From towers setting new records with their heights to structures resembling vegetables, 2021 is set to see Toronto's skyline grow taller... and way more funky.
And as 2020 (finally) comes to a close, we propose there's no better time to think on all the positive change this city is going to see next year.
Whether you're looking forward to continued progress on the country's tallest residential tower, or you're pumped up on the possibilities connected to commercial real estate stretching along the waterfront, there are ample reasons to look at 2021 as a year that's filled with promise in the city's development scene.
Providing homes in high places, offices with a view, and plenty of benefits in between (increased liveliness in the downtown core and shortened commute times come to mind), these structures are doing more than just building up the city's skyline.
But, of course, it can't be denied how much oomph they'll add to Toronto's silhouette against the night sky.
READ: Construction Officially Begins on Tallest Residential Tower in Canada
Without further adieu, here are nine buildings set to redefine the skyline through 2021 and beyond:
Pinnacle International
Address: 1 Yonge Street
Height: 312.5 m (1,025 ft)
Floors: 95
Completion Date: 2024
When completed, the currently-under-construction SkyTower will be Canada’s tallest building, a title First Canadian Place has held for 45 years and counting. It will also have the most floors by 10, compared to the next tallest residential building. Wrapped in a sleek glass blanket are 840 condominium suites addressed at the foot of the world’s longest street. But that’s not all – the development also includes space for a hotel, community centre, offices and shops. Plus, Lake Ontario is practically in the backyard. The CN Tower will finally have a rival in Toronto’s sky.
onebloorwest.com
Address: 1 Bloor Street West
Height: 308.6 m (1,012 ft)
Floors: 85
Completion Date: 2022 or 2023
For a year or two, The One will be able to call itself Canada’s tallest building. The cost of that achievement? About $1 billion. Across the street from One Bloor, the first 18 floors are reserved for restaurants, event spaces, major retailers and a super-luxe Hyatt hotel. Stacked atop are 416 residential units crowned by four stunning penthouses. Most notable is the building’s exoskeleton design, which has been all the rage in London for a while.
Canada House A
concordcanadahouse.ca
Address: 88 Queens Wharf Road
Height: 230.2 m (755 ft)
Floors: 70
Completion Date: 2022
If you thought CityPlace was retired, think again. By 2022, the Concord neighbourhood will welcome two new towers taller than any of the dozen or so others within a stone’s throw. Canada House A is the taller of the two, and features your standard condo fare, plus a bird’s eye view of the Rogers Centre.
Menkes
Address: 100 Queens Quay East
Height: 230.2 m (755 ft)
Floors: 70
Completion Date: 2022
Perhaps no other neighbourhood in Toronto is growing up as fast as Sugartown (let’s make that a thing) at the foot of Yonge Street. The two-tower Phase 1 is almost complete, topped by Sugar Wharf D. Phase two proposes an additional three towers, and at-large, the development will serve the city in the residential, commercial, and community realms of real estate.
One Delisle
studiogang.com
Height: 158 m (518 ft)
Floors: 48
Completion Date: 2023
Probably next year’s most eye-catching project, One Delisle has been described as an “artichoke” and a “window cleaner’s nightmare.” Those are compliments. It is the Chicago architecture firm Studio Gang’s first development in Canada and represents a welcome shakeup in Toronto’s midtown skyline. In fact, we feel slightly tempted to pluck this structure out of its rendering and toss it on the barbecue.
19 Duncan
hariripontarini.com
Height: 186.5 m (612 ft)
Floors: 58
Completion Date: 2022
Set to soar 58 floors, this tower holds at its base is the six-storey, heritage-designated Southam Press Building, which was built in 1908. Meanwhile, the giant monolith atop would not be out of place in Simcity 4. Nine stories are reserved for office space and a couple more for a hotel and shops. The rest is primed for living, with 462 units to call home.
The Rosedale on Bloor
The Rosedale on Bloor/Instagram
Height: 185.92 m (610 ft)
Floors: 55
Completion Date: 2022
With a name like Rosedale on Bloor, it’s gotta be regal. And it is. North and East-facing residents will enjoy views of the Rosedale Ravine while those facing South and West can marvel at magnificent views of the downtown skyline. That’s on top of the indoor pool, yoga and fitness centre, theatre, and upscale rooftop terrace.
The Well
The Well Toronto
Height: 174 m (571 ft)
Floors: 36
Completion Date: Under construction, 2020
The Well is essentially an entire neighbourhood – three million square feet of retail, office and residential space – as well as a magnet of sorts. It aims to “draw people from down the street and across the globe to eat, shop, work, live and play in Toronto.” Detractors will call it a glorified mall, while proponents see it as a much-needed makeover of that odd space on Front Street formerly home to the grubby old Globe and Mail headquarters.
Vita on the Lake
mattamyhomes.com
Height: 177.08 m (581 ft)
Floors: 53
Completion Date: 2021
Look at all that greenery! Just steps from Humber Bay Park and that wonderful white arch bridge, Vita on the Lake brings high-rise living to the Mimico waterfront. It comes complete with a full yoga and fitness studio and rooftop pool with lounges, not to mention unparalleled views of Lake Ontario and the Toronto and Mississauga skylines.
With files from Christian Nathler.
