Commerce Court redevelopment

Soaring new office tower and atrium coming to Toronto

Another skyscraper is in the works for downtown Toronto, and this one's a big boy.

At 64 storeys and almost 300 metres, the proposed Commerce Court development would add approximately 168,000 square metres of office space to the city's Financial District and be as tall as First Canadian Place. 

If built to specification, the two buildings would actually tie for Toronto's tallest office building (not to be confused with Toronto's tallest condo building).

Commerce Court development

Renderings of the proposed reworking of Toronto's Commerce Court complex by Hariri Pontarini Architects, designed with DIALOG, for QuadReal. Image via City of Toronto.

QuadReal Property Group submitted a zoning by-law amendment application late last month asking the city for permission to "re-imagine" and "transform" the historic property at the southeast corner of King and Bay Streets.

Documents submitted to the city show that QuadReal wants to demolish two of the five existing buildings at Commerce Court and build an addition to the Hotel Victoria building at 56 Yonge Street.

The historic and stately Commerce Court North building, built during the Great Depression in 1931 and now one of Toronto's only Art Deco towers, will obviously remain in place.

So too will be the 57 storey Commerce Court West, which was designed by I.M. Pei and erected in 1972 as one of Toronto's first modern office towers after the TD Centre.

Commerce Court building 2

Renderings of the proposed reworking of Toronto's Commerce Court complex by Hariri Pontarini Architects, designed with DIALOG, for QuadReal. Image via City of Toronto.

When all is said and done, Toronto will have a brand new, 298.14-metre-tall, mixed-use office and retail building.

Renderings by Toronto-based Hariri Pontarini Architects and the design firm DIALOG show a stunning atrium at the tower's base, completely transparent and filled with light both day and night.

The pedestrian plaza will be rebuilt with a landscape plan by Claude Cormier & Associés, according to Urban Toronto, which aims to "better integrate the new buildings with their surroundings while honouring I.M. Pei's vision for the square."

This one could be a game-changer for the Financial District. 

Lead photo by

Hariri Pontarini Architects / DIALOG / City of Toronto


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Toronto just got a new waterfront park that's been years in the making

Here's why swarms of giant birds are being seen in Ontario skies right now

A parasitic fungus is turning Ontario creepy crawlies into suicidal zombies

Three different Ontario LRT lines are now in major trouble

Shocking hit-and-run video shows Ontario driver try to flee in totalled truck

Canada now has universal pharmacare here's how it will affect you

Alleged drunk driver crashes then tries to flee through Ontario police station

Northern Lights took over Ontario skies in rare show and the photos are out of this world