1.2K 
UrbanToronto returned last week to 77 Charles West, Aspen Ridge Homes' terrific 16-storey condo on the south edge of Bloor-Yorkville. Designed by Yann Weymouth, Senior Vice President and Design Principal of HOK Architects, the building's high-quality curtain wall glazing, its curving southwestern elevation and its multiple step-backs have all provided urban development observers an enthusiasts lots to ponder: what is under that beautiful skin?
Our tour in the fall of 2011 showed that there was quite a substantial skeleton under that skin, one with a robust standard of build quality and of design quality: for example each suite has a mechanical room separately accessible from the hall only, allowing maintenance work to be performed without requiring access to the suite itself. We haven't seen that attention to detail in many places.
We were happy to be invited back seven and a half months later to see the progress, and the new model suite now open on the building's sixth floor. Before we see the model suite though, let's wander around up on the top floor, where two penthouses are under construction. (You can see floor plans for both of these units on the UrbanToronto dataBase page for 77 Charles, linked below). Our tour brings us into the 3700 square foot PH1. It's at the top of the image below, just below the mechanical penthouse.
The suite includes three balconies, two facing north, one facing southwest, and this terrace, which looks like a great place for a summer dinner party.
From the terrace, besides the view to the north seen above, one has this view, seen below, to the south and west. The greenery of the U of T and of Queen's Park is quite significant in views here.
Dropping a couple of storeys, we take a peek in another suite awaiting finishing work. Windows in the building have a substantial ledge running along their bottom. It good be the perfect spot to someday display colour-fast objets d'art.
Another balcony view, this one takes in the ROM and Bloor Street towers to the west.
From the end of the balcony is this view towards McKinsey and Company at the bottom, the Colonnade behind, with the towers of Yorkville making up the horizon.
We've come out on one of the two huge terraces on the east side of the building, this one belonging to Suite 18, on level 14, found amongst the floorplans included in the dataBase page. Tiles await placement, while One St. Thomas figures prominently behind, twice!
Looking to the south from the same terrace.
Looking down from the one giant terrace to the other, with its tile work underway.
Another balcony shot focuses on the substantial windows, ventilation louvres above them, and the door. The quality of materials is evident throughout the building.
Time to tour the model suite, Suite No 3 in the floorplans found on the dataBase page, furnished by Mike Niven Interior Design, and starting with a couple views of the living room.
Forming the classic L shape, the dining area is at the junction of the two wings.
Two views of the kitchen follow.
A view of the washroom reveals a fantastic stone wash basin.
The master bath features both a separate shower stall and a stand-alone soaker tub.
The Mastern Bedroom features extensive storage and closet space, and an interesting built-in with flat screen television.
Off the Master Bedroom is, naturally, another substantial balcony.
That's it for the interior for now. More to come in future, with a fun public artwork unveiling still a few months away. So, we'll back away from the building, turning around to catch a few more pics.
The entry in UrbanToronto's dataBase for 77 Charles West is located below, along with associated Forum threads where you can join in the conversation on this building if you wish. The dataBase entry has the information you need if you are interested in further delving into what is on offer in the building.
