Great angle. I have to try that.
Aqua is gorgeous from afar with its slick glazing and undulating balconies. But walking by its squat, lifeless podium feels like walking past the Sheraton Centre.
The undulating forms of One Bloor's balconies is visible from any distance because it is visible in elevation.
I think it's mostly in part to the frosted balcony cladding they are going to use. Whereas with Aqua, they've gone the railing approach - which works up-close with Aqua's particular design that puts emphasis on a more random pattern in which glass balconies might have taken away from.
That being said, I still believe Aqua is more of an eye catcher at street level looking up (minus the terrible podium of course, where One Bloor has it beat in every regard), but One Bloor's contrasting elements will make more of an impact when judging it from a skyline perspective.