The story of the CN Tower’s unbuilt masterplan, as the Toronto icon turns 50

The CN Tower is marking its 50th anniversary today, sitting still as one of Toronto’s most recognisable landmarks. To mark the occasion, architecture firm WZMH Architects has released archival material detailing the origins of the scheme and a wider urban redevelopment project it would have sat in, which was never fully realized. 

The tower emerged from Metro Centre, a 1968 master plan that proposed transforming Toronto’s railway lands through a large-scale redevelopment that included the demolition of Union Station. Although the wider scheme was ultimately abandoned, the scheme’s communications tower advanced to construction and was completed in 1976, becoming the world’s tallest free-standing structure at the time.

Working alongside John Andrews Architects, WZMH Architects served as Architect of Record for the project, developing construction documentation and overseeing construction administ...