Toronto's Financial District is home to many of Canada's tallest buildings, most of which are classified as modernist or international style architecture, featuring rigid, rectilinear lines. Oxford Properties' 40-storey EY Tower is the newest office tower under construction in Canada's economic heart. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and WZMH Architects, the office tower breaks away from the traditional design vocabulary of the surrounding Financial District, employing a unique folded aesthetic that adds a crystalline twist to the established architectural language of the area. 

EY Tower (centre) viewed from the northwest, image by Forum contributor G.L.17

As the tower approaches its final height of 188 metres, the shifting geometry of the floor plates has become even more apparent to passersby, with some of the most dramatic views found from acute angles at the base of the tower.

EY Tower viewed from the south on Adelaide Street West, image by Craig White

The image above, captured from near the base of the tower's south side, highlights the ongoing work on the development's heritage element, being overseen by heritage specialists ERA Architects and Goldsmith Borgal and Company Architects. The tower is rising from the site of the former Concourse Building at 100 Adelaide West, a 16-storey Art-Deco office building from 1928 that features buff brick and limestone cladding, as well as several notable design elements that are representative of that era. The historic structure's south and east facades, disassembled in 2013, are now in the process of being rebuilt into the base of the tower, albeit with a reduced floor count and altered floor heights to match the modern structure behind.

In the coming months, we expect to see the completion of the final office levels and the building's mechanical penthouse above. Upon completion, currently slated for summer 2017, the development will add 900,000 square feet of LEED Platinum Class AAA office space to Toronto's Financial District.

Rendering of EY Tower, image courtesy of Oxford Properties

In the meantime, you can stay up to date by checking out the images and information in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Have a look at the associated Forum thread or leave a comment below.