The Royal Bank Plaza, one of downtown Toronto’s most iconic banking buildings, originally built in 1976, houses the international headquarters of the Royal Bank of Canada in two office towers, 41- and 26-storeys high. Clad in gold reflective glass, the towers are linked by a 40-metre-high glass-enclosed atrium —the core of the development. Glass reflections resulting from a sawtooth configuration of the building produce a an ever changing variety of tones and colours on the facade, throughout the day. The interior lower levels provide spacious public banking facilities and pedestrian access through the site. Adjacent to Union Station, the project is a gateway to the City’s underground PATH system.
WZMH was responsible for recent design updates that included modernizing the retail mall, food court, and office lobbies. The changes serve to adapt the building to the evolving needs of this busy pedestrian precinct with a design that embraces principles of openness and transparency —drawing people through the main entrances into contemporary and welcoming spaces. Two escalators and a cascading water feature provide a visual connection to the expanded 625-seat food court.