View source for First Canadian Place

{{Short description|Skyscraper in Toronto, Canada}}
{{Infobox building
| name               = First Canadian Place
| image              = First Canadian Place August 2018 01.jpg
| image_size         = 250
| caption            = First Canadian Place in 2017
| logo               = Logo of First Canadian Place.svg
| logo_size          = 175
| alternate_names    = FCP
| former_names       = 
| location           = 100 [[King Street (Toronto)|King Street West]]<br />[[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|43|38|55.6|N|79|22|54.1|W|type:landmark_region:CA-ON|display=inline,title}}
| highest_region     = Canada
| highest_start      = 1975
| highest_prev       = [[Commerce Court West]]
| completion_date    = 5 June 1975
| building_type      = Commercial offices
| architectural      = {{convert|298.1|m|abbr=on}}
| tip                = {{convert|355|m|abbr=on}}
| top_floor          = {{convert|289.9|m|abbr=on}}
| floor_count        = 72<br />4 below ground
| elevator_count     = 61
| cost               = 
| floor_area         = {{convert|250849|m2|abbr=on}}
| architect          = [[Bregman + Hamann Architects]] <br />[[Edward Durell Stone]] & Associates
| structural_engineer= 
| main_contractor    = [[EllisDon]] Corporation
| developer          = [[Olympia and York]]
| owner              = [[Manulife Financial Corporation]] (50%), CPP (50%)
| management         = [[Brookfield Properties]]
|website = {{URL|https://fcpex.ca/}}
| references         = <ref name=skyscraperCenter>{{CTBUH|543}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/112676 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407180013/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/112676 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 7, 2015 |title=Emporis building ID 112676 |work=[[Emporis]]}}</ref><ref>{{Glass Steel and Stone|3506}}</ref><ref>{{SkyscraperPage|34}}</ref><ref>{{Structurae|20003283}}</ref>
}}

'''First Canadian Place''' is a [[skyscraper]] in the [[Financial District, Toronto|Financial District]] of [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], at the northwest corner of [[King Street (Toronto)|King]] and [[Bay Street|Bay]] streets, and serves as the global operational executive office of the [[Bank of Montreal]]. At {{convert|298|m|abbr=on}}, it is the [[List of tallest buildings in Canada|second-tallest building in Canada]], the [[List of tallest buildings in North America|35th tallest building in North America]], and the 244th tallest in the world.<ref name=skyscraperCenter /> From its completion in 1978 until 2025, it held the title of being the tallest building in Canada. It is also the fourth tallest free-standing structure in Canada, after the [[CN Tower]] (also in Toronto), the [[Inco Superstack]] chimney (projected to be demolished) in [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]], and [[One Bloor West|The One]] (also in Toronto). It was Canada's tallest building from 1975 until June 2025, when it was surpassed by The One.<ref name="theone">{{Cite news|last=Pereira |first=Ana |date=June 25, 2025 |title=Almost two years since it went into receivership, here's a first look inside troubled condo project The One |url=https://www.thestar.com/business/almost-two-years-since-it-went-into-receivership-heres-a-first-look-inside-troubled-condo/article_af96afb8-f4b9-45e3-8398-0d4ae2b9ae86.html |quote="The One has officially conquered Toronto's skyline as Canada's tallest building" |location=Toronto |work=[[Toronto Star]] |accessdate=June 25, 2025}}</ref> The building is owned by [[Manulife Financial Corporation]] (50%) in addition to a private consortium of investors including [[CPP Investment Board|CPP Investments]]. The building is managed by [[Brookfield Properties]].

== History and architecture ==
[[File:-First Canadian Place under construction-3.jpg|thumb|left|upright|First Canadian Place under construction in 1975]]
First Canadian Place is named for Canada's first bank, the Bank of Montreal. The main building in the complex was intended to be known as "First Bank Tower."<ref>{{cite news |title=Builder starts battle for giant project |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-builder-starts-battle/165040908/ |work=The Toronto Star |date=3 November 1973 |location=Toronto ON |page=3 |format=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Designed by [[B+H Architects]] with [[Edward Durell Stone]] as a design consultant, construction was completed in 1975.

