Tall & Urban News

Toronto is undergoing a dramatic vertical transformation as population growth and architectural ambition converge. CTBUH will be hosting its annual International Conference this year in the booming city, 6-9 October, and the topics of vertical urbanism couldn't be more relevant at this location.

The city expects one million new residents by 2050, fueling a spark in development and high-rise construction. Projects by global architecture firms like Frank Gehry, Foster + Partners, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Studio Gang, and others are reshaping neighborhoods and redefining urban living.

In the Fashion District, King Toronto—inspired by Habitat 67 and expressed in glass blocks—will add 440 homes across four “mountains” while preserving historic masonry façades, designed by BIG. Nearby, the Gehry-designed Forma, featuring two reflective towers up to 84 stories, brings the architect back to his hometown with this iconic design in the Entertainment District.

One Yonge by Hariri Pontarini Architects, currently under construction, is poised to become Canada’s tallest building at 106 stories. It is part of a six-tower complex with affordable housing and community amenities. Meanwhile, One Bloor West, a diagrid-clad supertall by Foster + Partners, will offer luxury living and panoramic amenities when completed in 2026.

Waterfront renewal continues with Aqualuna, a sculptural residential project designed by 3XN and set alongside George Brown College’s upcoming mass timber vertical campus by Moriyama Teshima Architects. Both projects emphasize sustainability and community integration.

In Deer Park, One Delisle by Studio Gang provides lush balconies and a sculptural form to a 44-story residential tower, marking the architecture firm’s Canadian debut. Another project at 2444 Eglinton Avenue is a polychromatic cooperative housing complex that signals a renewed federal commitment to affordability.

Finally, the 370-acre Downsview Airport Redevelopment, designed by Henning Larsen and a consortium of global designers will unfold over two decades, transforming former runways into a sustainable, mixed-use community for 54,000 people, anchored by transit and repurposed hangars.

As Toronto’s skyline grows ever taller, and population growth continues, so too does the city's ambition to provide density with design, equity, and livability.

Read more at Architect's Newspaper.