As Toronto reaches 2000 highrises, a look at Toronto's buildings through the years

[NorthernDancer]

According to the SSP database, the city of Toronto has 1999 completed highrises, with 144 under construction. In light of that, I thought I'd look back at Toronto's highrises throughout the decades, and hopefully start a discussion on how tall buildings have shaped the city's over the decades.


Royal York Hotel (1929):

http://www.aviewoncities.com/img/toronto/kveca0421s.jpg



http://www.gothereguide.com/Images/C...el_toronto.jpg




Sterling Tower (1929):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/554753-Large.jpg




Victory Building (1930):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/706040-Large.jpg




Commerce Court North (1931):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/698018-Large.jpg





Bank of Nova Scotia Building (1951):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/268295-Large.jpg





120 Adelaide Street West (1966):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/625661-Large.jpg





TD Bank Tower (1967):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/201527-Large.jpg





Mowat Block (Queens Park) (1969):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/677582-Large.jpg





120 Adelaide Street West (1966):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/625661-Large.jpg





CN Tower (1976):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/681093-Large.jpg





First Bank Tower (1976):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/858288-Large.jpg





Scotia Plaza (1988):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/716968-Large.jpg





Canada Trust Tower (1990):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/736835-Large.jpg





Simcoe Place (1995):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/540648-Large.jpg





Bay Adelaide West (2009):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/704336-Large.jpg





Trump Tower (2012):

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/868144-Large.jpg





Currently Under Construction:



Aura:

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/887860-Large.jpg





One Bloor East:

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/857243-Large.jpg





Ten York:

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/856620-Large.jpg





Ice Condos:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/.../ice-condo.jpg





Planned:



1 Yorkville:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/...lle-condos.jpg





E-Condos:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/...12/e-condo.jpg





Noir Condos:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/...noir-condo.jpg





Wellesley On The Park:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/...n-the-park.jpg





80 Bloor Street West:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/...renderings.jpg





Alaska Condos:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/...renderings.png





Art Shoppe Condos:

http://www.torontocondoboutique.com/...oppe-condo.jpg





Skyline pictures:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3741/1...fccd1ff2_h.jpg



http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7311/9...576ab574_b.jpg



http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/1...ecdff569_b.jpg



http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3709/1...77d5c0b0_b.jpg



https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3761/1...b25a8213_b.jpg



https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/...2301b13e_b.jpg



http://mattshaverphotography.zenfoli...22998655-5.jpg



http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps4139a815.jpg



http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/i...pseffae839.jpg



http://www.candidbling.com/The-Mercer-view.jpg



https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/...e992973d_b.jpg



https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5280/...6f9ed225_b.jpg



http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net...jpg?1379354769

[chris08876]

Very nice set of pics. Canada's super city.

[memph]

Maybe you could add some of the original highrise buildings at Yonge and King (from 1900-1920).

One of the things I've wondered about is how Toronto's Downtown will function. Right now, at close to 200,000 people and 500,000 jobs, it holds a similar share of the metro population as Manhattan south of 59th Street. It is barely half the density though. However, if all the proposals get built, the residential density will be pretty similar to Manhattan's, and the share of the metro population will be similar to Manhattan south of 110th Street. Employment growth seems like it's a bit slower, so the employment density might remain a bit lower.

If some of the dream projects get built, like the DRL, greatly improved service on the GO lines, maybe RoW for either King or Queen streetcars, Waterfront developments, streetscape improvements, especially on Yonge and John, bike lanes, etc... Will Downtown Toronto be like a smaller version of Manhattan? Or like a bigger version of Downtown [insert large-ish American city]?

[Doady]

You can't tell from these pictures but around half of Toronto's high-rises are located in post-war suburbia. And these are the concrete slabs, the towers-in-a-park. There's a reason Toronto has been called the "North American Moscow". They dominate the city. And it's not just high-rise slabs, but also mid-rise and and low-rise.

[pdxtex]

torontohhhhhhhhhh, doh!

[Beedok]

There's a large number of new buildings go up out in the suburbs too though. It's really quite impressive that the whole city is reaching up. The drive between Hamilton and Toronto used to be pretty boring with endless SFH neighbourhoods and a few highrises now and again, but today you've got pretty constant highrises to see with cranes mixed in almost all the way to Oakville.

[Innsertnamehere]

Roughly 1/2 of new office construction in the GTA is downtown right now, so downtown is absolutely growing. There is upwards of 5 million square feet of office space going up right now (and much, much more planned).


Toronto is getting like this because of some genius planning out of the Province, anti sprawl legislation and the largest greenbelt on the planet (which has been extremely popular and many are calling to be further expanded) has forced development upwards.

The latest provincial election win means that transit will now likely follow suit in terms of rapid expansion. Toronto is going to feel so, so much larger in 10 years than it did 10 years ago. I think it will feel much more like a "mini Manhattan" than a large regular NA city.

[osmo]

I don't understand this thread. It's just pretty photos? Context would be good, more emphasis on residential. St James town and Cityplace are just as important as profiling the soviet slabs in the suburbs.

[scalziand]

^I think this thread might have been better suited to the Architecture forum.

[MolsonExport]

^second that. Should be moved.

[Dwils01]

Some of Toronto's 2000 highrises of old and new (mostly new) from the Toronto Harbour.




Canada's tallest pre-war building Commerce Court North








Pictures by me.

[Downtown Bolivar]

I'm struck by how bland Toronto looks from certain angles and how good it looks from other angles. With all the blue glass going up though, this skyline is in danger of losing its personality.

[DrNest]

I love buildings in the style of Commerce Court North. I wish Toronto had more of them. Sadly it's unlikely that anything like this will be built in today's age.

[Perklol]

Originally Posted by Downtown Bolivar

I'm struck by how bland Toronto looks from certain angles and how good it looks from other angles. With all the blue glass going up though, this skyline is in danger of losing its personality.

I agree. More white/beige/gray colored office buildings would do the trick. That gray office building though It has so much character than the glass buildings.

Edit: It's called First Bank Tower. At a quick glance it reminded me of, in a way, of NYT building at 41st/8th Avenue.