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UrbanToronto has been closely following the steady growth of the east tower at Brookfield Properties' Bay Adelaide Centre. Designed by KPMB Architects and Adamson Associates Architects, with heritage work by ERA Architects, the tower core now stands just a few storeys short of the 44th and final floor while steel currently reaches to the 34th floor. With the tower now making an impact from vantage points around the city, we joined in on a recent public tour of the building thanks to the Council on Tall Buildings an Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and Brookfield.
The tour gave us our first inside access to the site of the office complex's second phase, and in this report we highlight the progress of the tower portion's interior and exteriors, as well as a look at some of the views seen from the middle and upper floors of the building. Up on the 27th floor, a concrete floor slab has recently been poured and smoothed over the steel structural frame of the level. Each floor of the tower is essentially comprised of a large single open space which wraps around the concrete tower core. The core, which will contain elevators, stairwells and utilities, is visible in the center of the space in the image below.
In the image below, we take a closer look at the raw elevator lobby and shafts on the 27th floor.
Work on the 27th floor is made easier by weather protective tarps which reduce wind moving through the yet-to-be-clad upper floors as well as tempering bright sunlight. Wind can be a major annoyance when working in the presence of concrete dust, and the sun can have negative effects on the concrete curing process
There were still a few spots on the 27th floor left open to the elements, allowing us to point our cameras around the city and take in some of the views that office workers in the new development will soon experience. The views to the north and northwest show a vast expanse of our growing city, with several major landmarks visible in the foreground and off in the distance as well.
The view to the west is not so broad, essentially blocked by complex's west tower. The west tower does provide a 'moment for reflection'… or more in the language of the day, who doesn't love a good selfie?
The views to the south and southwest take us up-close and personal with neighbouring Financial District towers.
Weather protective material prevented us from getting too many other shots from 27, but there was much more to see, so we descended to the 19th floor, where curtain wall glazing was being installed on the tower's exterior.
Unlike the window wall cladding more normally applied to high-rse developments rising across the GTA and which rests upon each concrete slab, curtain wall actually hangs off the edge of a floor slab, bolted into place from above and connecting with the panel on the floor below. This actually leaves a small space between the building and the exterior cladding, which is filled in after installation.
Below, we take a look at the joint of a freshly installed row of curtain wall, attached to the cladding on the floor below.
The 19th floor also provided a few views that weren't possible on the 27th floor due to the weather protective tarps, like the views due south and east visible below.
We will return tomorrow for a look at the building's podium and heritage components. In the meantime, additional information about the Bay Adelaide Centre East can be found in our dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or add your voice in the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.
| Related Companies: | Adamson Associates Architects, entro, Entuitive, LRI Engineering Inc., Multiplex, Trillium Architectural Products, Walters Group, WZMH Architects |
