This week's Throwback Thursday takes us to Toronto's West Don Lands area, where we turn back the clocks just over three years for a look at some big changes in the area. In late February, 2017, a view facing east along the quiet spur of Eastern Avenue faces the rising River City Phase 3 development, under construction at the intersection of Lower River Street and Lawren Harris Square. The now signature building in Urban Capital Property Group's River City development was just beginning to show off its unique sliding drawers design by the team of Saucier + Perrotte Architects and ZAS Architects, who had also worked together on River City's first two phases.

Looking east on Eastern Avenue to River City, 2017, image by Forum contributor mcornett

Nearly the same view captured in 2020 shows the completed 29-storey River City 3 condo tower mostly hidden behind a fourth phase. The tower's northwest facade and primary architectural statement, a series of balconies and terraces projecting at various depths which creates the sliding drawers look, is now obscured by Harris Square, the 13-storey final phase of the River City community, once again designed by Saucier + Perrotte Architects and ZAS Architects in a style complementary to the earlier phases. The Harris Square project recently topped out at 50 metres, and cladding installation has been enclosing the exterior over the past few months.

Looking east on Eastern Avenue to River City, 2020, image by Forum contributor Benito

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto. In the meantime, you can submit your own Throwback Thursday comparisons in our dedicated Forum thread for your chance to be featured in next week's edition.

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