1.3K 
Three years ago, Brookfield began revitalization work on First Canadian Place, Canada's tallest office tower, a massive project that not only competes in this environmentally conscious climate but which has entirely changed the face of one of this city's great icons. Most of us who are not one of the 80,000 people who do business or visit there everyday have noticed the extensive work done on the exterior over the past few years. Architects Moed de Armas and Shannon ushered in the removal of the 45,000 pieces of Carrara marble to be replaced by unique glass spandrel panels. Let's take a look at the building at the start of the recladding.
The exterior of the tower is not the only change. The main entrance, retail concourse, office lobbies and other common areas have received a huge makeover as well.
A significant amount of the marble removed from the exterior has been repurposed in these areas. The retail and common areas were designed by B+H Architects and construction giant Ellis Don.
One of the most significant accomplishments in the rejuvenation of First Canadian Place is the LEED Gold Certification achieved with the help of The Mitchell Partnership along with The Aquila Group and Halsall Associates. With the growing attractiveness of The Southcore and its new state-of-the-art office space, First Canadian Place's thorough update keeps Toronto's traditional financial home at the corner of King and Bay current and vital. With an emphasis on sustainable design and energy management this Toronto landmark has the ability to compete with the latest buildings once again.
Some of the more interesting additions Brookfield and its partners have brought to First Canadian Place can be found in the refurbished marketplace and PATH that feature not only international stores but local and unique shopping opportunities. Options range from a Vegan-centric restaurant to a local bakery.
In addition to the extensive replacement of marble, Brookfield has redesigned the corners of the building, installing bronze glass corner panels that contrast against the white laminated fritted glass.
First Canadian Place held a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 25th to celebrate the completion of the renovations and to demonstrate its continued competitiveness in Toronto's booming office market. Below are some of the photos from the event.
Included in the ribbon cutting ceremony are, left to right: Mike Fitzgibbon, Project Manager, Ellis Don Corporation; Dan Shannon, Principal, Moed de Armas & Shannon Architects; Leon Moed, Principal, Moed de Armas & Shannon Architects; Kevin Adolphe, President and CEO, Manulife Real Estate; Peter Ballon, CPP Investment Board; Tom Farley, President and Global Chief Operating Officer, Brookfield Office Properties; Jan Sucharda, President and CEO, Brookfield Office Properties Canada; Micheal Dal Bello, SVP Real Estate, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo); Stefan Dembinski, SVP Asset Management Eastern Region, Brookfield Office Properties; Brian West, VP & Regional General Manager, Brookfield Office Properties. In the back row, to the left, are members of the team at B+H Architects.
In addition to the who's who of the wheelers and dealers behind the project, we were treated to a performance by Andre Philippe Gagnon, a popular Canadian impressionist and comedian, who delighted the sizeable crowd that attended the festivities.
Keep an eye out next week for a follow up article where we talk to those behind this impressive project. Happen to miss out on grabbing your piece of the marble façade? stay tuned, as UrbanToronto will be giving away a limited number of pieces next week!
Want to learn more about First Canadian Place and other related projects? Check out our dataBase link below or join in on the discussion in the Forum.
| Related Companies: | B+H Architects, Bass Installation, EllisDon |
