IBI Group has completed work on the 38-story Axis Condos development in downtown Toronto. Design for the 541-unit tower was lead by IBI Group Global Director of Buildings Mansoor Kazerouni.

According to the architects, the graphically patterned glass tower offers a six-story podium filled with retail and residential spaces, including "small format" storefronts along the ground floor and a setback facade that allows for the sidewalk surrounding the building to stretch to nearly 20-feet in width. At the corner of the project site, the building pulls back further to create spaces for al fresco dining.

The podium level is matched with that of a neighboring tower complex in order to "ensure a consistency in the scale of the street wall," the architects write. 

Offering angled balconies separated by thick white-walled partitions, the tower rises to its full height patterned in a honeycomb design along its northern and southern facades. The tower's more spartan east and west exposures rise straight up from the base and feature floor-to-ceiling curtain walls separated by thick floorplates. 

For the architects, however, it's the buildings presence on the street that stands out. 

The designers write, "The deep overhang of the building above, and canopies on the retail frontage promote pedestrian protection and comfort.The ensemble of tree-lined sidewalks with benches, canopy protection, patio seating, small scale retail and grade-related townhouse units create a safe and animated public realm with a strong urban sense of place."