Urban Capital Property Group's River City Condominiums development in Toronto's West Don Lands now consists of three completed phases with standout architecture by the team of Saucier + Perrotte Architects and ZAS Architects, while a fourth and final phaseknown as Harris Square is rapidly taking shape at the intersection of Lawren Harris Square and Old Eastern Avenue. The street, the square, and the building are all named for the beloved Group of Seven artist. With the building now at its 13th storey, the cladding process is gradually revealing the uniquely shaped structure's contribution to the area's architectural dialogue.

Looking northwest to Harris Square, image by Forum contributor skycandy

It's been a full a full ten months since we last checked in on construction of the project, back when the building's underground levels were wrapping up and the first ground-floor columns had appeared. Forming of the above-grade structure is now approaching completion, as crews form the 13th and final residential floor. A mechanical penthouse level will follow, bringing the building to its final height of 50 metres.

Looking east from the adjacent overpass, image by Forum contributor DarkSideDenizen

The form of the building's stacked irregular pentagonal volumes is now being accentuated by the installation of exterior finishes. Sections alternate between expanses of curtainwall cladding with clear glazing, operable windows, and dark horizontal bands, and balconied sections of window wall cladding with reflective glazing and slender black mullions. There is still much to come, including opaque and translucent yellow glass at street level, and the yet-to-be-installed dark-finish balcony guards for areas of the building clad in window wall.

Curtainwall glazing at Harris Square, image by Forum contributor skycandy

The base of the building has been designed with a five-metre cantilever that creates an open ground realm, sheltered by the tower above, and creating a visual corridor between two public spaces—Lawren Harris Square and Underpass Park—that encircle the building.

View from Lawren Harris Square, image by Forum contributor skycandy

Upon completion, Harris Square's 154 condominium units will add to the 931 units built in the previous three phases in Toronto's still emerging West Don Lands neighbourhood.

You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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