The Financial District's newest office complex, the Bay Adelaide Centre, has what could be described as a tumultuous history. Plans for the site were first put into effect in 1990 but an economic recession led to a halt in construction in 1993, leaving a six-storey concrete 'stump' on the site, a remnant of the cancelled development's parking garage which stood on site for 13 years. The project was revived in 2005 with a new simpler design, and work kicked off the following year. Back in June 2007, construction was under way on the long-awaited first phase of the Bay Adelaide Centre complex, the 51-storey west tower.

Facing northwest from the southwest corner of Yonge and Adelaide, June 2007, image by Edward Skira

Fast forward to December 2014, and the west tower is long since complete, while the new 44-storey east tower is nearing structural completion, the concrete core having recently topped off. The streetscape of Adelaide Street West has been completely transformed by these new additions, as well as the Shangri-La further to the west, visible on the far left of the image below.

Facing northwest from the southwest corner of Yonge and Adelaide, December 2014, image by Jack Landau

We turn to a worm's-eye view taken from the same vantage point to show the upper floors of the completed west tower, and the under-construction east tower.

The east and west towers of the Bay Adelaide Centre, December 2014, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!