CTBUH/CVU Tours: A Visit Inside Canada’s Future Tallest Building: SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge

FEATURES EVENTS
October 14, 2025 by Anthony Teles 812

CTBUH/CVU Tours: A visit to Canada's future tallest building: SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge

Day 4 of the recent Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat/Council on Vertical Urbanism conference in Toronto included a tour of construction progress on the SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge for some conference attendees. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for Pinnacle International, the future tallest building in Canada, the 106-story tower will feature more than 950 condominium suites above a podium with retail outlets, a pedestrian link, rooftop amenities and a 220-room Meridien Hotel.

Pinnacle One Yonge, image by Michael Fernandes

With its glazed, dodecagonal, upwardly tapering shape with chamfered corners, the tower was designed to reduce loads caused by wind.

Approved design of Pinnacle One Yonge, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for Pinnacle International

The tour began in the sales center and provided up-to-date information on the future “Supertall” tower. Development is progressing towards planned completion in early 2026 and subsequent commencement of occupancy late next year.

Pre-tour introduction at the sales center, picture by Michael Fernandes

The first stops of the tour focused on the podium, where construction has progressed on a mix of back-of-house and publicly accessible spaces. On the ground floor, the group moved through the retail and hotel spaces, where unfinished concrete walls and service installations are currently underway.

Inside the storefront, picture by Michael Fernandes

On the second floor, teams are building out the operational and property management areas of the hotel kitchen, with exposed framing and plumbing providing a clear view of the infrastructure that will support the hotel suites on the floors above.

Back of house for second floor kitchen, image by Michael Fernandes

Podium levels 2 through 13 are intended for hotel use (with the exception of the 7th floor, where many recreational spaces for condo residents will be located). As part of the tour, participants entered a fully furnished, replica Meridien hotel suite with double beds, accent lighting and a mural inspired by Toronto's grid that offered a taste of the guest experience. In addition to rooms, the hotel program also includes ballrooms and event spaces that tie into the Podium's mix of restaurants and public spaces.

Model of a hotel suite, image by Michael Fernandes

The building's vertical systems were another highlight of the tour. Visitors looked into the unfinished elevator shafts that will soon house one of Canada's fastest elevator networks, capable of traveling from bottom to top in just one minute, a requirement of fire safety standards. The core is supported by a combination of reinforced concrete and prestressed walls, while mechanical wiring and plumbing will be routed through the structure as construction progresses.

Elevator shaft, picture by Michael Fernandes

To support rapid vertical ascent, concrete is continuously pumped through a system of pipes that extend the full height of the tower. This process allows teams to maintain consistent progress even as the structure exceeds 90 stories. Construction methods such as this continuous line pump along with the external positioning of the crane allowed for rapid work progress and limited disruption.

A line pumps concrete through the entire building, image by Michael Fernandes

On the 50th floor, participants entered one of the tower's residential suites.

50th floor suite, image by Michael Fernandes

Balconies extended outwards from here. The expansive views from these levels enhanced the scale of the project, looking directly at the glass towers of the Financial District…

Balcony view to the northwest from the 50th floor, picture by Michael Fernandes

…while higher floors, up to the 80th floor, offered panoramic views of Lake Ontario and downtown Toronto.

Looking west from the 80th floor, image by Michael Fernandes

As of this month, the SkyTower has progressed well into its upper reaches, with concrete having been poured up to the 92nd floor and the structure on track to surpass the 300-meter mark – the “supertall” limit – once it reaches 97 floors. Once completed, attention will be entirely focused on finishing the façade and interior work, a process that has already begun before final occupancy.

High-density rebar and special climbing systems were also used to ascend the tower vertically. More than 16,500 tons of reinforcement were installed, giving the concrete a density of around 230 kilograms per cubic meter, almost twice that of a conventional high-rise building. The construction is supported by two self-climbing systems: the Rail Climbing System (RCS-G) platform, which wraps around the outside in a wind- and fall-proof manner and encloses several floors at the same time, and the automatic climbing system at the core, which hydraulically raises the elevator shaft formwork independently of crane operation.

Pinnacle One Yonge now rises 92 stories in downtown Toronto, image by Edward Skira

Completion of the SkyTower is scheduled for early 2026 and is entering the final construction phase. When completed, the 106-story tower will add more than 950 condominium suites and 220 hotel rooms to Toronto's waterfront as Canada's tallest building.

UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database file linked below. If you'd like, you can join the discussion in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.

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UrbanToronto's research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe – from proposal to completion. Other services include instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from the first application.