Scotia Plaza
Encyclopedia
Scotia Plaza is a Postmodern
commercial office complex in the city of Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. The complex is situated in the financial district
of the downtown core
, and is generally bordered by Yonge Street
on the east, King Street West on the south, Bay Street
on the west, and Adelaide Street West on the north. Scotia Plaza is connected to the PATH
network, and contains 190000 m² (2,045,143 sq ft) of office space and 40 retail stores. The complex continues to serve as the head office of Scotiabank
.
Essential to this construction project was maintaining the Bank of Nova Scotia's head office and Toronto Main banking Branch functions with minimal disruption throughout the eight year construction work. The Bank's project and construction managers were Goldie-Burgess Ltd., followed by W. Tamm Consulting Limited.
by the City of Toronto in 1975. It was completely renovated with major, historically sensitive architectural design changes including a 14 storey high glass atrium connecting the original building to the new, 68 storey structure.
The modern component, comprising a main building at 68 storeys above ground and 6 storeys below ground, with two smaller extensions at 104 Yonge Street and 11 Adelaide Street West. The excavation reached a depth of 110 ft (33.5 m) which is the deepest excavation for a building in Canada's history. Within the basement levels lies Canada's only bullion bank gold vault. The extensions incorporate the historic façades of the former Wood Gundy building on Adelaide Street and the Dunfield Building on Yonge Street. Designed by WZMH Architects
, the modern structure was constructed between 1985 and 1988. Unlike most high office towers which use steel to bear structural loads and a glass curtain wall as their exterior facade, the 68 storey tower was constructed of high strength reinforced concrete. Napoleon Granite, quarried in Sweden, cut and polished in Italy, and then imported to Canada, was used for the exterior and some of the interior surfaces. The main tower at 275 m (902 ft) is Canada's third tallest building and the 22nd tallest building in North America
.
The ground floor is characterized by the Atrium which contains a large banking hall incorporating architectural features from both the historic and modern components of the complex. This hall includes a 40 metres (131 ft) large, metal structure referred to as the "Circle of the Provinces" which houses the teller services for the Bank of Nova Scotia's main branch.
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
commercial office complex in the city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The complex is situated in the financial district
Financial District, Toronto
The Financial District is a business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, within the downtown core. It was originally planned as New Town in 1796 as an extension of the Town of York . It is the main financial district in Toronto, and is the financial heart of Canada...
of the downtown core
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
, and is generally bordered by Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
on the east, King Street West on the south, Bay Street
Bay Street
Bay Street, originally known as Bear Street, is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Street in that role in the 1970s...
on the west, and Adelaide Street West on the north. Scotia Plaza is connected to the PATH
PATH (Toronto)
PATH is a network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. According to Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world with 371,600 m² PATH is a network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of Downtown...
network, and contains 190000 m² (2,045,143 sq ft) of office space and 40 retail stores. The complex continues to serve as the head office of Scotiabank
Scotiabank
The Bank of Nova Scotia , commonly known as Scotiabank , is the third largest bank in Canada by deposits and market capitalization. It serves some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world and offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial,...
.
Essential to this construction project was maintaining the Bank of Nova Scotia's head office and Toronto Main banking Branch functions with minimal disruption throughout the eight year construction work. The Bank's project and construction managers were Goldie-Burgess Ltd., followed by W. Tamm Consulting Limited.
Architecture
The historic Bank of Nova Scotia head office building at 44 King Street West, which was designed by architects Mathers and Haldenby (with Beck and Eadie), and built from 1946 to 1951. This 115 m (377 ft) tall, 27 storey building was designated under the Ontario Heritage ActOntario Heritage Act
The Ontario Heritage Act, first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Province of Ontario, Canada, as being of cultural heritage value or interest....
by the City of Toronto in 1975. It was completely renovated with major, historically sensitive architectural design changes including a 14 storey high glass atrium connecting the original building to the new, 68 storey structure.
The modern component, comprising a main building at 68 storeys above ground and 6 storeys below ground, with two smaller extensions at 104 Yonge Street and 11 Adelaide Street West. The excavation reached a depth of 110 ft (33.5 m) which is the deepest excavation for a building in Canada's history. Within the basement levels lies Canada's only bullion bank gold vault. The extensions incorporate the historic façades of the former Wood Gundy building on Adelaide Street and the Dunfield Building on Yonge Street. Designed by WZMH Architects
WZMH Architects
WZMH Architects is an architecture company based in Toronto, Canada. The firm was founded in 1961, and is known for the design of landmark structures, skyscrapers, major mixed use, commercial, institutional, residential and hospitality projects, as well as renovation and retrofit projects...
, the modern structure was constructed between 1985 and 1988. Unlike most high office towers which use steel to bear structural loads and a glass curtain wall as their exterior facade, the 68 storey tower was constructed of high strength reinforced concrete. Napoleon Granite, quarried in Sweden, cut and polished in Italy, and then imported to Canada, was used for the exterior and some of the interior surfaces. The main tower at 275 m (902 ft) is Canada's third tallest building and the 22nd tallest building in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The ground floor is characterized by the Atrium which contains a large banking hall incorporating architectural features from both the historic and modern components of the complex. This hall includes a 40 metres (131 ft) large, metal structure referred to as the "Circle of the Provinces" which houses the teller services for the Bank of Nova Scotia's main branch.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Toronto
- Tour ScotiaTour ScotiaTour Scotia is a skyscraper in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is 27 stories, and tall. It was designed by WZMH Architects and constructed in 1990. It was built in the postmodern architectural style, with granite and glass facades...
in MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... - Scotia PlaceScotia PlaceScotia Place is an office tower complex in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that was completed in 1983. It is located at 10060 Jasper Avenue in the heart of Edmonton's Downtown. It is home to several long term tenants such as Grant Thornton, APEGGA, Ernst & Young and Edmonton Transit...
in EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...