Toronto's relatively flat landscape has a new artificial massif, as a new mountain range-shaped condo reaches its summit above King Street West.

This impressive mountainscape known as KING Toronto is well under construction at 489 King St. W., between Spadina and Portland, and is sure to be a signature addition to the portfolios of developers Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT.

Work on the new complex of four buildings rising as high as 16 storeys commenced in mid-2020, and after four years of construction, the distinctive design from acclaimed Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG, is becoming evident.

Looking south to KING Toronto. Photo by Becky Robertson.

KING Toronto marks BIG's first commission in the city, and the firm is already making a splash with its debut here, even before final finishes are installed.

Looking southeast to KING Toronto. Photo by Becky Robertson.

The project team shared a construction update earlier in June, announcing that a significant milestone is on the horizon in the coming weeks.

According to the latest project update, all four of the complex's buildings are expected to reach their final heights in the next few weeks, and all structural work is on track to be complete by the end of June.

Looking west to KING Toronto. Photo by Becky Robertson.

"This is an exciting milestone in the construction of KING Toronto, as you are now able to see the project take shape, with the varying heights of the structure creating the distinct 'mountain' forms of the design," shared the project team.

Aerial view of KING Toronto site. Photo via Westbank/Allied.

Previous updates have promised that the complex's distinctive glass block and curtainwall glass installation are imminent, but as of mid-June, no exterior finishes have yet been installed.

In its June advisory, the project team states that exterior finishes will begin to appear in July. However, these same finishes were said to be just weeks away back in February, and have still not materialized.

Even without its exterior touches, the imposing mountain range is capturing the eyes of passersby. Perhaps the best views of this new landmark can be found on Wellington Street to the south of the complex.

Looking north to KING Toronto. Photo by Fareen Karim.

From here, a massive multi-storey opening through the large block is evident, which will soon allow foot traffic to filter through the site.

Looking north to KING Toronto. Photo by Fareen Karim.

The empty patch of grass south of the project today will eventually become a new cat-themed park from the same designers of Toronto's iconic dog fountain.