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Forma’s 73-storey East Tower continues to climb above King Street West, its sculpted stainless steel cladding bringing a unique presence to the Entertainment District from a growing number of vantage points. Designed by the late Toronto-born Frank Gehry and Gehry Partners, with Adamson Associates Architects as Architect of Record, the tower is being developed by Great Gulf, Dream Unlimited, and Westdale Properties. UrbanToronto last provided an exterior update on the project in March, 2026 and attended a construction tour in June.
Looking southeast from Ed Mirvish Way in early July, 2026, rippling stainless steel panels on the north elevation at left contrast with the flat curtain wall wrapping the west elevation. Both systems reach approximately the 20th floor, while cladding on the west elevation’s projecting volume extends several storeys higher and glazing progresses across the lower levels. Framed by the CN Tower, Forma is establishing a distinctive skyline presence.
Looking up the south elevation, the cladding can be read as a cascading “waterfall,” with individually formed panels folding around the glazing in alternating ridges, troughs, and faceted projections. Gehry originally planned for the flat glass sections to feature varying levels of reflectivity to create a pixelated pattern that could be seen as a waterfall, but even if that was not to be implemented, the motif can be applied here.
Approximately 1,700 panels in 8 randomly repeating patterns catch sunlight at different angles, producing shifting highlights and shadows. At the installation front, newly placed units appear beside a compact spider crane used to lift panels from within the floor plate, while exposed slabs rise toward the work decks and perimeter screens of the rail-climbing formwork.
Seen obliquely, the facade becomes an abstract topography of brushed stainless steel, with folded edges and regularly spaced fasteners visible across the prefabricated units. Eight folding patterns, adjusted for varying floor heights, conceal the sub-framing while defining narrow bands of recessed vision glazing.
Looking northwest from David Pecaut Square, the tower has reached the upper 30 storeys. Its canted panels flash in the sunlight, contrasting with the smoother unitized curtain wall reflecting the sky across the east elevation. Above, exposed slab edges and perimeter columns reveal the reinforced-concrete frame beneath the climbing formwork and tower crane, while dark-glazed lower levels meet King Street beside the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Looking northeast from a drone, Forma has reached the point where its floor-plate shifts, and extra formwork is required to accomplish this, slowing the building's rise down considerably of late. With the Rail Climbing System surrounding the active floor-plates now staggered as the shift occurs between the 38th and 39th floors, projecting work decks allow the new exterior wall edges to be set. Once the full shift has been accomplished, the RCS sections should come together again.
After each slab and vertical pour gains sufficient strength, the rail climbing system advances upwards, allowing crews to reset the forms. A cycle of roughly one floor per week should be achievable again once the shift has been completed.
Upon completion, the East Tower will rise 262.8m and contain 864 residential units, while the planned 84-storey West Tower would reach a ‘supertall’ height of 308m.
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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UrbanToronto's research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe—from proposal through to completion. Other services include Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
