Toronto isn’t traditionally known as a hub for skyscrapers in the way that New York or Chicago are, but we’re no slouches in the very-tall-buildings category. Look way down below as we give you the rundown of Toronto’s five tallest towers. Try not to get vertigo…
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The great grand-daddy of them all. The CN Tower has been a fixture on the Toronto skyline since 1976. The tallest freestanding structure in the world until as recently as 2007, the CN Tower stands a whopping 553.33 metres in height. Now Toronto gets a lot of flack for having a giant tower that is, well, pointless; but I assure you, it’s quite pointy (and it also serves a purpose). Aside from being a necessary telecommunications mast for radio and TV broadcasts, the CN Tower was a great way to stick it to the Russians during the Cold War. The Ostankino Tower had opened in Moscow in 1967 and was, at the time, the tallest freestanding structure in the world. The CN Tower stands 13 metres taller and is much nicer to look at. Score one for the Canucks!
First Canadian Place is the tallest skyscraper in Canada; although the CN Tower scrapes substantially more sky, it is not considered a habitable building – and thus FCP takes the crown. This office tower was built by developers Olympia and York in 1975 and tops out at 298 metres, making it one of the T-dot’s most recognizable landmarks. The recent recladding and major renovation project by owners Brookfield Properties will ensure that FCP stands up to 21st century standards for skyscraping.
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Trump International Hotel and Tower
Good old Donald Trump (also known as The Donald, Donny Trumpster, and Trumplestiltskin) has made his presence felt along the skylines of many fair cities, and has now contributed his name to Canada’s tallest mixed-use building. Rising 277 metres at the corner of Bay and Adelaide, the Trump Hotel and Tower contains a mix of residential condos as well as hotel units.
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Scotia Plaza’s distinctive red granite exterior and soaring height makes it a real eye-catcher on our skyline. Standing 68 storeys and 275 metres, this is the place to work if you’d like a corner office with a view. Some floors even have 12 corner offices due to the building’s stepped shape – so after years of labouring away in a cubicle, your odds of eventually moving into a prime office are substantially higher. Scotiabank sold the building in 2012 for $1.27 billion, the highest price ever paid for a Canadian office building.
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Now I technically shouldn’t include this one since it isn’t finished construction yet, but it’s close enough for rock and roll. Located at Yonge and Gerrard, the Aura offers 1.1 million square feet of residential condominium space over 78 floors. Standing 272 metres in height, it will be Canada’s tallest residential building and, presumably, the site of the most insane penthouse parties this city has ever seen. The five bedroom, six bathroom top-floor penthouse covers 11,370 square feet and can be yours for the low, low price of just $18 million! Better start saving.
