[Parkdalian]

To me, the crystal cutouts look like we're seeing some Grade A Kazakh cheese. Blue cheese, of course.

 

[YourAnthony]

I think it looks great!

 

[egotrippin]

Are they using the same precast design on the sides ? I see a number of people not in favor of the precast so what makes a good precast ?? What are the alternatives ?

1 St Thomas uses precast...is this the best in Toronto so far ?

1 St. Thomas uses limestone for the base/podium levels, and precast above that. The darker, blue crystal accented slabs on Blu are also limestone. Not being precast concrete makes for a good precast. So in summary, the alternative to precast is to not use it, and in doing so better results appear.

 

[Redroom Studios]

Not being precast concrete makes for a good precast. So in summary, the alternative to precast is to not use it, and in doing so better results appear.

I was waiting for someone to say that! I wanted to say something similar but the words just werent coming to me with that brilliant undertone of sarcasm as you came up with...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

July 21 Update

From Bloor Street East, Blu on the left, Uptown on the right

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.

 

[drum118]

July 26

 

[egotrippin]

I was waiting for someone to say that! I wanted to say something similar but the words just werent coming to me with that brilliant undertone of sarcasm as you came up with...

Haha thanks. I'm glad we share similar viewpoints when it comes to precast.

 

[Solaris]

Daily Commercial News

Crystal Blu condo construction in Toronto
July 23, 2009

WILLIAM CONWAY/PROGRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Work continues on the Crystal Blu condominiums on Balmuto Street in Toronto, Ont. Bazis International Inc. is the owner/general contractor of the 35 storey, 135-unit project.

Completion has been scheduled for January 2010 and the architect is R Varacalli Architect Inc. Consultants are: Jablonsky Ast & Partners (structural); and The ECE Group Ltd. (mechanical/electrical). Subtrades include: Michael Bros Excavating; Faga Group-Polvian Construction Ltd.; Deep Foundations Contractors Inc; Canada Wide Reinforcing Steel; Res Group Inc; Innocon Inc; Denham Masonry Ltd.; Mayfair Electric Ltd; Primo Mechanical Ltd; Rite-Air Mechanical; and Toro Aluminum Ltd.


http://www.dcnonl.com/article/id34633

 

[whatever]

I saw this little tiny blurb about the design team behind the glass cutouts in the stone:
http://digital.id-mag.com/idmagazine/id20090102/?pg=49

It won't let me cut and paste, but it's right at the end of Castor's writeup.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

July 31st Update

Blu on the left, Uptown on the right. For the first time I noticed that the Uptown Condo podium is in almost the exact same spot as the former Uptown Cinemas. If the podium extended just a little further north, it would be in almost the exact same footprint.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.

 

[yyzer]

pic by Jasonzed at SSC.....still not quite sure whether this bizarre precast is going to be horrible or not......

 

[condovo]

I'm kind of warming up to it. Thanks for posting the pic.

 

[SP!RE]

I love seeing something slim and sexy rising up from Yonge Street. It is so surreal because it seems like Yonge Street downtown never really gets anything new and tall around it, even though there are. But the way this rises up from behind the lowrises on Yonge Street... it's a nice effect.

 

[interchange42]

Posts concerning 25 St. Mary Street have been moved to a new thread in the Buildings subforum.

42

 

[jw03]

Walking by the site, I overheard a couple who appeared to be in their mid-50s talking about how surprised to see those "weird, ugly triangles" on the building they bought a unit in so long ago, how cheap it looked, and nothing like the render.

Now, the building is nowhere near finished, but had I bought a unit in CrystalBlu I'd be a little weary too.