Distinct Balcony Railings Ascending Festival Condominiums

Urbantoronto.ca
Nov. 1, 2023
Anthony Teles

Vaughan's burgeoning Metropolitan Centre area (VMC) is making headway, with Festival Condominiums -- nestled between Highways 7 and 407 -- rising steadily and transforming the South VMC landscape. This ambitious project, a collaborative venture between  Menkes Developments and QuadReal Property Group, is a pivotal part of the 75-acre master-planned community, Assembly Park, which is poised to redefine Vaughan as a new downtown in the northern Greater Toronto Area.

Since our last update in the summer, the four towers designed by Arcadis have continued their vertical ascent. Most notably, the white balcony railings set to give the towers their unique look in this rapidly developing area are beginning to appear, but before to go close on them, let's get a more general update.

From a distance, a southeastern perspective in September unveils the initial installation of the signature look. The initial four storeys of the southeastern tower are showing the first of these railings, presenting a stark contrast to the dark, enveloping cladding that defines the towers. At this point, the cladding process for the two towers in Phase 1 had advanced to approximately 30 storeys, maintaining a consistent pace. The southwestern tower’s corners are distinctively highlighted by the sleek, black cladding.

From an even broader, southwestern vantage point, the white balconies of the eastern tower continue to capture attention, with their installation now visible on the podium. In Phase 2 to the north, the western tower has ascended to an approximate height of six storeys, while its neighbouring tower has also progressed, now spanning about nine storeys tall.

In October, our perspective broadens to a panoramic westward view, capturing the Festival towers as they begin to assert their presence in the VMC neighbourhood, standing in concert with the Transit City Condos to their north. The white balconies have now climbed several storeys, contributing to the towers' rising dominance.

Close up, we get a zoomed-in perspective of the eastern tower, with our gaze traveling upward to observe the east and north facades. The horizontal white rows of balcony guards appear robust, protruding outward from the curtainwall, creating a bold pattern, while the organically-shaped cutouts on the elevations make concave interruptions in the otherwise continuous flow of white wraparound balconies.

Finally, we look south to see the four cranes with their booms all pointed east. The cladding on the north elevation for phase 1 has made notable progress, especially for the western tower, with its black and glass cladding several storeys higher and the white railings about 15 storeys up. The phase two towers have made steady vertical progress since September, both having risen several storeys compared to the previous month.

As Festival Condominiums continues to shape the skyline of South VMC, its towers will range from 40 to 59 storeys tall, with a grand total of 2,470 residential units. With its blend of residential, commercial, and public spaces, and its strategic proximity to major highways and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station, the development looks to make its mark in a vibrant, connected community.