The tower and associated buildings occupy a block once home to two major newspapers, the ''[[Toronto Star]]’s'' [[Old Toronto Star Building|Toronto Star Building]] and ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''{{'}}s [[William H. Wright Building]]. The site was the last of the corners at King and Bay to be redeveloped in the 1960s and 1970s, and a major bidding war began over the property. The then-little-known firm of [[Olympia and York]] eventually obtained nearly the whole city block, but the election of reformist mayor [[David Crombie]] led to new rules banning skyscrapers. It took three years of lobbying before permission for First Canadian Place was granted. When completed, the building was nearly identical in appearance to Stone's [[Aon Center (Chicago)|Standard Oil Building]] in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]];<ref name=mcmillan>{{Cite news| last=McMillan| first=Greg| title=Two buildings, two cities, one problem| newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]| page=B10| date=12 June 2007| url=http://www.therealdominican.com/pdf/GLobmarble.pdf| access-date=24 September 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717023737/http://www.therealdominican.com/pdf/GLobmarble.pdf| archive-date=17 July 2011| url-status=dead}}</ref> completed two years previous, the Chicago tower is of the same floor plan and clad in the same marble,<ref name=museum>{{cite web| url=http://www.skyscraper.org/EXHIBITIONS/BIG_BUILDINGS/CONTENT/jumbos/j_15.htm| title=First Canadian Place| publisher=The Skyscraper Museum| access-date=24 September 2009}}</ref> the only overtly visible difference being the vertical orientation of the windows, as opposed to the horizontal run of those on First Canadian Place.

First Canadian Place was the 6th tallest building in the world to structural top (currently [[List of tallest buildings in the world|103rd]]) and the tallest building overall outside of Chicago and New York when completed in 1975. It was also the tallest building in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] until the completion of the [[Petronas Towers]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]], in 1998. The Bank of Montreal "M-bar" logo at the top of the building was the highest sign in the world from 1975 until overtaken by the sign atop [[CITIC Plaza]] in 1997. The roof is still the location of a number of antennas used for [[radio]] and [[television]] broadcasting. The structure contains 29 [[elevator]]s, and is one of only a few buildings in the world that uses the [[double-deck elevator|double-decked variety]], and is connected to the underground [[PATH (Toronto)|PATH]] system.

The building was pictured on the front and rear cover of the 1981 album ''[[This Is the Ice Age]]'' by Canadian New Wave band [[Martha and the Muffins]] and also their 7" single "[[Women Around the World at Work]]". The album featured two photos which were taken from the same place but at different times by Muffins guitarist Mark Gane using a time-lapse camera and features the building at midday and dusk. The 7" cover again features the same photo but has 9 small images taken at various times of the day and night.

=== Cladding ===
{{multiple image
| align             = left
| width1            = 
| image1            = Toronto - ON - First Canadian Place.jpg
| caption1          = FCP in 2008 prior to recladding
| width2            = 
| image2            = FCP-recladding.jpg
| caption2          = New cladding being installed in 2011
| total_width       = 300
}}
[[File:CN Tower SkyPod 2023b.jpg|left|thumb|upright|View from the [[CN Tower]] SkyPod in 2023]]
The same white [[Carrara marble]] used on Stone's [[Aon Center (Chicago)|Aon Center]] (in [[Chicago]]) was employed as an exterior cladding and interior finish for First Canadian Place, with approximately 45,000 marble panels weighing around {{convert|200|to|300|lb|abbr=on}} each. Foreshadowing what would take place with First Canadian Place in 2007, one of the marble slabs of Aon Center, when it was named the Standard Oil Building, detached in 1974, falling and penetrating the roof of a neighbouring building, resulting in an eventual recladding of the entire Aon Center in white granite between 1992 and 1994. This problem would surface at First Canadian Place as well, during an intense storm on the evening of 15 May 2007, a {{convert|1|by|1.2|m|abbr=on}}, {{convert|140|kg|abbr=on}} white marble panel fell from the 60th storey of the tower's southern face onto the 3rd-floor mezzanine roof below, causing authorities to close surrounding streets as a precaution.<ref name=doolittle>{{Cite news| last=Doolittle| first=Robyn| title=King St. to stay closed| newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]| date=16 May 2007| url=https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/05/16/king_st_to_stay_closed.html| access-date=2014-05-02}}</ref><ref name=citynews>{{cite news| title=Commuters Dread Second Day Of Gridlock As King St. Stays Closed| work=[[CityNews]]| date=16 May 2007| url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2007/05/16/commuters-dread-second-day-of-gridlock-as-king-st-stays-closed/| access-date=16 May 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518044054/http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_11040.aspx| archive-date=18 May 2007| url-status=live}}</ref>

