Two of Canada's tallest condominiums are making their way through the planning process as Concord Adex seeks approval for a sky-scraping pair of towers at Spadina and Bremner on the western edge of Toronto's core. While we do not know what name the towers will be marketed under yet, the two are meant to top Concord CityPlace's signature on the skyline, so the name 'Signature' has been associated with the site since it was first planned out.

Concord CityPlace's tallest towers will rise at Spadina and Bremner, image courtesy of Concord Adex

Concord Adex wants a real splash at the top, so architects Page + Steele / IBI Group have designed fully-glass wrapped gallerias around the top of each tower. Behind the glass with be a bold artwork discernible from the ground, 700 or 800 feet below. Renderings of the towers have shown a bright pattern of coloured dashes, warm tones on one building, cool tones on the other. Below, is a close-up detail.

Glass-topped, art-filled towers for Concord CityPlace, image courtesy of Concord Adex

What's shown in the rendering is a place-holder image, meant to indicate the areas that art will be applied to the buildings' surfaces. It also shows that Concord Adex wants coordination of the artworks, but that it wants two different expressions, a classic theme in two variations. Now, a pair of new renderings in falling light and nighttime views gets us much closer to the top of the towers, giving us a better idea of what we will find when we get up there.

A soft light view east from atop Concord CityPlace, image courtesy of Concord Adex

The first thing to know about the new rendering is that while the art here looks different, this is still a place-holder. Concord Adex's art consultant, Public Art Management Ltd., who have curated Concord CityPlace's significant public art collection into being, have yet to determine who will win the art commission for these towers. According to Karen Mills of Public Art Management, while the current renderings show art rising through the buildings' inside corners and covering all mechanical areas (the upper mechanical penthouse will be totally hidden behind the skyline gallerias), it's not possible to yet confirm that the final design will match this coverage 100%. Gabriel Leung, Vice President of Development at Concord Adex will tell you that the developer is also looking for public art opportunities around the base of the development's retail-and-restaurant-ringed podium as well.

Restaurants, retail, and art is to be expected at ground level around the Block 22 towers, image courtesy of Concord Adex

Artist Adrian Göllner's coloured night-lighting already makes Concord CityPlace buildings stand apart on the skyline; the 64 and 75-storey towers at Spadina and Bremner will accentuate and complete the effect.

Concord CityPlace towers have had their mechanical penthouses lit up by artist Adrian Göllner, image courtesy of Concord Adex

So, how will these tower-tops look exactly when completed? We won't know for a while still, but with the dramatic galleria being designed for the art, we can image the space will be amazing, and unlike any other perch in this increasingly soaring city.

The nighttime view east from atop Concord CityPlace, image courtesy of Concord Adex

Want to know more about 'Block 22' at Concord CityPlace? Our dataBase entry below has more information on and renderings of the proposed development at the link below. Want to get in on the discussion of this project? Click on the associated Forum thread links, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.