Reskinning a building the size and scale of First Canadian Place was unprecedented at the time. With each marble panel weighing 90kg, their safe removal was a huge concern and a tricky undertaking. This 72-storey office tower was clad with bright white Carrara marble that was showing its age after almost 35 years. The 45,000 marble panels that made up the building’s exterior was replaced with over 5,600 white glass and bronze panels. The new brilliant glass façade maintains the tower’s commanding presence on Toronto’s skyline and renews its look at the same time. New insulation was also installed during this process to upgrade the energy efficiency of the building.

A scaffolding unit was designed to scale vertically along the tower’s elevation from top to bottom and systematically and safely reclad the façade. Panels were removed and replaced during multiple shifts that left the loudest and most disruptive work to be completed during the night to minimize tenant disruption. The stone panels were recycled and repurposed for multiple uses including concrete, base product under roadways, landscaping and community art projects. The new glass panels were sourced and manufactured locally reducing the carbon footprint.