Four and a half weeks ago, PCL Construction removed the pedestrian bridge that has spanned Queen Street for the past 40 years, connecting Cadillac Fairview's Toronto Eaton Centre to the Hudson's Bay/Saks Fifth Avenue building to the south. Since that time, construction workers have been using space on James Street immediately to the west of the mall in order to assemble the new Zeidler Partnerships/WilkinsonEyre Architects-designed replacement bridge. 

The steel ribs awaiting to be clad, image by Forum contributor Benito

In our previous update in the first week of June, we saw the beginnings of the new steel rib structure; noting that the bridge will be glassier and boxier at the Eaton Centre end, then gradually transition to more round and more opaque at the south end, reflecting the materiality of the two buildings of different eras. 

Close-up of the glazing and panelling installation, image by Forum contributor Benito

New photos photos taken by UrbanToronto Forum contributors are being posted regularly in our dedicated Forum thread, now focusing on the window glazing and the cladding that is being installed over the steel ribs. Five of the ribs now have bronze panels etched with circular patterns. While the panels appear fairly dark, this is due to a film that protects the etched bronze, to be removed once the new bridge is securely installed across the street. 

A dark protective film covers the etched bronze throughout construction, image by Craig White

The rendering below gives an idea how the etched bronze should look once the protective film has been removed and the bridge opened. The anticipated completion is expected for this Fall.

Rendering of the new Eaton Centre Bridge, image via Cadillac Fairview

We will provide you with more updates as construction continues. Additional information and renderings can be found in our Eaton Centre Database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.

Related Companies:  Bass Installation, Giannone Petricone Associates, LRI Engineering Inc., RJC Engineers, Walters Group, Zeidler Architecture