In late 2009, owner [[Brookfield Properties]] announced it would follow the example of Aon Center and, over three years, replace the tower's 45,000 marble panels with new ones in glass, those on the main expanses with a white ceramic [[frit]] and the corners in a bronze tint.<ref name=yang>{{cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Yang |title=Bay St. landmark to lose its marble |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/700822 |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=2009-09-25 |access-date=25 September 2009}}</ref><ref name=recladding>{{cite press release| title=Brookfield Properties Announces Recladding of First Canadian Place in Toronto| url=http://brookfieldofficeproperties.com/content/2009_news_releases/brookfield_properties_announces_recladding_of_firs-3512.html| publisher=Brookfield Properties| date=23 September 2009| access-date=2014-05-02| archive-date=2013-10-22| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022025759/http://brookfieldofficeproperties.com/content/2009_news_releases/brookfield_properties_announces_recladding_of_firs-3512.html| url-status=dead}}</ref> Brookfield and the co-owners also launched a multi-faceted rejuvenation program, including "upgrades to the building's mechanical, electrical, and lighting systems that will redefine the standard for enhanced performance, comfort, and greening". FCP's common areas including upper and lower level entrance and elevator lobbies, the retail concourse and Market Place were to also undergo renovation, with new natural stone flooring, [[frit]]ted glass accents, brushed metal handrails, landscaping, and water features. The rejuvenation program design architects were [[Moed de Armas and Shannon|Moed de Armas & Shannon Architects]] and [[Bregman + Hamann Architects]] were the architects of record.<ref name=recladding /> The entire project, completed in 2012,<ref>{{cite web|title=First Canadian Place – Recladding |url=http://www.bharchitects.com/en/projects/92 |publisher=[[Bregman + Hamann Architects|B+H]] |access-date=27 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111071432/http://www.bharchitects.com/en/projects/92 |archive-date=11 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> cost was in excess of CA$100 million, paid by the owner. This extensive capital improvement project was intended to provide a new exterior for FCP and eliminate the [[maintenance costs]] associated with marble upkeep.

== Tenants ==
[[File:First Canadian Place Office Lobby 2021.jpg|thumb|The office lobby in 2021]]

*[[Bank of Montreal]]
*[[Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.osler.com/Offices/ |title=Offices {{!}} Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP |access-date=2012-09-19 |archive-date=2015-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502151229/http://www.osler.com/offices/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[DLA Piper]]
*[[Bennett Jones]]<ref>[https://www.bennettjones.com/Offices Offices | Bennett Jones LLP]</ref>
*[[Gowling WLG]]

=== Broadcasting ===
The following Toronto-area broadcasters have their transmitters atop First Canadian Place:<ref name=fybush>{{cite web| title=Tower Site of the Week: First Canadian Place, Toronto| date=12 August 2006| url=http://www.fybush.com/sites/2006/site-061208.html| access-date=2014-05-02}}</ref>

