The Tallest Skyscraper In Canada
/The Tallest Building In Canada
First Published Date: Apr 14, 2011
Canada is not-known for skyscrapers, even though it has one of the tallest buildings on the planet; The CN Tower. However, if there is going to be a tallest building in Canada, then it should come as no surprise that it is found in Toronto, the commercial and cultural centre of the country.
First Canadian Place is the tallest skyscraper in Canada, sitting in the financial district of Toronto. It is the headquarters of the Bank of Montreal and it stands at 951 feet. It is the 11th tallest building in North America and the 68th tallest in the world. Within Canada, it is the third tallest free-standing structure after the CN Tower and the Inco Superstack in Sudbury, Ontario.
The building was designed by Bregman and Hamann Architects (Image via Wikipedia) and constructed in 1975, when it was called the First Bank Building. It sat on the site of the Old Toronto Star Building.
It took many years for the skyscraper to be built, before anything was dug because of bidding wars for the entire block during a revitalization of the area in the 1960s and the 1970s. Eventually however, the building was built and completed. It is identical in appearance to the Aaon Center in Chicago, which itself was built only two years earlier.
When you factor in the spire on the top of the skyscraper, the building is 1,165 feet. It has a total of 72 floors, and four floors that are below the ground. The building is served by 29 elevators and has a total floor area of 2.7 million square feet.
When the building was completed, it was the 8th tallest building to the structural top and the tallest building outside of Chicago and New York. It was also the tallest building in the British Commonwealth, until the Petronas Towers in Malaysia overtook them.
Until 1997, the ‘M’ sign of the Bank of Montreal on the building was the highest sign in the world.
In 2009, the building underwent a complete revitalization. Over 45,000 marble panels were replaced with new glass panels and white ceramic frits, along with bronze tint corners. New landscaping, handrails and water features were added in to change the look of the building even more and make it look more modern among the other buildings in the area. The total cost of the project was $100 million and it was paid by the owners of the building.
Canada may not be known for tall buildings but its three tallest structures just happen to be three of the tallest structures on the planet. That should say something about Canada, even though the world may not know that we have these structures, we find a way to sneak up onto lists and take them over.
While First Canadian Place may be the tallest skyscraper in Toronto, it is overshadowed greatly by the CN Tower. However, if you are in Toronto, make sure you check out this very tall building for yourself.
