While One Bloor is turning heads for its curved glass a couple of blocks to the east, another Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed project which will employ similarly sexy curves is gearing up for construction near Bay and Bloor in Toronto's Uptown core.

7 St. Thomas seen from the north, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects

7 St. Thomas is a condominium office project that will combine stately Victorian converted homes with a very modern office block rising above. Tucked into the neighbourhood at the corner of Sultan and St. Thomas—two side streets—the project won't be particularly tall, but we suspect that the application of the fritted and curved glass will attract serious attention on UrbanToronto as this project rises.

Bird's eye view of the 7 St. Thomas site tucked in behind Bay and Bloor, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects

Updated renderings of the project show a new plan for the ceramic frit on the glass. While earlier versions showed the circular pattern (seen below along the bottom edge of the office block) covering all of the office tower, the upper portion will have a striated frit, making it easier to see through the windows. Frit is a translucent enamel which is baked right on the glass. It cuts down on heat transmission, giving the glass a higher R value than completely clear glass, and making the building easier to heat or cool. Clear sections between the frit will still allow people to see in and out.

Glazing detail, 7 St. Thomas seen from the north, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects

The condo office project is being developed by St. Thomas Commercial Developments, a sister company of the Lee Development Group who have developed several condominiums in Toronto, notable among them the luxury Robert A.M. Stern-designed One St. Thomas building directly to the south. Work will begin this month with the heritage retention of the townhomes along Sultan and St. Thomas Streets kicking things off. While the front portions will be retained and retrofitted, demolition will start soon on the rear portion of the homes. Caisson installation will follow shortly afterwards, and excavation for the tower foundation is planned to begin in July.

The digging down and then forming of the underground levels will take several months, with the project expected to be back at grade during the Winter of 2015. A total completion of 7 St. Thomas is planned for the Winter of 2016.

Composition detail, 7 St. Thomas seen from the north, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects

In the meantime, UrbanToronto's dataBase page for the project, linked below, includes both recent and early renderings of the project and more information. Want to talk about the project? You can get in on the discussion in the associated Forum thread, or you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page.