100 Adelaide Street West, known as EY Tower, is a 40-storey LEED Platinum office building in Toronto’s Financial District, completed in 2017 by Oxford Properties Group. It blends a modern 1,000,000-square-foot tower with the restored facade of the historic Concourse Building, and it sits steps from King Street, Bay Street, and Nathan Phillips Square.
We’ve walked past this building more times than we can count, and what stands out isn’t just the height, it’s how the old and new sections were stitched together without one overpowering the other.
What Is 100 Adelaide Street West?
100 Adelaide Street West is the office tower most Torontonians simply call EY Tower, named after one of its anchor tenants. The building rises 40 storeys above the Financial District and offers roughly 92,900 square metres of office space. Five levels of underground parking sit below grade, and the tower connects directly into the PATH network, which matters a lot in February when nobody wants to walk outside.
The project was developed by Oxford Properties Group and completed in 2017 as the final phase of the Richmond Adelaide Complex, a five-tower development that takes up a full city block. Design consultants Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates led the architecture, with GBCA Architects handling heritage consultation on the older portions of the site.
Why Does EY Tower Look the Way It Does?
The building’s silhouette is recognizable from both King and Bay Streets and from Nathan Phillips Square, mostly because of its sculptural form. Slender vertical fins drape over the top of the tower and run down the east and west elevations, giving it texture instead of a flat glass box look. That detail alone is why architecture students still photograph this building years after completion.
The Atrium and Mezzanine
A structure-free atrium on the southern facade stands 40 feet tall, opening up wide views of downtown Toronto from inside. Above that, a 60-foot perimeter mezzanine has an open roof, with multilevel trusses anchored to the tower’s structural cores. In our experience walking through the lobby, this open mezzanine is what makes the building feel less like a typical office tower and more like a public space.
Structural Engineering
Salas O’Brien handled structural engineering for the project, using inclined columns and long-span concrete floor slabs to support the building’s unusual shape.
Exposed structural steel framing supports the facades while staying thermally isolated from the interior spaces, a detail that matters for energy efficiency, not just looks. The team also completed structural modifications to accommodate end tenants after the base building was finished.
How Does EY Tower Preserve the Historic Concourse Building?
This is probably the most interesting part of the site for people who care about heritage architecture.
The 16-storey Concourse Building, originally constructed in the Art Deco style, sits at the base of the new tower rather than being demolished for it. Its mosaic frieze and decorative pediment at the front entrance were created by J.E.H. Macdonald, a member of the Group of Seven so this isn’t just old brickwork, it’s a documented piece of Canadian art history.
Historic Masonry
The historic masonry facades were retained and integrated into the new construction, and the original arched entry was reinstated as the main point of arrival. From there, visitors walk into a limestone-clad lobby that connects the heritage section to the modern tower above.
Heritage Toronto has documented similar adaptive reuse projects in the City, and this one is frequently cited as a strong example of doing it without turning the old building into a hollow facade with nothing behind it.
Where Is 100 Adelaide Street West Located?
The address sits in the core of Toronto’s Financial District, within walking distance of First Canadian Place, Scotia Plaza, and the Bay Adelaide Centre. Adelaide Street itself runs as a major east-west corridor through downtown, linking the Financial District to the Entertainment District and Fashion District further west.
For anyone unfamiliar with the area, this isn’t a quiet side street. It’s one of the busiest stretches in downtown Toronto during weekday business hours, with the King subway station a short walk away. If you’re planning a visit and want to see the building properly, early morning before the lunch rush gives you the clearest sightlines without dodging foot traffic.
What Awards Has EY Tower Won?
The building has picked up recognition since opening, which is worth mentioning if you’re trying to gauge how the project was received by the industry rather than just by passersby.
- It is the Best Office, Tower / Best Commercial High-Rise Development International Property Awarding,in 2017
- NAIOP REX Green Awarding of the Year,in 2017
- NAIOP REX Award Office Lease of the Year, 2014
These aren’t consumer-facing awards, but within commercial real estate and architecture circles, they carry genuine weight. 100 adelaide street west NAIOP is a recognized commercial real estate development association, so its recognition isn’t just a marketing checkbox.
FAQ
100 Adelaide Street West Suite 900
Suite 900 sits within the EY Tower at 100 Adelaide Street West, a LEED Platinum office tower in Toronto’s Financial District, offering tenants a polished address right in the heart of the financial core.
100 Adelaide Street West Parking
The building offers five levels of underground parking, plus direct PATH network access at the basement level, making those cold Toronto mornings a little easier to handle.
100 Adelaide Street West EY Tower
100 Adelaide Street West, known as EY Tower, is a 40-storey LEED Platinum office tower developed by Oxford Properties Group, blending modern design with the restored Concourse Building facade.
100 Adelaide Street East
100 Adelaide Street East is a separate address located on the opposite side of downtown Toronto, away from the Financial District stretch tied to EY Tower and 100 Adelaide Street West.
100 Adelaide Street West Directions
The tower sits near King Street and Bay Street, a short walk from King subway station, right in the middle of Toronto’s busy financial core.
100 Adelaide Street West Food Court
There’s a food court within the Financial District complex near EY Tower, a handy, low-key spot for tenants and visitors grabbing a quick bite between meetings.
100 Adelaide Street West TMX
TMX Group, which operates the Toronto Stock Exchange, has held office space within 100 Adelaide Street West, reflecting the building’s strong ties to Toronto’s financial core.
100 Adelaide Street West For Rent
Office space at 100 Adelaide Street West occasionally becomes available for rent, appealing to businesses wanting a prestigious Financial District address inside the LEED Platinum-rated EY Tower.
