Ever the topic of passionate debate on our Forum, Cidex Group's The Hat in East Village has all but topped off, leaving the controversial spandrel work and glazing to continue its ascent. Designed by NORR Architects, the 28-storey, 221-unit residential tower named for its hat-like silhouette will soon join a collection of Hat-inspired towers by Cidex in Western Canada, including Edmonton's Hat @ Five Corners. 

Top of The Hat, fast approaching final height, image by Forum contributor Surrealplaces

Controversial for what critics have pointed out to be an over-reliance upon spandrel in place of either windows or some other (read: more imaginative) exterior cladding material, The Hat will nevertheless soon become a part of the East Village, which itself has been sprouting upwards at breakneck speed. 

Spandrel galore, image by Forum contributor Daveography

On a more positive note, the decision to make The Hat a rental tower has been touted by proponents of the project who see the development as a much-needed piece of Calgary's inventory problem, especially within the notoriously tight new-build rental sector. 

Work in progress, The Hat (right), surrounded by surface lots, image by Forum contributor Daveography

A work in progress, The Hat, much like its adoptive East Village locale, will one day soon be fully knit into the broader community and city that surrounds it. 

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.