Since our last update back in April, construction on what will soon be Great Gulf Homes' signature Toronto condo, One Bloor East, has risen another 17 storeys, having now reached the 63rd floor. The striking, curved glass exterior of the Hariri Pontarini-designed tower and lower retail level have also been progressing nicely, the swooping, exterior glazing in many places having nearly reached the top of the tower. 

One Bloor East, First Gulf Homes, Toronto, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Kotsy

Within striking distance of its final height of 844 feet, the tower has less than 200 more feet to go before it tops off above the 76th storey. The landmark structure has now climbed high enough to be seen from nearly every corner of the city, its imposing presence at the corner of Yonge and Bloor felt as far away as Danforth at Woodbine (below), while from a few blocks south at Yonge and Gloucester it easily towers above all else. 

The skyline looks almost LA-esque, as seen from the Danforth, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Kotsy

One Bloor East, seen from Yonge and Gloucester, image by Jack Landau

One Bloor East viewed from atop the Manulife Centre, image by Marcus Mitanis

Down at street-level, work on the podium's lower-level retail, mid-level suites and terraces, and upper-level amenity area and rooftop patio, has also been moving along quite quickly. As seen in the images below, the high-quality glazing features a mixture of concave-and-convex glass panels, with a white, fritted glass treatment for the balconies:

Work progresses on One Bloor East's iconic, curved, exterior glazing at the podium level, image by Marcus Mitanis

Close-up of podium level balconies, One Bloor East, image by Marcus Mitanis

The multi-storey retail level, which will meet the street in an equally dramatic fashion similar to the rest of the building, will be host to what we expect to be a first-class array of shopping and dining options. In the image below, a close-up of the spider clamps to be used to hold up the glass panels can be seen, which despite the quelling of early rumours of a coming Apple Store to the location, do appear they would have suited: 

Spider clamp and glass installation, One Bloor East, image by Jack Landau

Back up top, construction has continued to progress upwards, with the upper-level balconies beginning to take shape. From below, the unique curvature of the balcony floor-plates appear as though they will be finished in an airy, white, which will contrast nicely with the reflective blue coloration of the exterior glass. 

Upper-level balconies and exterior glazing progressing upwards at One Bloor East, image by Marcus Mitanis

Balcony floor-plate whitening, One Bloor East, cropped from original image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Kotsy

Once complete, One Bloor East will stand tall as one of Toronto's most recognizable condo towers. Its prominent location at the intersection of Yonge and Bloor, at the gateway to Toronto's infamous Mink Mile, will be sure to cement the curvy new addition to the skyline as among the city's best.

One Bloor East condos, Toronto, image courtesy of Great Gulf Homes

Stay current with the ongoing progress at One Bloor East as UrbanToronto will continue to provide updates in the months to come. For more information on the project check out the dataBase for many renderings and links to past articles. You can join in on the discussion in the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.