For almost 40 years, First Canadian Place has held a commanding position on the Toronto skyline, standing as not just the tallest building in the city, but in all of Canada. From the building's construction in the 1970s up until 2010, the 72-storey office tower was clad in 45,000 panels of Carrara marble - each weighing up to 300 pounds. Over the years, the harsh Toronto climate took its toll on the marble cladding's look and stability, and in 2009, owner of the building Brookfield announced that the building was to be re-clad in a white ceramic frit glazing, accented by dark bronze tinted corners. Back in December of 2009, work on the recladding effort had just begun at the top of the tower.

First Canadian Place, 2009, image by Edward Skira

Fast forward to January 2015, and a similar view of First Canadian Place reveals the dramatic result of the three-year rejuvenation project. While some lament the loss of the Carrara marble cladding, First Canadian Place's new look certainly doesn't take away from the building's impressive scale and massing.

First Canadian Place, 2015, image by Jack Landau

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

Related Companies:  B+H Architects, Bass Installation, EllisDon