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Toronto's West Queen West neighbourhood is getting another landmark, as a new condominium development rises above the southeast corner of Queen and Sudbury streets. Skale Developments' 1181 Queen Street West has been under construction since mid-2019 on the former site of the Gladstone Cafe, bringing a 15-storey, BDP Quadrangle-designed building to the area that features a unique terraced massing that responds to its triangular lot.
The first site activity came almost exactly two years ago with the start of demolition for the former Gladstone Cafe, a former donut shop that saw plenty of activity as a film set in its later years. Shoring work began on the cleared site in the weeks that followed, with drilling in full swing by August, 2019. Shoring was followed by excavation in Fall, 2019, digging to a depth of three storeys to make way for the project's foundations and parking levels. A tower crane was erected just over one year ago, and forming of the underground levels was just wrapping up when we last checked in on the project last October.
Forming has since advanced considerably, with crews now pouring the fourth and fifth floors above Queen Street.
An image captured from the southeast and taken in the days prior to the ground-level views in this article, the elevated view shows the fourth floor in varying stages of forming, with rebar being placed for slab work to the left, and walls being created on the right side. Another slab has since been poured and rebar installation has started for the fifth floor.
The project's wedge shape and terraced massing are design responses to the site's shape, surroundings, and planning guidelines. The ground realm is designed to complement the surrounding content of low-rise heritage buildings along Queen Street West, while the terraced upper floors transition to meet the heights of the taller buildings that exist to the east. As the building rises taller, exterior details including a mix of white brick, stone, aluminum, and concrete will set the tower apart from the darker hues of surrounding buildings.
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 space provided on this page.
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