2.2K 
Quay House is approaching occupancy at 162 Queens Quay East in Toronto’s East Bayfront, where final exterior and streetscape work is progressing toward completion. Designed by Kirkor Architects Planners for Empire Communities, the 21-storey mixed-use building is in a mid-block site between Richardson and Lower Sherbourne streets, within one of the city’s fastest transforming waterfront districts. UrbanToronto’s last update was in August, 2024 following the building’s topping off and crane removal.
In this west-facing view from Lower Sherbourne in December, 2024, cladding and glazing installation have progressed to the 19th floor, with a portion of the 20th floor also partially enclosed on the left. Insulation panels are visible across concrete columns on the upper floors that are awaiting cladding.
Captured from across Pinnacle Lakeside Phase 1’s excavation in February, 2025, Quay House serves as a near-finished backdrop to the foundation levels work of its future neighbour, with cladding and glazing now substantially complete across the residential floors. The north elevation on the right displays the diagonal division of tone, transitioning from white on the right to silver-grey on the left.
By April, 2025, construction activity continued at the northwest corner, where hardscaping and grading were underway. The site remains fenced off with an excavator parked further east. The second-storey projection is supported by a cylindrical concrete column, with yellow waterproofing still exposed on the soffit, an area that will eventually be finished with wood panel cladding. Ground-level glazing is framed by the same cladding paired with spandrel sections and dark mullions.
A sweeping view from late April of the north and east elevations captures the alternating white and silver-grey metal panels extending to the roofline, where the lower portion of the mechanical penthouse has also been clad. A large number of wrapped supplies are temporarily staged along the rooftop, while the construction hoist remains attached near the northwest corner.
Looking northwest from Queens Quay this month, we see how the full massing expression, with the podium-level C-shape transitioning to an L-shaped tower form from the 12th floor upward. Cladding is now complete, blending alternating bands of white and silver metal panels with a dark-framed window wall system and limited spandrel. Lower level blank walls allow for a neighbour to be built flush with Quay House in the future.
In this northeast-facing view along Queens Quay, the tiered massing features step-backs at the 6th and 12th floors. Angled balconies, projecting outward from the south-facing podium volume, contribute some variation to the otherwise flat streetwall. Fencing encloses the construction zone along Queens Quay, where the sidewalk sits at a temporary lower elevation. This interim grade condition, established in anticipation of the future Queens Quay East reconstruction and Waterfront East LRT, results in risers leading up to building entrances. This remains an accessibility challenge pending resolution once Waterfront Toronto’s revitalization work is implemented.
Standing 73.15m tall, Quay House will deliver 463 residential units upon completion.
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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| Related Companies: | EQ Building Performance Inc., KIRKOR Architects and Planners, LEA Consulting, The Fence People, U31 |
