With excavation work completed, construction has begun at the site of Ledingham McAllister's 42-storey Escala residential tower in Burnaby. The project is just beginning to poke above grade, and the latest addition to the Burnaby skyline will be at least a year in the making. Escala will eventually join its shorter 34-storey sibling, Aviara, at the confluence of Gilmore Avenue, Douglas Road, and 1st Avenue, just steps away from Gilmore station. 

Escala build site, image by Forum contributor City Of Rain

Located along the rapidly rising Lougheed Highway corridor, Escala will soon join a growing list of highrise projects that have begun to sprout up along the Millennium Line, where the centre of suburban Burnaby has undergone a large-scale urban transformation over the last decade. 

Rebar and other construction materials ready to go, image by Forum contributor City Of Rain

At 42 storeys, Escala will soon become one of the tallest structures in Burnaby. The 520-unit residential highrise will feature a gym, pool, sauna, and concierge service. Viewed in the rendering below, Escala's trademark cantilever will set the tower apart, while the water feature at the base of the tower will be replicated in miniature at the front of the adjacent townhouses that will fill out the rest of the site. 

Escala, as it will appear upon completion, image via Ledingham McAllister

SkyriseVancouver will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.