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Over the last two years, Toronto's historic Old Town district has witnessed the rise of EQ Bank Tower; the 23-storey commercial building from First Gulf is set to provide over 42,700m² of office space and a new Toronto home for Equitable (or EQ) Bank. Featuring a unique architectural design by Sweeny &Co Architects, the glassy, faceted tower stands out in juxtaposition to the three-storey heritage walls at the base, where ERA Architects have strived to retain its Art Deco details.
Since our last update just over a year ago, the tower, designed, has more than doubled its storey count on its way to completion.
By March of this year, the EQ Bank Tower has displayed significant progress. Viewed from the ground and looking east, the building soared to 21 storeys. The tower’s distinct outward-tapering northwest corner is evident as reflective glass cladding adorns the first 13 storeys on the west elevation, with the northern section notably sloping towards the street. (In the forefront of the image below, a demolition project adjacent to the EQ construction site earmarks where the upcoming 40-storey The Grainger & The Sanderson will be built.)
In May, a view from Adelaide Street East reveals more of the tower's form, while canted and vertical white columns show through the window facade.
By June, from King Street East looking northeast, EQ Bank Tower nears its pinnacle. As it rises, a network of shoring poles and scaffolding provide support for the structure’s final storeys while the concrete continues to cure.
From a high-rise view in August, ss the uppermost tiers of the north and west facades await their outward skin of glass, construction on the mechanical penthouse, earmarked for a rooftop patio, continues. The tower's design elements, notably the bronze-tinted glass strip visible at the northwest corner, is meant to provide a visual connector between the contemporary tower and the heritage masonry walls at street level.
In the present, a bird’s-eye view looking northwest showcases further architectural details and the glass curtainwall. Layers of glass cladding cloak the building’s multi-faceted southern face, intermittently revealing robust concrete pillars. The glass envelope nears completion, leaving only a few storeys unsealed up top. In the immediate foreground, a red and white crane heralds the imminent rise of the 32-storey Bauhaus Condos next door.
Finally, we return to terra firma, offering another distant view, this time westward from Parliament Street. EQ Bank Tower's height and tapering design dominate the local streetscape. As cladding progresses on the eastern facade, a steel perimeter emerges up top, marking the location for outdoor amenities and the mechanical penthouse. From this vantage point, the tower reveals its distinct east and west segments on the northern face – a dance of staggered glass panes and mullions.
Once complete, the EQ Bank Tower will stand 105.18 metres tall. Equitable Bank, which uses the trade name EQ Bank, will be moving its headquarters from Yonge and St Clair to this new location. The LEED Gold office tower will provide space for 4,000 jobs in the Old Town neighbourhood.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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