Battistella Developments celebrated a major milestone in style on Wednesday with the topping out of INK, the developer's 14-storey East Village project. Construction crews attached a pink evergreen tree to a steel beam and hoisted the contraption to the apex of the tower, where a fireplace-equipped rooftop patio will be located.

INK construction, image by Forum contributor Surrealplaces

The tree-hoisting was a sight to behold, and while it may seem like an unorthodox way to mark a building's final height, the ritual is rooted in history and tradition. It is widely believed that the practice traces back to the ancient Scandinavian religious rite of placing a tree atop a new structure to appease the tree-dwelling spirits that were displaced by its construction. Other explanations date back to ancient Egypt when slaves would honour those who died during construction. The North American version points to an early Indigenous belief that no manmade structure rise taller than a tree, thus, placing one on the building's highest point.

The pink tree hoisted to the top, image via Battistella Developments

The 119-unit condominium at 622 8th Avenue SE is approximately 75 percent sold. S2 Architecture's colourful design paints a collage of spandrel panels in blue, orange, red and pink across the angled elevations of the building. Additional visual interest comes in the form of offset floor plates and balconies. Residents are expected to begin moving in by the fall.

View from the rooftop, image via Battistella Developments

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