Whitfield Tower is raised with a painted cladding | Urban Toronto

The Whitfield continues to accumulate its place in the Toronto St. neighborhood. Lawrence at Front Street East and Sherbourne Street. Since UrbanToronto’s last update in June, 2024, when the podium reached its full structural height, the tower now stands at 19 storeys, almost halfway to its final count of 39 storeys. Giannone Petricone Associates has designed with Rafael + Bigauskas Architects as the Architect of Record in this development, a joint effort by Menkes Developments and Core Development Group.

Looking northeast at The Whitfield, designed by Giannone Petricone Associates for Menkes Developments and Core Development Group

Over the past three months, progress has also been made on the lower levels, with painted cladding on the podium and glazing at the base of the tower.

In this aerial shot taken in August, 2024, the tower now has an additional seven floors above the full nine-storey podium, rising to the west of the site. Visible in the foreground is the green steel scaffolding that supports the retaining wall of the heritage Whitfield Building. Nearby to the right is the heritage facade of the Pearlman and Goldberg Building, which will be the main residential entrance.

On the upper floor, construction activity is highlighted by a red concrete boom pump that stretches across the site on the south side, with construction crews directing the pour. Above the thickest slab at the top of the second storey, the podium levels feature pre-cast stamped white panels and inlaid bricks. On the west elevation, we see burgundy coloring above the sixth floor.

Aerial view looking northeast to advance the tower volume, image courtesy of Menkes

This aerial view looking southwest shows the north elevation, where a construction elevator has been installed up to the 11th floor. The upper floor of the podium, reserved for the future outdoor amenity platform, stretches east along Front Street, filled with formations and building materials. To the right of the tower mast, the concrete boom pump arm has been relocated to the south west corner of the site. Additional formwork is placed on the east side of the crane.

Aerial view looking southwest of the formwork and concrete boom pump on the top floor, image courtesy of Menkes

From the intersection of Sherbourne Street and Front Street East this month, this street-level view shows The Whitfield’s emerging place in the neighborhood. He succeeded in raising the tower section to ten storeys, above the curved podium that outlines the south elevation.

To the south of the west elevation of the podium is a spray-applied burgundy finish on top of the third through ninth floors. Currently this approach to applying color produces uneven edges as the work progresses.

Looking northeast at the painted cover on the west and south elevations, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ImmenselyMental

Looking south-east from Sherbourne Street, the west elevation shows inlaid brick patterns. Construction crews are actively engaged on a suspended swing stage above the fourth level, applying paint to the exterior. Above it, on the 11th floor, a curtain system is being installed, and dark glazing marks the transition from the podium and outdoor terrace to the residential tower. It introduces a visual break, with the upper tower set to display vertical brick fins.

Curtain wall installation on the 11th floor and construction crews painting above the fifth level, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor JamesMilk

The Whitfield appears to be on track for a scheduled completion in December, 2025, rising to a height of 130m and adding 484 units to the St. Lawrence.

UrbanToronto will continue to follow the progress of this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you wish, you can join the conversation in the thread related to the Project Forum or leave a comment in the space available on this page.

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