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In the little over one month since we last covered construction at Great Gulf's Monde Condominiums, the 44-storey condominium tower has continued to rise towards a final 150-metre height above Toronto's Queens Quay East. The new condominium development—with a design by Israeli-Canadian-American architect Moshe Safdie in partnership with local architects Quadrangle—is now in the process of topping out, with forming underway on the two mechanical penthouse levels just above the uppermost residential level #44.
As the tower grows taller, progress down at ground level is hinting at how the site will interact with the adjacent Sherbourne Common public space. The west side of Monde's ground floor will feature shops and cafés fronting the park, with a colonnade providing shelter for parkgoers, shoppers, and building residents during inclement weather.
The ground floor will also be home to a mid-block pedestrian connection between Lower Sherbourne and Bonnycastle Streets. A lofty ceiling and curving glass walls at the pass-through add visual interest to this important addition to the East Bayfront's emerging public realm.
Cladding installation has also progressed a fair bit over the last month, with a reflective blue curtainwall glazing system now sealing off roughly two thirds of the tower. The expanse of blue glazing on the exterior articulated bu the stepped-wedge shape of the building, and is punctuated by projecting balconies. Unit ventilation is incorporated into the underside of the concrete slabs for a cleaner aesthetic. The balconies' glass guards, which are set to feature a simulated acid-etch solid frit and clear glazing with a minimal frit pattern, will complete the look of the tower once they are installed.
With the tower now just a few feet shy of its architectural peak, Monde's skyline impact has become apparent from various points around the city. In the view below, captured from the Westin Harbour Castle at Yonge and Queens Quay, Monde can be seen standing tall in the distance, where it stands for he time being as the East Bayfront's tallest structure.
Additional information and renderings of Monde can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
