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Last night, River City Phase 3, or RC3, had its friends and past purchasers launch at the River City presentation centre housed in a future retail space in the project's first phase. The sleek and innovative RC3 is the newest installment to this West Don Lands condominium community. The launch was well-attended by potential buyers, residents of the first phase, members of Waterfront Toronto and various project stakeholders.
Front and centre in the event space is a three dimensional model of the project showing what River City will look like once its first three phases are complete. RC3, the uniquely striking building located to the right side of model, stands like an exclamation mark in the scaled West Don Lands space, another architectural jewel in River City's crown.
To be the tallest of the buildings in its surroundings, the 28-storey structure features a series of protruding and recessed drawer-like suites which create an undulating effect. In contrast, RC3 features a totally flat side and a pair of sides which highlight the contrast in silhouette.
Phase three is clad in the same vein as its predecessors. The black and white composite panel cladding—from phases 1 and 2 respectively—are both present in phase 3, but serve as a backdrop to the third phases amber glass highlights on some of its balconies.
To celebrate the launch of this avant garde work, quite a party was thrown. The night's causal chic ambiance was created by a combination of house-inspired remixes to set the mood along with a wide selection of hors d'oeuvres. Throughout the evening guests were treated to oysters, steak tartare on potato chips, shrimp kebabs, beef brisket sliders, and lots more. Later on visitors were offered desert: liquid nitrogen-frozen ice cream sandwiched between decadent chocolate chip cookies.
The mixing and mingling was punctuated by a series of short speeches by David Wex of UrbanCapital Developments, along with Gilles Saucier and Andre Perrotte of Saucier+ Perrotte Architects. The three gave speeches from a ramp that leads up to the showroom's one bedroom plus den model suite. Many thank-yous and acknowledgements were conferred to the project's contributors, including landscape architect, Claude Cormier, known here particularly as the designer of Toronto's Sugar Beach.
During his speech, architect Andre Perotte of Saucier + Perotte, elucidated the origins of River City's Design. The first phase, which is predominantly black, is meant to resemble a jewel in the rough, the white phase 2 to represent the refined form of the jewel and phase 3, with its tricolour make up and jagged edges, signals the process of erosion. Despite that reference, we are assured by Waterfront Toronto that River City is well protected from such forces by the recently completed landforms alongside the adjacent Don River!
One of the evening's biggest treats was left until last: guests were able to take home a bit of RC3 for themselves as part of the event's take-home package. It included a specially made Lego™ model of RC3, the brainchild of public relations specialist Christine Faulhaber. Everyone who took it home will now have to decide: collectors-item-keep-it-in-the-bag?, or build-it-get-a-great-conversation-piece? Too bad we couldn't have two!
Readers who would prefer the real thing to the Lego version (and we know the real version is going to be even cooler!) should click on the Request Info link below this article to make sure you get your chance before the suites, just like the Lego models, are gone!
We will continue to keep you updated on the progress of RC3 and the rest of River City as it develops. In the meantime, for renderings and additional information visit our dataBase file for the project, linked below. You can join in on the conversation about River City 3 in the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
| Related Companies: | Bluescape Construction Management, RJC Engineers, Urban Strategies Inc., Vortex Fire Consulting Inc. |
