A final(?!) blast of winter weather set in on Toronto yesterday, just in time for Tridel’s 300 Front Street West topping-off party. Construction crews and Tridel staff were treated to a feast to celebrate the topping-out of the 49-storey tower and the attached 13-storey loft building. We were fortunate enough to be invited to the active construction site at John and Front to join in yesterday’s festivities, as well as to take our very first look inside the Wallman Architects-designed condominium development. 

Looking northeast from 300 Front Street West's 15th floor, image by Jack Landau

The celebratory meal was served on the 15th floor in an area that will become the building's recreation facilities. We took advantage of the opportunity to examine the fritted balcony glass from an intimate perspective. 

Fritted balcony glass on 15th floor of 300 Front Street West, image by Jack Landau

Looking towards street level from a 15th floor balcony, we see the site of the future public courtyard, currently without a hint of the coming park-like space designed by renowned landscape architect Claude Cormier.   

Future site of Claude Cormier-designed public courtyard, image by Jack Landau

Anxious to experience the views from the top, we board a construction hoist and ride it to the 44th floor before disgorging to continue our ascent on foot. The inclement weather, unpleasant as it may have been, provided quite the dramatic scene for our photos. Upon arriving at the top, the exquisite city views went above and beyond our expectations. Darkened overcast skies served as a brooding backdrop for the surrounding vistas, many of which were framed by ranks of icicles brought on by the early morning storm.

Icicle framed eastern view, from the 46th floor of 300 Front Street West, image by Jack Landau

Southeast view with CN Tower and developing southcore, image by Craig White

Southwest view with Rogers Centre and Concord CityPlace, image by Jack Landau

In this western view, we can see a distant fogged-over Humber Bay with one of 300 Front’s distinctive red RCS (Rail Climbing System) panels visible in the foreground.

Western view with distinctive red RCP panel in the foreground, image by Jack Landau

Looking to the north, we see the under-construction Cinema Tower, now topped out, on the left side of the image. Towards the centre of the photo, the cranes of the Residences of the RCMI and Aura are visible, with the recently completed Shangri-La shrouded in the fog of the Enwave steam plant’s chimney on the right.

Northern view from 46th floor of 300 Front Street West, image by Jack Landau

Though the views from the top were outstanding to say the least, the bitter cold winds continued to hurl a relentless freezing rain into both our faces and camera lenses. With the storm catching a second wind, we decided to call it a day and make our way back to the construction hoist. 

Shooting in adverse conditions, image by Craig White

Icicle studded metal barriers at 300 Front Street West, image by Jack Landau

Our feet firmly planted on the ground again, we stop to take in one last look at the building from the base, from the site of the future courtyard. From this angle we can see that balcony glass has been installed up to roughly the 20th floor.

Looking up from the future Claude Cormier designed courtyard, image by Jack Landau

Though the weather cut our tour short, we hope to return in the (warmer) months ahead, and provide readers with a closer look at the building’s interior spaces and features. In the meantime please visit the 300 Front Street West dataBase page, linked below, for additional information such as project facts, renderings and floorplans. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the related Forum thread, here, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided below.

Related Companies:  ANTAMEX, CCxA, CFMS Consulting Inc., Graziani + Corazza Architects, Hariri Pontarini Architects, Isotherm Engineering Ltd., Jablonsky, Ast and Partners, NAK Design Strategies, NEEZO Studios, Rebar Enterprises Inc, Ryan Design International, The Fence People, Tribute Communities, Tridel, U31, Zeidler Architecture