Not long after Seattle opened its Space Needle and Berlin its TV Tower, Toronto completed its CN Tower, a tapered structure by WZMH Architects crowned by a circular “pod.” At just over 1,800 feet, the tower is not for those with acrophobia; its observation decks, revolving restaurant, and open-air walkway were made for adrenaline seekers. Drake, who was photographed atop the tower for an album cover, also wrote a song with PartyNextDoor named after the building.
Toronto-based architecture firm Superkül and Boszko & Verity (B&V), a Canadian construction company, recently completed a renovation of CN Tower’s lower-level observation deck. Its completion coincides with the structure’s 50th anniversary of its opening. The project denotes the first major renovation to this level of the CN Tower since it opened fifty years ago.
The CN Tower’s perimeter enclosure system and glass floor were completely replaced with new structural glazing. Other noticeable changes include two new “tilt zones” that allow visitors to lean and look out at the city beyond. A new parametrically designed modular ceiling system takes cues from CN Tower’s original architecture with digitally fabricated, oak-laminated fins that line the ceiling.
A new 40-foot-long immersive video wall and new panoramic screens were installed, as well as new holosonic and satellite speakers to distribute sound equally throughout the nearly 10,000-square-foot space. Video art showcases original works by Canadian and Indigenous artists from around the country.
Visitors reach the lower observation deck, and the amenities above it, via high-speed elevators that accelerate 15 miles per hour.
It wasn’t easy making these changes 1,200 feet in the sky. To manage construction, a 4-story permanent maintenance gantry was hoisted up and attached to the CN Tower’s uppermost observation level’s exterior. Workers ascended to and from the maintenance gantry with materials and equipment.
“Our design takes inspiration from an arboreal canopy and other natural elements—tree branches, rocky surfaces, the reflective surface of water, the ripple of a breeze—to honor the Tower as a monument to Canadian life and ambition,” Superkül shared in a statement.
“With an undulating biophilic ceiling system, new sloped structural glass, durable materials that evoke the Canadian landscape, and a revitalized outdoor terrace,” Superkül continued, “the renovated Lower Observation Level offers an exhilarating new ‘treetop’ experience at Toronto’s CN Tower.”
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