Owner Canada Lands Company unveiled spectacular new features at the CN Tower observation level in Toronto recently, hosting a gala reception to showcase $16 million worth of renovation work undertaken by a team under PCL Constructors.
The job took eight months and included the reconfiguring of spaces and installation of a second glass floor, three new bistros and new “window walls” that stretch floor to ceiling.
CN Tower vice-president and COO Neil Jones explained in an interview at the June 26 event that accessibility was a key goal as the CN Tower team set about making plans for a makeover.
New towers in New York City and London had set the bar higher globally and the CN Tower, which opened in 1976 and which has already had numerous upgrades, including the unveiling of its Edgewalk in 2011, needs to keep up, Jones said.
“It’s a great day. We finally got it open, it’s been a long eight months for us,” said Jones.
“The payoff was viewing the kids’ faces to see how they enjoy it. The accessibility was really important and I think we have accomplished that.”
Young Variety Village ambassadors were given ribbon-cutting duties at the opening, symbolizing the push for accessibility.
Whereas most panels previously had a barrier at three feet with windows on top, the new window walls offer visitors in wheelchairs unimpeded views of the surrounding city.
Jones said PCL and design consultant Cumulus Architects helped develop the vision.
“I think one of my aha moments, when I first saw the drawings, the visual, I was expecting the windows but I wasn’t expecting one glass floor over another glass floor,” he said. “And seeing how open it was. One of our main visions was, when you come off the elevator, you should be seeing that view, you shouldn’t be seeing walls. So it opens up the view for everyone.”
A crew spent 120 days, from February 2017 to June 2017, converting the 14 original glazing units to floor-to-ceiling glass. The exterior work was undertaken from an existing window washing cage located at the 1,136-foot level at the observation deck.
Starting last October, 28 additional glazing units were added. The panels include a thermochromic film that adjusts to sunlight and external temperature to improve energy efficiency.
Sarfaraz Haq, CN Tower senior director for business planning and development, served as project manager for the latest renovation. He said a major challenge was working while the attraction remained open, with only one elevator available for use, from 11 at night to 7 a.m.
“Logistically it was very, very difficult,” said Haq. “But having those timelines and good project management helped us out.”
Jones added, “The challenges are, you are in a tower, you are 1,150 feet in the air, so everything has to go up an elevator, from demolition to building. Every single piece of glass has to fit into an elevator, so you better measure it twice before you put it into the specs.”
Three workers spent 10 days installing the new glass floor. The crew was unable to work with a false floor underneath because there would be no way of removing it later, so they did the job suspended in air by safety ropes, buffeted by the elements.
Other firms to work on the project included MackayWong, The Mitchell Partnership, Mulvey & Banani International and Read Jones Christoffersen, all in design roles, along with Westbury National and Crestron and Symphony in AV, Guild Electric as the electrical contractor, Engie as the mechanical contractor, Holman and Guide Woodworking for the millwork, Woodbecker for tiered seating, Downsview for walls and ceilings, Maple Leaf Painting and Redspire installing windows under PCL.
The CN Tower, at 1,815 feet, the tallest structure in Canada, was visited by more than 1.98 million people last year. Owner Canada Lands is a Crown corporation established in 1995 with a mandate to maximize value for surplus federal lands and manage federal attractions.
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