Toronto Spire Condos | 144.77m | 45s | Context Development | a—A

Thanks Ed,

I thought the podium gives the entire building more "weight". With regards to the quality of the precast, it's fine, esp. compared to Radio City.

AoD
 
Are they really so similar? Woodsworth has small slitty vertical windows, eccentrically spaced ( well, I haven't been able to unlock the code of their placement, anyway ) within a large run of brick. It echoes the established style of the OISE podium across the street, which has similar slitty vertical windows.
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The north side of Spire's podium does echo that, in turn, albeit in a more regular pattern.
Regardless of the relative merits of the brick vs. precast camps to "quality-finish" fetishists, in terms of materials used, the Woodsworth podium stands in greater contrast to the tower above it.
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You're quite right. I was seeing a similarity in massing more than materials.

Anyway, as it's built out, the podium is looking better and better. I spoke too quickly.
 
Citywriter:

Also, the Woodsworth podium is every bit the equal of its tower - a big wraparound event with a strong identity that extends way beyond the floorplate of the shortish tower.

Whereas the Spire podium is almost an afterthought to the much taller tower, or at least a decidedly secondary element, in comparison. So perhaps Clewes couldn't justify as strong a "design opposite" treatment for it?
 
To even speak of a 'podium' for Spire seems a little misleading... the tower itself meets the ground rather directly. What we're discussing here is more of an out-building. A coachhouse?
 
Whereas the Spire podium is almost an afterthought to the much taller tower, or at least a decidedly secondary element, in comparison. So perhaps Clewes couldn't justify as strong a "design opposite" treatment for it?
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I suspect you're right, Babel, but the podium will assume more significance as the nearby blocks fill in, and the details will become more significant.

It's more an issue of anticipating the future context (who knows? at Lombard and Jarvis) vs. reacting to what already exists (on St . George and Bloor).

The two Clewes buildings in dialogue do start things off, or rather renew them, nicely.
 
So Spire will be 47 floors. Note on the rendering that the final two floors have no balconies. Today they started on the 45th. It has a balcony. The last two are mechanical.
 
So Spire will be 47 floors. Note on the rendering that the final two floors have no balconies. Today they started on the 45th. It has a balcony. The last two are mechanical.
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I suspect that the 145M height in the final report is based on 45s. The additional 2 floors bring the height to somewhere between 152M and 154M. How could this be confirmed?
 
Get out your theodolite and measuring tape and triangulate away!
 
Spire looks huge from the corner of Carlton and Church. I highly recommend that vantage point if anyone's in that vicinity.
 
From certain vantage points, this tower look like its easily above 500 ft. I also like the fact that its not too thin as it mixes in well with the bulkier bank towers. Spire provides an excellent "gap filler" for the north-south skyline when viewed from richmond, east of jarvis.
 
Spire appears to be topping out (b/w pic) and though from some POVs it doesn't look very tall next to the MINT skyline (such as approaching from east), you can see from my roof POV looking SW it reads very powerfully... despite being only half the height of BMO.

spiretopped.jpg
 
They are working on the final floor now. Though no tree had gone up as of this morning, and as I lookout my window now, they are only about half finished putting the roof on that level.
 
I think it is the mechanicals that they are working on right now. I believe the residential floors are complete.
 
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