There's now a giant 500-tonne pendulum swinging above downtown Toronto
Canada's new tallest tower soars high over downtown Toronto, but how do you keep a 106-storey megatower from swaying in strong winds?
An enormous pendulum has been installed atop the massive Pinnacle SkyTower — which recently claimed the title of Canada's tallest building with an immense height of 352 metres.
The megaproject's designers, Hariri Pontarini Architects, have shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the tower's new tuned mass damper (TMD), a giant pendulum designed to reduce building movement during strong winds.
Think of the TMD like a giant swinging pendulum on a clock. When strong winds strike the building's facades, the TMD — as its name implies — "dampens" the wind's forces and prevents excessive swaying.
Weighing an astonishing 500 tonnes — the same approximate weight as three single-family homes — this enormous stabilizing force has been installed within the tower's mechanical penthouse section.
Unlike your standard pendulum that swings on a single axis, the bi-directional TMD can swing in both north-south and east-west directions, which Hariri Pontarini states will ensure "occupant comfort during wind events."
The project architects add that "Once the building is fully enclosed, engineers and technicians will conduct frequency measurements and fine-tune the system, marking another milestone in SkyTower's progression toward completion."
The tower has been under construction since late 2020, and the installation of this TMD marks a key step towards the new landmark's long-awaited completion.
The SkyTower's immense height has cemented its status as the tallest building in Canada, rising to eye level with the observation pod of the CN Tower — which is not classified as a building, but rather a communications tower.
Residents of the building's 958 units will boast some of the best views in Toronto, if not the whole country. Even residents living on lower floors will be able to take advantage of the building's immense height through a planned 106th-floor amenity level.
In addition to the residences, the building will also house the new Le Meridien Toronto Pinnacle Hotel. The hotel component was initially announced with a Fall 2025 opening timeline, which has since been bumped back to a yet-to-be-announced date in 2026.
Hariri Pontarini Architects
