Anticipation is building as preliminary activity continues at the site of what will soon become Canada's tallest building, at the southwest corner of Toronto's Yonge and Bloor intersection. Mizrahi Developments'The One has garnered its fair share of media attention due to both its approved height of 306.3 metres (1005 feet), and its design, bringing together London's Foster + Partners and Toronto's Core Architects. Since the project quietly broke ground last month, site preparation work has been clearing the tower's footprint for the project's shoring, which will make use of some heavy machinery unlike anything seen in recent Toronto condo construction.
The One, image courtesy of Mizrahi Developments
GFL shoring crews are currently awaiting the arrival of a large specialized drilling rig, being delivered from Europe. This rig will be used to create the eight massive columns—up to 15 feet wide—that will anchor the building's hybrid exoskeleton support structure down to the bedrock below. The One's design places most of the structural load on across the tower's exterior and down into the massive perimeter columns. This translates to no typical interior columns, allowing for open floorplans unencumbered by structural elements. While the support system is indeed unconventional for a Toronto skyscraper, it has been engineered to be six times as strong as a typical high-rise.
Aerial view of The One's construction site, image by Forum contributor Benito
Under one kilometre northwest of the active construction site, Mizrahi is gearing up to open a presentation centre for The One on Davenport Road in October. A scale model of the project was recently displayed at the 2017 Toronto of the Future event, providing a sneak peek at the sales centre's future centrepiece.
The One's scale model, image by Craig White
Aside from radically altering the way we view our skyline, The One will help to extend Bloor Street's Mink Mile with 7 double-height storeys of high-end retail and restaurants meeting the Yonge and Bloor intersection. Above this retail podium—itself the subject of much rumour and speculation regarding flagship tenants—10 storeys of hotel suites and about 60 storeys of luxury condos would add even more hustle and bustle to the already lively intersection.
Yonge Street frontage, The One, image courtesy of Mizrahi Developments
Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.