;FM stations
*[[CIND-FM]] 88.1 (''Indie 88'')
*[[CKLN-FM]] 88.1 (The first radio station to use this transmitter tower.  Now defunct.)
*[[CIRV-FM]] 88.9
*[[CIUT-FM]] 89.5
*[[CJBC-FM]] 90.3 (''Radio-Canada Espace Musique'')
*[[CKIS-FM]] 92.5 (''Kiss 92.5'')
*[[CFXJ-FM]] 93.5 (''93.5 The Move'')
*[[CJKX-FM]]-2 95.9 (''KX96'') +
*[[CFMZ-FM]] 96.3 (''Classical 96'')
*[[CFZM]]-1-FM 96.7 (''AM740'') *
*[[CKFG-FM]] 98.7 (''G 98.7'')
*[[CBLA-FM]] 99.1 (''CBC Radio One'')
*[[CJSA-FM]] 101.3 (''CMR Diversity FM'')
*[[CFNY-FM]] 102.1 (''102.1 The Edge'') #
*[[CFPT-FM]] 106.5 (''First Peoples Radio'')
*[[CILQ-FM]] 107.1 (''Q107'') #
<small>
<nowiki>#</nowiki> backup transmitter; main transmitter on [[CN Tower]]<br />
<nowiki>+</nowiki> synchronous transmitter; provides supplementary coverage to primary transmitter in Ajax<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki> fill-in transmitter; serves downtown core and surrounding inner-city neighbourhoods
</small>

In addition, an [[amateur radio]] [[digital mobile radio]] repeater for the Greater Toronto area (VA3XPR) has its antennas mounted just above the broadcast antennas on the radio mast.<ref>[http://www.va3xpr.net/va3xpr-moves-canadas-tallest-building-blanketing-toronto-dmr-coverage/   VA3XPR website]</ref> There are also other analog ham repeaters on the building.

=== Shopping mall ===
According to the First Canadian Place website,<ref>{{cite web| title=About Us| publisher=First Canadian Place| url=http://www.myfirstcanadianplace.com/aboutus.aspx| access-date=1 July 2013}}</ref> the lower floors of the building, as part of the [[Path (Toronto)|Toronto Path system]], feature:
{{col div}}
* 120 stores in three floors of [[Carrara marble]]
* 6 restaurants
* over 30 eateries
* medical centre, featuring an optometrist`s office and dental clinics
* spas, beauty salons, and a barbershop
* banking and financial planning services from the [[Bank of Montreal]]
* dry cleaning and shoe repair
* post office
* [[FedEx]] and [[United Parcel Service|UPS]] [[Post box|dropbox]]
* a parkette on King Street, between the FCP and the [[Exchange Tower]]
{{div col end}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Bank of Montreal in First Canadian Place 2021.jpg|The building podium at the northwest corner of King and Bay streets
First Canadian Place Office Lobby-1 2021.jpg|Fountain inside the building
First Canadian Place Open Space 202112.jpg |Open space
First Canadian Place Basement PATH 2021.jpg |Basement Access
First Canadian Place basement restaurants and supermarket 202112.jpg|Basement supermarket and food stall
First Canadian Place Arcade 2021.jpg|Shopping Mall
First Canadian Place Level 2 Food Court 2021.jpg |Food Court in Level 2
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Bank of Montreal Head Office]]
* [[List of tallest buildings in Canada]]
* [[List of tallest buildings in Toronto]]
* [[List of tallest freestanding steel structures]]
* [[List of tallest freestanding structures in the world]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.firstcanadianplace.com/ First Canadian Place tenant website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004181033/http://www.firstcanadianplace.com/ |date=2006-10-04 }}
* [http://www.fcpfirst.com/ First Canadian Place retail and events website]
* [http://www.myfirstcanadianplace.ca/ First Canadian Place mall website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612161143/https://www.myfirstcanadianplace.ca/ |date=2023-06-12 }}

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[[Category:Bank headquarters in Canada]]
[[Category:Bank of Montreal]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture in Canada]]
[[Category:Path (Toronto)]]
[[Category:Shopping malls in Toronto]]
[[Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Toronto]]
[[Category:Edward Durell Stone buildings]]
[[Category:Brookfield Properties buildings]]
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 1975]]