Roughly 15 months after a tower crane was installed atop an existing 18-storey, 1968-built office building at 480 University Avenue, one of Toronto's most ambitious condominium projects is now preparing to head high into the Downtown skyline. Unlike any other condo tower being built in the city, Amexon Development Corporation's Core Architects-designed Residences of 488 University Avenue will rise atop an existing office building, one which has been undergoing substantial structural reinforcement overseen by structural engineers Sigmund Soudack & Associates since the project began in Summer 2015.

A few months ago, the final panels of the office building's previous concrete grille facade were lowered using a custom-built crane attachment. Since then, the building—along with its recently-added external steel bracing—has been re-clad with a new higher performance curtain wall glazing. This modern system allows much more natural light to filter into the office spaces within, while improving thermal dynamics. Outside, randomized fins add a but of fun to the slender mullions that reference narrow slots of the windows in the old grille. 

Site of The Residences of 488 University Avenue, image by Forum contributor slicecom

With the network of structural steel bracing now enclosed between the building's skeleton and the updated exterior cladding, crews from Toddglen Construction have begun creating the "tabletop" above the office floors that will transfer the load of the additional 37 floors of condos down to the beefed-up foundations below.

Site of The Residences of 488 University Avenue, image by Forum contributor Towered

The combined 55-storeys of office and condominium space will be complemented by a reimagined relationship with the northwest corner of University and Dundas, including a three-storey atrium fronting University Avenue that will provide a new weather-protected entrance to St. Patrick Station on the TTC's University Line. 

The Residences of 488 University Avenue, image courtesy of Amexon

Once complete, residents of the building's 453 residential suites will have access to a collection of amenity spaces featuring interiors by II BY IV Design Associates. Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.