Rising fast at the corner of 1 St SW and 14 Ave SW at the edge of the Beltline, Underwood Tower has been moving along swiftly since our last update. The second phase of the 2009 Union Square development, the current 31-storey tower by Western Securities and Zeidler BKDI Architects will at long last complete the project. 

Underwood Tower rising alongside Union Square, image by Forum contributor UrbanWarrior

Having now risen roughly 2/3 of its full 99-metre height, Underwood Tower's cladding has been following closely behind, the glazing and spandrel work itself reaching about halfway up the structure. 

Underwood Tower, cladding and glazing work underway, image by Forum contributor UrbanWarrior

Viewed above and below, the close-up view of the construction site highlights the contrast between the tower and the two-storey podium level, which will eventually be faced in a similar, heritage-esque brick cladding evocative of the Underwood Block to which the entire second phase of the two-tower development owes its namesake. 

Podium level along 1 St SW to be finished in redbrick cladding, image by Forum contributor UrbanWarrior

Abutting the only remaining heritage facade left along the entirety of the Underwood Block, which will now stand between the two high-rises, Underwood Tower will go a long way towards replacing, if not the heritage aspect, the retail component that has long been missing from the streetscape. 

SkyriseCalgary 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.