It has been five years since the L Tower topped out 205 metres above Yonge and The Esplanade in Downtown Toronto, and the project's long and difficult construction is finally wrapping up. An exterior-mounted tower crane was finally removed from the Studio Daniel Libeskind-designed tower's curved roofline in 2016. A derrick built atop a temporary platform was necessary to remove the crane and install the custom-designed BMU (building maintenance unit) from Dutch firm XSPlatforms, from which crews will use to clean windows and perform exterior repairs.

L Tower showing BMU and work platform, image by Forum contributor Rascacielo

Two years after the derrick assisted in crane removal, the BMU is now in place and the derrick has been removed, lowering its pieces to via the BMU. BMUs are typically installed on a flat roof with a centrally-fixed arm or a system of tracks to move the work platforms that hang from them. With no flat roof to work with, the L Tower's custom BMU is positioned in a slot in the tower's crown, emerging through an open roof. The main boom of the BMU can extend and retract to service both the flat and curved facades of the tower, and is tucked away largely out of view when not in use.

L Tower BMU, image by Forum contributor Michael62

Removal of the derrick and installation of the BMU has been ongoing since early May, involving intermittent road and sidewalk closures as heavy sections of the derrick were lowered to street-level for removal. While the derrick is now gone, there is still one more task before the tower's sail-shaped profile can be deemed free of clutter: the temporary platform must be disassembled and removed in the coming weeks, marking one of the last steps in L Tower's construction.

L Tower's derrick removal, viewed on August 30th, image by Forum contributor Rascacielo

With the BMU now in place, a few years worth of dirt and construction grime can now be cleaned from the exterior, while the installation of missing or broken glazing and balcony panels is expected to be carried out in the near future.

L Tower showing BMU, work platform, and missing panels, image by Forum contributor Koops65

Meanwhile, the derrick's removal has already improved the tower's skyline presence, with the work platform's upcoming removal set to clean up skyline views even further.

Skyline view of L Tower, image by Forum contributor Razz

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.