It takes time to excavate the pits for new condos, and quite a while again to build the underground garage levels which act as foundations for the buildings that subsequently rise into the sky. Several months after the completion of a 15.2 metre-deep excavation for Monde Condominiums in Toronto's emerging East Bayfront district, the structure of the below-grade levels of the Great Gulf Homes' 44-storey development is now built.
Early-October aerial view of Monde, image by Forum contributor Razz
Work has now moved above ground, and over the past few weeks, most of the supporting columns and walls of the Moshe Safdie and Quadrangle Architects-designed project's double-height ground floor have been poured. These will form the base of a 240,000 square-foot, eight-storey podium over which the tower will rise. The view below faces west across the site from Bonnycastle Street, with a few skyscraper tops from the Downtown Core in the background.
Ground floor taking shape at Monde, image by Forum contributor skycandy
With the bulk of structural work completed for the building's ground level, a scaffold has been erected and floor forms put in place for the start of work on the second level. Exposed rebar protruding from the tops of the ground floor supporting columns will be tied into the reinforcing steel rods of the second floor columns, creating strength from floor to floor, and transferring loads to the ground.
2nd floor formwork installation underway at Monde, image by Forum contributor skycandy
Construction of the building's next seven podium levels will take several months due to the unique nature of the terraced podium floors, which step back as they rise. Once construction moves on to the tower floors in 2017, the building will rise more rapidly, owing to both a smaller floor plate and to the repetitive layout of the tower floors.
Monde Condominiums, image courtesy of Great Gulf Homes
Additional information and renderings of Monde can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.