Crews are working away at the site of Backstage On The Esplanade, a 36-storey condominium by developers Cityzen Development Group, Fernbrook Homes and Castlepoint Numa, currently under construction at the corner of Yonge and The Esplanade. When we stopped by for a look at the site last week, work was under way on the 15th level of the Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed condo tower, a six storeys more than the 9th-level height the project was at when we last visited in mid-July. This means that the tower's concrete is now being poured at a rate of slightly faster than one floor per week.

Backstage rising to the south of L Tower, image by Jack Landau

The first panels of cladding are now being installed at Backstage, as visible in the image above. Backstage is being clad in a black reflective window wall system with dark grey mullions, very closely matching what was depicted in pre-construction renderings.

Cladding at Backstage on The Esplanade, image by Jack Landau

The north facade of Backstage features a half-moon shaped curve that sets its east and west edges back from the L Tower, preserving the views of residents in both towers. The curving facade also helps to preserve the view of 25 The Esplanade's flat-iron shaped western edge, which has become a local landmark in its relatively recent existence.

Backstage viewed from the east on The Esplanade, image by Jack Landau

Now approaching the mark of half way to the top, Backstage is beginning to make a major impact when viewed from angles to the south, like the view from Yonge and Lake Shore visible in the image below.

Backstage and L Tower viewed from the south, image by Jack Landau

In the image above, captured yesterday afternoon, we can see Backstage rising above the rail corridor, as well as the tower crane up top. Yesterday night, the tower crane was raised four-storeys as visible in the image below, which was captured from the same angle this morning.

Backstage's tower crane has been raised by four storeys, image by Jack Landau

Backstage is now also apparent from Bay and Lake Shore, where the tower can be seen rising alongside sibling project, the L Tower. Both towers are connected by a below-grade pedestrian tunnel, which was bored below The Esplanade during Backstage's excavation phase. Residents of both developments will be parking their cars at Backstage, which includes 356 below-ground spaces for L Tower and 144 above-ground spaces for Backstage residents.

Backstage viewed from Bay and Lake Shore, image by Jack Landau

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