Cidex Group's The Hat has been making steady progress since our last update, the 28-storey, 221-unit rental tower now all but completely clad. Having now reached the "brim," it will not be long now before the East Village's latest high-rise is structurally complete. 

The Hat, approaching structural completion, image by Forum contributor 1875

Designed by NORR Architects, the aptly-named tower gets its name from the shape of its rooftop mechanical structure, which gives the project a particularly hat-like profile. Beyond the clever name, the tower has made waves on our Forum for what critics have derided as an apparent over-use of spandrel. 

The Hat, late September, image by Forum contributor UrbanWarrior

Now that the tower's exterior is essentially finished, the full effect of the vertical interplay of spandrel and window panes can be appreciated. Whether this will be deemed an architectural success, however, remains to be seen. 

The Hat, as it will appear upon completion, image via Cidex Group

In the meantime, The Hat can be praised for bringing some much-needed rental stock to the East Village, the project to house upwards of 350 new residents. The Hat will also come with a host of public realm improvements, including benches, art, trees, new pavers, and an enclosed outdoor play area for children.

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.