We all know that buildings don't always turn out like the renderings. Last-minute changes and real-life materials can all cause discrepancies between the vision and reality of a project. In our weekly Flash Forward Friday feature, we take a look at how different projects stack up.

The recent architectural trend of stacked box residential and commercial highrises looks like it has been embraced in Toronto's evolving cityscape. Offset building blocks have come to characterize major projects like the Globe and Mail Centre and Fashion House. But perhaps the most visually striking manifestation of this modern design craze is Exhibit Residences along Bloor Street West, strategically located across from the Libeskind-designed Crystal of the Royal Ontario Museum. 

The rendering for Exhibit Residences, image via Rosario "Roy" Varacalli

Developed by Bazis, Metropia, and Plaza, the 32-storey condominium institutes a series of shifting cubist volumes, four in total, that give onlookers the impression that the building is perilously close to toppling in on itself. The eye-catching architectural statement by Rosario Varacalli has attracted the attention of passersby, who frequently snap photos of the tower and its dynamic contextual interplay. Clean bands of smoky white balcony glass obscure the darker glazing that envelops the floor plates, creating and emphasizing simple yet elegant horizontal lines.

Exhibit Residences nears completion, image by Forum contributor MafaldaBoy

With occupancy scheduled for spring 2017, only minor exterior details remain, while interior work continues to flesh out residents' living and amenity spaces. With the glazing installed, the effect that was advertised in the early project renderings has finally come to life. The (nearly) finished product is a spitting image of these initial illustrations, closely matching the hue of the glass and the magnitude of the built form.  Standing out from its relatively nondescript next-door neighbours, the unorthodox design has become an instant landmark on one of Toronto's busiest thoroughfares.