Rooftopping usually involves a surprising amount of stairs. On this excursion, taking an elevator up two-thirds of the way was a welcomed change - accidentally getting off on a floor with RCMP offices, however, was not. After a quick detour we made our way to a view of the city, which I had been curious to see for quite some time.

The new Bay-Adelaide tower's final stages appeared remote and somewhat dwarfed from this distance...

Even the major intersection, far below, became almost unrecognizable.

The silhouetted layers reaching west were breathtaking from this great height...

Although I work on the same road as the institution, Ryerson University had never appeared as unified in physical structure as from the top of this building, looking North-East...

Even the 'brutalism' of New City Hall seemed somewhat subdued, and to make more sense in this new vision of Toronto.

It is often said that critical distance allows one to truly understand a situation - the city, however, rarely grants us this luxury. Although it sounds paradoxical, stepping back from the built environment is the only way to move forward within it; the urban onslaught can be safely viewed only from the rooftop's saving distance. To paraphrase Cato, never am I less lonely than when I am in solitude.

(To see high-resolution versions of the images above, as well as a few additional pieces, please view the slide-show below.)