Construction has been underway for over a year now at the fourth and final phase of Urban Capital Property Group's River City community in Toronto's West Don Lands. Named Harris Square in reference to its address on Lawren Harris Square—a new street named for the Group of Seven painter—the 13-storey Saucier + Perrotte Architects and ZAS Architects-designed building crossed a milestone this month with the start of forming for the project's ground floor.

Looking west over Harris Square site, image by Forum contributor mcornett

Shoring for the project commenced in January 2018, while excavation wrapped up when a tower crane was erected last summer. Roughly nine months later, forming of the three-level underground garage has been completed, and work has since moved on to the first structural elements of the building's ground floor.

Ground level forming at the Harris Square site, image by Forum contributor drum118

The first walls and columns are now in place for the ground floor, which is set to contain a mix of residential lobby and retail spaces, as well as building services rooms. The wider floor plates of the residential levels above will be cantilevered over the ground floor in places, with an angular soffit on the cantilever’s underside helping to form a dramatic entrance to the building.

Parking ramp surfacing on ground floor of Harris Square, image by Forum contributor drum118

Harris Square's irregular massing and exterior finishes will tie the building in with the avant-garde style of the three previous phases. Lower levels will feature ample cast in place concrete to form a relationship with the supports of the Eastern Avenue flyover to the north, with a green glass section fronting the Lawren Harris Square public space to the southeast. Upper levels will feature a mix of clear and dark smoked glazing, with white metal panel accents.

Harris Square at River City, image courtesy of Urban Capital

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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