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One of the most distinctive builds underway downtown continues to take shape at KING Toronto, with cladding now advancing to the third storey of the very complex structure. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT, the 16-storey building rises west of Spadina Avenue on the south side of King Street.
Looking south from Brant Street, KING Toronto’s massing asserts its presence with a full display of its terraced structural form, cascading from the central peaks down to the lower levels. The emerging window wall and cladding are beginning to establish the project’s streetscape, particularly along the King Street frontage. Since UrbanToronto’s last update in January, 2025, installation of third-floor walls and balcony guards has now begun.
Closer to the King Street frontage, we see one of the first instances of third-floor cladding being installed; a panel for a balcony guard or railing enclosure is being hoisted into position by a Spyder crane, visible at centre-right behind the lower levels, while sections of exposed insulation at the right awaits their final glass block finish. Above, visible rough-ins for mechanical systems are installed at the soffit level of the fourth-floor slabs on the left.
Moving around the site for a view of the south side, to the west of the Wellington Street parkette entrance, cladding installation is advancing on one of the two cantilevered projecting cubes. The May 1 image below captures a crew member working within the enclosure as glass block panels are fastened to the slab edges above and below. The cantilevered concrete slab’s soffit reveals exposed insulation and pre-installed brackets that anchor the cladding system.
In another photo taken one day later, both projecting rooms flanking the Wellington Street parkette entrance are now fully enclosed by glass block. The ground and second floors are largely clad, combining glass blocks with aluminum-framed glazing and silver-grey aluminum panels. Wood-sheathed zones await final cladding. A close-up look at the far left reveals that the underside of the fourth-floor slab has now been fitted with cladding as well.
While attention has largely focused on the translucent glass blocks and mirrored panels defining the contemporary skin, work has also progressed steadily on the east-side heritage facade and its arched windows, seen here from King Street West in late April, 2025. A worker on a boom lift operates at the fourth floor, guiding window units into arched brick openings framed with blue perimeter insulation, where adhesive and thermal seals will soon secure the glass to the existing structure. Several openings remain unfinished, with the fifth-floor bays and south end of the fourth floor still awaiting glazing.
By May 2, the east heritage wall now features fully installed window assemblies. The arched window openings are fitted with black metal-framed units that follow the original curvature, and boast central opening panes, maintaining the historic character of the building. The buff-coloured brickwork of traditional running bond with detailed stone sills has not been sandblasted so as to maintain the quality of the aging materials.
Once complete, KING Toronto will deliver significant new commercial space at ground level, and 440 condominium units above in its mountain-like volumes.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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UrbanToronto has a research service, UTPro, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe — from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.