Since Sixty Colborne Condos reached its final 25-storey height last year at King and Church in Downtown Toronto, architecture buffs have been patiently awaiting the installation of the signature coloured finials shown in renderings of the architectsAlliance-designed complex. Installation of them finally got underway last week, adding the first hints of colour and texture to the base of the Freed Developments and Carttera Private Equities project.

Looking southwest to Sixty Colborne, image by Forum contributor skycandy

While it's hard to see them in the image of the building above, the orange-coloured aluminum finial panels which will frame the windows on levels 2 through 6 of the podium are now beginning to be applied. 

Metal panel cladding at the base of Sixty Colborne, image by Forum contributor RyanD

Originally planned as orange-tinted glazing, the design was changed to metal panels over durability and aging concerns. The glazing would have required sections to be made up of multiple panes inserted into metal flanges (see the mock-up, below right), while the aluminum finials are being installed in single folded panels for a cleaner look. Cladding mock-up tests provide a clear comparison between the combination of fritted and transparent orange glazing versus the opaque metal panel and automotive-grade paint finishes, including their respective interactions with ambient light. 

Metal (L) and glass (R) cladding tests for Sixty Colborne, image by Forum contributor Crowley

As finishing work progresses on the podium's exterior, interior work continues on the building's 284 condominium units and associated amenity spaces, and pre-delivery inspections have already begun for purchasers of some units. Though construction is winding down for many elements of the building, watching the podium exterior design materialize will be interesting to watch unfold over the next several weeks.

Looking north to Sixty Colborne, image courtesy of Freed/Carttera

Additional information and images—including renderings of the completed podium—can be found in 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 field provided at the bottom of this page.