Located in the heart of the Financial District, Oxford Properties' EY Tower is rapidly taking shape at the corner of Sheppard Street and Adelaide Street West. The 900,000-square-foot, 40-storey LEED Platinum office tower has now risen nearly 17 storeys above grade, with the exterior cladding beginning to be installed on the lower levels. Designed by New York-based Kohn Pederson Fox Associates and Toronto-based WZMH Architects, in conjunction with Stephenson Engineering and heritage consultants Goldsmith Borgal and Company Architects, the tower will be an exciting new addition to Toronto's dense downtown core.

View of the EY Tower with construction progressing, image courtesy of Craig White.

The sculptural design of the building features dramatic angles, contrasting it with the surrounding buildings of the downtown core. The chamfered southwest corner can clearly be seen, while the angled columns on the interior of the building speak to the changing size of the floor plates above. On the north facade, the angle of the envelope is quite noticeable, and is becoming more pronounced as the cladding is installed near the base of the building.

View of the northwest corner, showing the cladding being installed on the north facade, image courtesy of Craig White.

The most notable change to the building so far is the installation of the exterior cladding on the lower floors. The tinted glass panels feature flat mullions flush with the surface, onto which are mounted solar fins that will run the height of the building on three facades. The fins add a three-dimensionality to the flat glass surface, which accents the sculptural qualities of the building. As can be seen on the north facade, the cladding extends beyond the edge of the floor plate on some corners, enhancing the folded aesthetic of the angled surfaces.

A closer look at the cladding on the north facade, showing the solar fins being installed, image courtesy of Craig White.

A further unique aspect of the building is the preservation of the facade of the Concourse Building, a 16-storey Art Deco tower that previously stood on the site, which will anchor the southeast corner of the new construction. The reconstruction of the historic facade—now reconfigured into 13 storeys—is progressing as well, with the concrete block walls of the lower floors being assembled onto the steel framework, with a stone veneer now being applied. The solid brick and stone walls of the Concourse Building will contrast nicely with the reflective glass surface of the new tower.

A closer look at the reconstruction of the Concourse Building on the southeast corner, image courtesy of Craig White.

Much anticipation surrounds the EY Tower as it promises to become one of the most exciting additions to the Financial District in recent decades. With construction advancing quickly, expect the building to continue rising into the sky at a rapid pace, with the exterior cladding following closely behind.

A rendering of the completed EY Tower, image courtesy of Oxford Properties.

Additional information and renderings for the EY Tower be found in our dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.