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BCE Place: Construction: Heritage Square and Galleria

Toronto
Ontario

A view to the roof structure of the partially complete Heritage Square.

A view to the roof structure of the partially complete Heritage Square. The fabricator works on one of the side wall elements of Heritage Square. The centre elements of Heritage Square had to resolve 4 columns at the head. Operations on the head of a central column. To make all of the canoe pieces identical, jigs were set up. A fabricator works on aligning the parts within a canoe jig. Closer view of partially complete canoe section. Working on the canoe rib in the fabrication shop. A curved element in the fabrication process. Bent plate U sections that will be used as some of the column shafts. Here you can see some of the U shaped sections in one of the column elements. A side column head for Heritage Square. The bent U column is also visible. One of the central column capitals for Heritage Square. A fabricator attaching one of the column elements to the capital. Santiago Calatrava and the local consultants inpecting one of the column elements in the fabrication shop. A view up the column shaft of one of the central columns in Heritage Square. The base plate of the central column in Heritage Square. A temporary working platform is installed close to the top of the head of the cluster column. The scale of the central columns is immense and must be accounted for in transportation to the site. Square HSS sections are used on this supports. A central column comes out the door, ready to be transported to the site. The side columns are the first to be erected in Heritage Square. After the side columns, the central columns of Heritage Square are lifted into place. The columns are connected to one another to stabilize and then the canoes are added. Here you can see how some of the canoes have already been attached to the column head. Ironworkers sit atop the structure and attach the pieces as they arrive. A view to the underside of Heritage Square - note the temporary working platforms. Multiple working platforms seen from below. A view to the underside of Heritage Square. Once Heritage Square is complete, work begins on the Galleria. Construction proceeds quite differently given the linear shape of the Galleria. This rolling platform rides on temporary crane rails to accommodate work along the length of the Galleria. A canoe sits at floor level of the Galleria ready to be lifted. Overall view of the Galleria, work in progress. A crane lifts a canoe into position. An ironworker attaches the canoe to its support. An ironworker sits atop the structure, completing the connections. The last canoe is lifted into place. Wayne Baigent (Canron) and Santiago Calatrava.

Project Description Project Team

Project Description

Note: Images above are in relative order of construction sequence.

In 1987 an invited competition was held as part of the City of Toronto's public art requirements. The purpose was to find ideas for the spaces between the Canada Trust Tower Lobby, the Clarkson Gordon Building and Garden Court, the Bay Wellington Tower, 22 Front Street and the Bank of Montreal (Hockey Hall of Fame).

The end result of the competition was the construction of BCE Place, Heritage Square and Galleria. The project forms a light filled link in the downtown business core of Toronto -- an urban space that is at once a vital attraction for locals and visitors alike, both day and night.

The Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel of the building was fabricated to the highest standards possible. As much of the material would be in close proximity to both view and touch, traces of milling and fabrication were removed. Tolerances were much tighter than for a standard structural steel frame as cumulative dimensional changes would have made it impossible to fit all of the complex pieces.

Site access was also tight - the construction largely taking place in the interstitial space between existing buildings.

photos: Wayne Baigent (Canron Construction), Terri Meyer Boake

The Construction of BCE Place: Heritage Square and Galleria

In 1987 an invited competition was held as part of the City of Toronto's public art requirements. The purpose was to find ideas for the spaces between the Canada Trust Tower Lobby, the Clarkson Gordon Building and Garden Court, the Bay Wellington Tower, 22 Front Street and the Bank of Montreal (Hockey Hall of Fame). The end result of the competition was the construction of BCE Place, Heritage Square and Galleria. The project forms a light filled link in the downtown business core of Toronto -- an urban space that is at once a vital attraction for locals and visitors alike, both day and night.

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