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We have been keeping a close eye on the construction of Greenland Group's King Blue in Toronto's Entertainment District, where 44 and 48-storey IBI Group-designed condominium towers are rising at the intersection of King and Blue Jays Way. By March, the towers had reached heights of 14 storeys, and had grown another four floors to 18 storeys by mid-April. The most recent views show that King Blue's towers now stand 24 storeys, representing the halfway point in the taller 48-storey tower's ascent.
The retained north and west facades of the 1927-built Canadian Westinghouse Building make up the walls of the podium at the King and Blue Jays Way corner. Above, the first pair of recessed floors are evident on the 16th and 17th levels. Two more pairs will follow on the 27th and 28th levels, and the 38th and 39th floors.
The first signs of a window wall cladding system for the towers were installed last month, and the first balcony guards have been applied as well. With only one corner in, these could be considered a test to see if the desired effect has been achieved by the specifications.
A close-up shows a gradient fritted glass guard achieved through increasingly smaller baked-on enamel dots, white at the bottom to match a white aluminum cap over the slab, and fading away to a clear top. The guards are topped by a charcoal-gray aluminum rail.
To the north and east of the retained Westinghouse Building facades, windows have been installed on the podium levels, surrounded by GlasRoc sheathing. Clips have been inserted into this lightweight, water-resistant gypsum board to hold a dark gray brick in place, cladding the podium with a material that matches with that of the heritage commercial buildings in the area.
The podium will eventually house a 122-room Primus Hotel, a new home for Theatre Museum Canada, some of the suites, and some ground-floor retail spaces. The podium's uppermost level and rooftop will include a range of amenity spaces serving residents of the towers' combined 872 condominium units.
You can learn more about King Blue by visiting our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.
