gehry mirvish toronto

Frank Gehry towers in Toronto updated again and people say they look like cheese graters

The Mirvish+Gehry Toronto condos have evolved once again, meaning yet another new look for the pair of massive towers slated for King West. 

It's been eight years since David Mirvish announced that he was partnering with world-famous architect Frank Gehry to build a trio of buildings in Toronto's Entertainment District

Over the years, the proposal has seen a number of adjustments, including the project's sale by Mirvish to the Great Gulf Corporation.

mirvish gehry toronto

New renderings of the Mirvish+Gehry development show a slightly shorter East Tower and slightly cheese gratier look. Photo by Franky Gehry via City of Toronto resubmission.

What was originally supposed to be three towers is now two. Plans to demolish the Princess of Wales Theatre to make way for the development have also been scrapped. 

Instead, the two condos will be sandwiched between the Royal Alexandra Theatre to the east and the Princess of Wales Theatre to the west, and Ed Mirvish Way running in between. The West condo will see some hotel units.

Last year's changes saw an increase of height to both skyscrapers, officially placing them both in the supertall category.

Now, the most recent proposal sees yet another change in height: this time a reduction to the East Tower. It will sit at around 266 metres at the top of its parapet, meaning the number of supertall buildings making up this ambitious project is now down to one. 

And some have noticed that the building's newer renderings submitted in December give the project a somewhat, shall we say, interesting zest.

Though not significantly different than images past, the most recent images of the Mirvish+Gehry condos, with their patterned, metallic facades, kind of look like boxy graters for Godzilla-sized blocks of parmesan. 

There's been a bit of obsession around cheese graters these days, especially since the recent discovery that the insides of these kitchen contraptions look like the backdrop for every early 2000s music video.

Like most renderings of new developments, these newer images of the towers will unlikely be the spitting image of the condos as they near completion.

That being said, the Mirvish+Gehry project hasn't even seen the shovels hit the ground yet, so only time will tell if we'll have giant microplanes shooting up into the sky.

Lead photo by

Frank Gehry


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