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As the installation of balcony glass brings the exterior of Great Gulf's One Bloor East closer to completion, commenters in the UrbanToronto Forum are getting more excited about the 76-storey, Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed condominium tower, now creating a high-point in Toronto's skyline at Yonge and Bloor. The building's mostly unfinished balcony glazing has been a source of consternation for some impatient readers, but the recent completion of several more floors of glazing has many readers dreaming. A mid-June photo shows the impact of the balcony glass with half a dozen floors completed, but much more has since been installed.
Now, newly refinished and highly photorealistic renderings by digital artist Matthew Hallett mean that the impatient don't have to strain to imagine the completed tower. Hallett, now running his own firm Hallett Visual, originally created some One Bloor East imagery during his time as an employee of Hariri Pontarini, but has recently completed updated, more photorealistic images that could convince many viewers that the building is done.
Looking closer at part of this rendering, we focus in on an acute view of the development's west facade towering over Yonge Street, where the undulating balcony design is most apparent, and compare it with a more recent photo.
The same set of photos from G.L. 17 helps us compare a rendering depicting the completed condominium tower as seen from the west on Bloor Street at dusk. When placed next to one another, the rendering helps to illustrate how the recently-installed mechanical penthouse cladding will meet the upper levels of balcony glazing, completing the tower's curvaceous design statement.
A close look at the upper levels of the tower shows the extra-height floors of the residential penthouse levels in low light, and a better illustration of how the shape of the balconies extend into the mechanical penthouse floors above. A recent daylight shot follows for comparison.
Back down at ground level with most of the glazing in place, the podium's dynamic relationship with the Yonge-Bloor intersection's southeast corner is already quite evident to passersby. Comparing Hallett's rendering and late-June photo below provides an even clearer picture of how the podium levels will look once fully clad and filled with retail tenants.
The development's unique take on the tower-podium building typology is best evidenced with the unconventional terracing of the podium levels. Though a few balcony glazing panels have yet to be installed along the edges of these terraces, the aesthetic of these ribbon-like outdoor spaces is clearly evident.
In addition to Hallett's three new street-level renderings, an aerial rendering depicts the tower's skyline contribution as seen from an elevated vantage point to the south on Yonge Street. Our angle, captured in March 2016, shows a similar view captured from further to the south, back when the topped-off building was still sporting its tower crane.
Zooming in on this view gives us a better handle on the tower's relationship with Yonge Street. Below the rendering, a similar view captured from street level highlights the impressive height of the structure, as well as how the massing of its podium relates to the streetscape to the south.
An even closer look reveals the podium-top outdoor amenity terrace, which includes a year-round indoor/outdoor pools and landscaped lounging areas with a fireplace. Below, a recent shot from the west shows the progress to date.
How closely will Matthew Hallett's renderings reflect the final look of the building? We think that some of them would fool viewers now into believing the building is already complete, and it just makes us anticipate the finished development all the more!
Check out our dataBase file—linked below—for older renderings and more information on One Bloor. You can join in on the discussion in the associated Forum threads, or by leaving a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.
