by Jack Landau

North York City Centre, which is centred around the busy spine of Yonge Street north of the 401, has grown to become one of the GTA’s densest communities, and its skyline is rapidly coming of age.

North York City Centre to the west, image by Jack Landau

Looking to the east, we can see the surrounding Parkway Forest community, one of the many suburban Le Corbusier-styled rental communities built in the mid-20th Century. In the same photo we can see the interchange of two of the city’s busiest highways, the DVP/404 and 401, which functions as an unofficial gateway to Scarborough, and has proven to be a major selling point for Emerald City’s car oriented purchasers.

Eastern view towards Scarborough, image by Jack Landau

To the north, Fairview Mall dominates the view in the immediate foreground, while the city thins out exponentially towards the greenbelt.

Looking north over Fairview Mall, note the shadow of the first phase's upper floors, image by Jack Landau

Distant views can be rather dramatic, but it is the intimate close-up views of the surrounding suburban landscapes and built form that are truly unique to see from atop something as urban as a 36-storey condominium.

View of a suburban side street seen from 36 floors up, image by Jack Landau

There is much more to see at ELAD’s Emerald City, and we will be returning next week for a look inside the development. Until then, head on over to our dataBase listing, available below, for additional information including building facts and renderings. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided below.