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The current building boom has brought a handful of new office towers to Downtown Toronto, with many more on the way. The largest and tallest currently under construction is Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines’ CIBC Square at Bay and Lake Shore, just across from the Scotiabank Arena. The first phase of the WilkinsonEyre-designed office complex is well on its way to a height of 49 storeys, working towards a planned 2020 opening.
The most prominent element of the building visible to passersby is the tower core. This poured concrete volume is over halfway towards the final height, and is fast approaching the 30-storey mark. The central core supports the surrounding steel-framed office levels, now being formed below, while also housing essential building services including elevators and stairwells.
As forming of the core rises higher into the skyline, work is progressing on the podium and tower levels below. Last month, a massive post tension slab was formed for the 2nd level of the new GO bus terminal on the east side of the development. This task was carried out with two extended concrete pours, lasting a combined 32 hours.
Steel assembly is also progressing, with structural steel now installed as high as the tower's 8th level. The outside edge of the structural skeleton, which changes on every floor, is hinting at the diamond-like faceted glass exterior that will be the signature of the complex's two towers. These angled projections are now easily seen from street level.
Large perimeter columns can be seen outlining the tower's volume, while corrugated metal sheets are now being installed as decking to support upcoming concrete pours to form the office floors. Another recent change is the start of installation of a pair of exterior hoists that will be used to shuttle workers, material, and equipment until the main interior elevators are operational.
Work on the first phase tower at CIBC Square is scheduled to be completed by 2020. The opening of the new GO bus terminal in the base of phase 1 will free up space occupied by the current terminal to the north, paving the way for its demolition and construction of phase 2. That tower at 141 Bay Street is planed to be completed by the end of 2023.
Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
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