Aura (Toronto)

The Aura is a mixed-use skyscraper completed in 2014. in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the final phase of a series of new condominiums near College Park in Toronto's Downtown Yonge district. It is part of the Residences of College Park project. Construction began in January 2010. As of 2016, it is the 6th tallest residential building outside of Asia and the 23rd tallest residential building in the world.HistoryThe original design proposed two towers. The building would have featured a ten-storey podium, with two towers on top. The taller tower would have been (including podium) 60 storeys and 196.5 m tall. The shorter tower (including podium) would have been 20 stories and 74.5 m tall.In February 2012, Toronto city council approved a three-storey increase to 78 floors, meaning that Aura is Canada's tallest residential building (as it will be taller than Tridel's 75-storey Ten York condo project.The lower floors of the building were occupied while the upper floors were still being constructed. Floors 1-31 were opened for occupancy in Fall 2013, while floors 32-80 were still bare concrete. The second set of floors, 32 to 57, were occupied in spring 2014. The final phase, floors 58-80, were expected to be completed in December 2014.ArchitectureThe semi-transparent metal and high-tempered brick 79-storey tower has approximately 100,000 m² of residential space. This makes Aura Canada's tallest and largest residential building. The residential portion of the tower is built above a three-storey podium which has approximately 14,000 m² of retail space.