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Midtown Toronto has a new marquee project proclaiming its place on the skyline. The Rosario Varacalli-designed E Condos consists of a 38-storey rental tower (known as E15) on Roehampton Avenue, and a 58-storey condominium tower (known as E8) at the northeast corner of Yonge and Eglinton. At a height of 196 metres, the latter stands as the tallest building in the city north of Yorkville, and is currently the tallest development in the portfolio of general contractor TMG Builders.
The joint venture project from Bazis, Metropia, and RioCan is closing in on completion, with the final exterior details now coming together on the taller south tower following its recent external hoist removal. Occupancy is now underway up to level 33 for the condo tower, while residents have moved in as high as level 13 for the rental tower to the north. We had the chance to tour the development today, with a focus on the condominium tower and its various impressive common spaces by Mike Niven Interior Design.
The building's podium contains almost 2,000 m² of retail space and over 3,300 m² of office space accessed at the corner of Yonge and Eglinton, with residents entering the building via their lobby at 8 Eglinton East. Inside, a concierge desk faces out onto a lounge and elevator lobby featuring warm wood finishes wth symmetrically arranged furnishings and fixtures.
A full floor of amenities is found on level 4, with a number of indoor spaces wrapped on three sides by an outdoor terrace. Some of these spaces are still being outfitted for use, so we focused on the ones that currently appear complete.
The range of spaces here includes a lounge, party room with catering kitchen and partition walls, fitness centre, yoga studio, tech lounge, and a games room with billiards and table tennis.
Many of the 4th floor indoor amenities open out onto a terrace amenity with landscaping by NAK Design Group. Not yet open to residents, the terrace is awaiting its final touches like outdoor furniture and the warmer weather of more hospitable months.
The bold flash of red glazing and the cantilevered floor visible on the exterior of the 25th level mark the location of the building's upper amenity level. This level will soon be home to the project's standout feature, a swimming pool with underwater windows that will offer views to the south towards the Downtown skyline. Crews are busy working away at the pool's tiling, paint, and other finishes. While it's resolutely pink in here now, finishes like the blue tiles of the pool and untinted pool windows will bring in more balanced spectrum of light. At night, interior lighting will bathe the space a more natural colour.
A closer look shows one of the temporary panels in place within the pool—identified by their "Reynolds" branding—being used to protect the clear glazing behind. In addition to providing views over the city for swimmers who remember to bring their goggles, the windows will frame an anthropological aquarium-in-the-sky to the most eagle-eyed of passersby on Yonge Street below.
This level is also home to men's and women's change rooms, as well as saunas. The men's change room is quickly taking shape, with the women's change room and saunas much closer to readiness. The bold window tint is also a feature in the guest suites on the north side of the 25th floor.
On the 23rd floor, we get a glimpse at a completed and inspected suite. The south tower houses 623 condominium units in various sizes, and with trades rapidly finishing the upper levels, full occupancy is expected in the coming months.
Things are in more of a raw state up on level 58, the uppermost residential floor. Studs, drywall, and electrical are bringing the unit closer to a habitable state, though there is still much work to be done before these suites look like the one seen above.
Stepping out onto the balcony allows a closer look at one of the building's signature details, a scrim cladding of punched aluminum panels and clear glazing forming an exterior shell that partially encloses the window wall building envelope. Sunlight hitting these panels casts a machined pattern of light and shadow on the balconies.
We'll close out our tour with some views from the top of the tower, showing what upper-floor residents will see in each direction. A north view shows the density of the area tapering down toward Lawrence Avenue, before picking back up again in the far distance in North York City Centre (second shot below).
The south view features the Downtown skyline and Lake Ontario beyond. On the clearest days, the mist and skyline of Niagara Falls would also be visible on the distant horizon.
An east-facing view includes several cranes adding significant density to Midtown.
A west view looks over the rooftop of the Yonge-Eglinton Centre and down the stretch of Eglinton West. This angle emphasizes the contrast between Toronto's high-flying Yonge and Eglinton development node and the low-rise communities that surround it.
Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
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