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At the lively Downtown Toronto corner of Yonge and Wellesley streets, the construction of 8 Wellesley continues to shape the cityscape. This 55-storey condominium project, a collaboration between CentreCourt and Bazis and designed by Arcadis, is making its vertical ascent above Yonge Street, situated near Wellesley station on Yonge Line 1. The building's unique architecture includes a sloping east elevation and distinctive terraces, and is set to become a prominent feature of this intersection.
Our last update in July caught up on two years of construction. Since then, 8 Wellesley has seen substantial growth. As of September, 10 additional storeys had been added, bringing more definition to the building's structure, while the first layer of cladding was applied to the south and east elevations. Featuring black panels and glazing accented with thin black mullions on the south side, bright vertical fins are found on the east, contrasting the dark colouring of the tower. The topmost section of the currently constructed storeys buzzes with activity as a concrete pump extends its arm, pouring concrete into the building, while the tower crane stands overhead.
By October, the north and west elevations began to reveal more of the building's final design. The west facade now showcases two storeys of cladding and glazing, with emerging vertical fins. This design shift from horizontal to vertical slabs at the northwest corner elegantly supports the unique sloping of the tower's final form. Across the street, Wellesley on the Park stands tall, completed in 2021, with 8 Wellesley set to nearly match its 60-storey height and provide a contrasting architectural statement.
By early November, the building envelope extended to six storeys, with the building's unique volumetric shape becoming moire defined, its design responding to the City's angular plane requirements for this irregularly shaped lot: a series of cantilevers and terraces on the floors above ground level add dynamic visual elements to 8 Wellesley's exterior.
Finally, a nighttime view offers a striking upwards perspective, as the illuminated cladding and vertical panels of the podium progress, showcasing the cantilevering along the south elevation and leading the eye upwards to the east facade's sloping architecture and its eventual crowning lightbox.
Upon reaching its final height of 182.15m, 8 Wellesley will add 600 residential units to this vibrant area, blending with the diverse architectural styles of Yorkville and The Village neighbourhoods.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, 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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