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Approximately three and a half years have passed since Menkes Developments kicked off construction of their Sugar Wharf complex, a 4.6 million ft² mixed-use community on a stretch of land between Queens Quay and Lake Shore Boulevard, named for its adjacency to the Redpath sugar refinery immediately to the south. The initial buildings in the complex include an office tower at 100 Queens Quay East (in dark shadow in the image below) and the residential and retail complex 'Sugar Wharf Condos Phase 1.' While the 25-storey, B+H Architects-designed office tower is heading for completion later this year, much is left to build of the condo and retail complex.
Designed by architects—Alliance, construction began on the 64 and 70-storey condominium towers in July, 2018, several months after the start of the office tower to the south. Now approaching the three-year mark of construction, the condo towers themselves are now rising above their shared podium. Following completion of reinforced levels earlier this year—engineered to transfer structural loads from the towers down through the podium—forming has since advanced to the towers' repeating floor-plates.
When we checked in on their construction last month, the southeast tower was breaking into views of the city skyline, standing six floors above its transfer level, while the transfer level of the northwest tower was being completed. Current images of the complex show the ninth tower floor being formed of the southeast tower, while the initial tower floors of the northwest tower are now being formed.
Cladding installation has also made noticeable progress of late. The northern portion of the podium—across from the elevated Gardiner Expressway—is now virtually fully enclosed by windows and—prominent on the east and west elevations—vertical piers of dark metal panels intersected by horizontal black-banded slab edges.
To the south, blank concrete areas of the podium are being covered in glazing and vertical white fins, while the installation of windows has begun below the transfer level of the southeast tower.
The future prominent skyline presence Sugar Wharf Phase 1 condo towers will serve as a prelude to Phase 2, which is being planned with another three tall towers to the immediate west of the first phase.
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