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The peak winter season hasn't slowed the momentum of information sharing here at UrbanToronto. The Forum went crazy at the very end of the month when the new Oxford Place renderings came out, but before that UT contributors and followers had most avidly discussed the progress and aesthetics of Aura, Canada's tallest condominium project. Height continues to be the biggest news story after developers seek to revitalize a (dead) part of the city at 1 Yonge with a mega high-rise re-development proposal. And fish, fun, and family are on the mind as Ripley's Aquarium continues to take shape. A recap of the latest and greatest includes the 10 most popular Forum threads, news stories and dataBase listings for January 2013:
Top Forum Threads
Aura at College Park is a 900ft (78 storeys) residential skyscraper sheathed in glass with a multi-level retail component at its base. One of its 'green' claims to fame is a direct underground access to the subway system, encouraging hundreds of residents to avoid contributing to ever-present traffic congestion.
Aura at College Park, Image by Max MacDonald
1. Aura: Residences of College Park III
5. Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto
6. Bay Adelaide Centre East Tower
8. One York + Harbour Plaza Residences
10. Fashion House
Top News Stories
Developer Pinnacle International is working with local a-listers Hariri Pontarini Architects on a massive complex at the base of Yonge at Queens Quay. The proposal has yet to go to the City which will no doubt have something to say about the clustered development of 5 new soaring towers joining the existing Toronto Star building, as seen in the rendering below.
Preliminary massing study for 1 Yonge Street, image by Hariri Pontarini Architects
1. Proposed Redevelopment of 1 Yonge Site Goes Big
2. Stunning Rendering of Toronto's Future Skyline
3. Update on the Spadina Subway Extension
4. Ripley's Aquarium Taking Shape
5. Menkes Breaks Ground on Toronto's Latest AAA Office Tower
6. Southcore Financial Centre Redefines Downtown Borders
7. The Big Pour Turns Heads at One Bloor East
8. Photo of the Day: Winter Wonderland
9. Cranes fill the Sky in the West Don Lands' Pan Am Village
10. Amexon's South Beach Condos Scores International Plaudits
Top dataBase Pages
With Ripley's Aquarium of Canada completion date nearing, Toronto will join the ranks of cities boasting world-class aquariums. Tourism spending should get a noticeable bump from this aquatic wonder, which promises to be the most exciting new family attraction in Toronto in decades - the biggest draw being the sharks, natch!
1. Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
2. 1 Yonge
3. 100 Adelaide West / Richmond Adelaide III
5. One York Street & Harbour Plaza Residences
8. L Tower
9. Oxford Place
