Second Crane, Below-Grade Progress at BIG-Designed KING Toronto | UrbanToronto
A decade-plus-long development boom has brought many big names in architecture to Toronto, including world-renowned Danish ‘starchitects’ Bjarke Ingels Group, who worked with locally-based Diamond Schmitt Architects to design Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT’s new KING Toronto luxury condominium complex. The complex will undoubtedly become a new architectural landmark, with a mountain range-influenced massing finished in glass blocks and greenery, incorporating multiple heritage building fronts along King Street West.
Looking southwest across King Street to site of KING Toronto, image by Forum contributor Lachlan Holmes
A complicated site-clearing process began late in 2019, involving retention work for the sections of heritage buildings that are being incorporated into KING Toronto’s base. Construction activity then officially began in June, 2020 with drilling rigs arriving to work on the site’s shoring system. With the heritage fronts stabilized by temporary steel supports, shoring continued into early 2021, happening alongside remaining demolition for the rear sections of heritage buildings.
Looking north across site of KING Toronto, image by Forum contributor Red Mars
We last checked in on the site in March, when excavation had bottomed out across the western half of the site, allowing for the raising of a tower crane and the start of forming for the site’s foundations and underground levels. KING Toronto’s underground is to contain three levels of parking garage and one retail level. Forming of the P3 and P2 levels is now ongoing at the west end of the site, as new construction milestones are being reached to the east.
Looking northwest across site of KING Toronto, image by Forum contributor Red Mars
With much of the remaining excavation complete, a second tower crane was installed at the east end of the site mid-June. Like the west crane, the east tower crane was installed using a mobile hydraulic crane parked at the south end of the site, just north of Wellington Street West. Crane parts were hoisted and bolted into place individually, with the assembly completed and the crane operational by June 15th.
Looking northeast across site of KING Toronto, image by Forum contributor Red Mars
With the second crane in place, the base of the parking garage’s east side is now taking shape, the first P3 columns in place. Forming of the remaining parking levels is expected to continue for another few months before the complex begins to rise above grade and make an impact on King Street West.
Looking southwest across King Street to site of KING Toronto, image by Forum contributor Lachlan Holmes
KING Toronto’s mountainous peaks will reach a maximum height of 16 storeys/57.6 metres with a gross floor area of 54,709 m², in a mix of 35,637 m² of residential space, 9,472 m² of retail space, and 9,600 m² of office space. The complex will bring 514 new condominium suites to the area.
Looking southeast to KING Toronto, image via submission to City of Toronto
You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you’d like to, 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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