First Canadian Place

First Canadian Place
	First Canadian Place (2008)
Basic data
Place:	Toronto , Canada
Construction time :	1973-1975
Status :	Built
Architectural style :	International style
Architect :	Bregman + Hamann Architects
Use / legal
Usage :	office
Technical specifications
Height :	298.1 m
Height to the top:	355 m
Height to the roof:	298.1 m
Rank (height) :	44th place (world) ; 1st place (Canada) ; 1st place (Toronto)
Floors :	72
Elevators :	29
Usable area :	250,849 m²
Building material :	Structure: steel; Facade: marble and glass

The First Canadian Place is a skyscraper in the financial district of Toronto at the corner of King Street and Bay Street . The skyscraper, completed in 1975, is 298 meters high and measures 355 meters with the antenna. This makes First Canadian Place the tallest building in Canada and at the same time the third tallest building in Canada after the 553 meter high CN Tower (also in Toronto) and the 381 meter high chimney Inco Superstack in Sudbury . The high-rise building cost 200 million Canadian dollars .

history

The building is the headquarters of the Bank of Montreal , Canada's oldest bank (hence the term First ). It was designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects , while Edward Durell Stone was the design consultant. The building, originally called the First Bank Building , stands on the site of the Old Toronto Star Building , the former headquarters of the Toronto Star newspaper . It was the last corner of the King and Bay intersection to be redesigned and fierce competition broke out for the construction contract. The then little-known company Olympia and York was awarded the contract .

modernization

In 2009, extensive renovation work began on the building. On the one hand, the outer facade was modernized. It was refurbished in terms of energy efficiency and the marble slabs were replaced by glass slabs, which led to a slightly different appearance. Furthermore, the offices and the lobby, in which there are several shops, cafes and restaurants, were completely renovated. The renovations were completed in 2012. The building was reopened on October 25, 2012. After the renovation, it was awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certificate.

architecture

It was noticeable that the building was clad with stone instead of the usual glass, steel and concrete. 600 tons of white marble from Italy were used on each of the 72 floors . After the renovation, the marble slabs were replaced by glass. The skyscraper has 39 elevators and is connected to the PATH system, an extensive underground network of pedestrian and shopping arcades. There are several antennas on the roof that broadcast radio and television programs.

At the time of completion, First Canadian Place was the eighth tallest building in the world and the tallest outside of Chicago and New York . It was also the tallest building in a Commonwealth of Nations country until the completion of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. The Bank of Montreal's “M” logo was the world's tallest advertising symbol until 1997 when CITIC Plaza opened in Guangzhou .