Just six weeks since our last update, and it would appear that Telus Sky has reached a significant milestone as the first glimpses of cladding having recently appeared in our Forum. Posted by Surrealplaces, the latest images cover the installation of a row of glass panels near the base of the tower, with work crews busy at the task of ensuring their safe passage from the ground below up to the installation site.

Work crew hoisting panels into place at the base of Telus Sky, image by Forum contributor Surrealplaces

The first panels to go up are the flat kind that will enclose the base. Those familiar with the project will note that the panels appear to be identical to those featured in the renderings, making the finished product true to the creators' vision. 

Cladding, alternate view, image by Forum contributor Surrealplaces

Enveloping the future Telus Sky Lounge, which will be suspended above the lobby, many of the segments at this level will feature operable window panes. As suggested by the renderings below, these will have the ability to twist open, becoming perpendicular to the rest of the wall during warm weather. 

Telus Sky, with operable windows at the base, image via Westbank

Composed of a series of aluminum panels, the podium level cladding has been going up piece by piece since early November, though the entire process will continue for many months. Viewed below, the modular nature of the work can be appreciated, as the close-up view of the work in progress allows a clear glimpse of the mechanisms by which each panel is attached to the other. 

Close-up view of cladding panel installation underway, image by Forum contributor Surrealplaces

Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and DIALOG for Westbank and Allied Properties REIT, Telus Sky will bring a total of 59 storeys of mixed-use residential and office space to downtown Calgary. The 221-metre tower will contain 326 residential units. Theorized by some as the potential new home of Calgary's Lost Gargoyles, the Telus Sky Lounge is slated to become a premier dining venue in the city, and the new development as a whole is expected to be a transformative project for the city centre. 

Telus Sky as it will appear upon completion, image via Westbank

We will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.