Toronto’s Pinnacle SkyTower has completed curtain wall cladding at the mechanical penthouse, leaving a short glass parapet around the building’s perimeter, according to UrbanToronto. The tower terminates without the full-height crown enclosure designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and depicted in earlier renderings, exposing much of the bare concrete structure and Building Maintenance Unit (BMU) at the summit. The source reported that the cladding milestone marks the end of the tower’s glazing work.
In its construction update, UrbanToronto reported that “Canada’s tallest building rises 106 storeys as the second phase of the Pinnacle One Yonge mixed-use community at Yonge Street and Lake Shore Boulevard on Toronto’s downtown waterfront.” The publication also noted that the tower crossed the 300m supertall threshold and hit the 100-storey mark in November 2025, nine months before the current update. The completed parapet closes out the exterior envelope for the high-rise. The report is based on drone photography and site observations.
The visible result is a summit that ends differently than the full-height crown shown in earlier renderings. UrbanToronto said the tower terminates without that enclosure, leaving much of the bare concrete structure and the BMU exposed. The publication did not say when the design changed or why.
The BMU is the building maintenance unit used for window cleaning and facade access. UrbanToronto’s update shows it exposed at the summit because the full-height crown enclosure was not built.
Upper cladding and roof details
Earlier this month, a drone view showed the curtain wall and white vertical fins largely complete at the uppermost levels, except along the east elevation where the construction hoist was attached, UrbanToronto’s update noted. The crane stood on the west side, while the roof hosted the BMU, the Tuned Mass Damper chamber, other mechanical equipment, and staged materials. At that point, fencing still lined the roofline, leaving the upper concrete volume visible around the elevator overrun and BMU.
Across the upper roof, the final unitized curtain wall sections stood in timber transport racks behind temporary perimeter guardrails. The prefabricated assemblies pair dark-tinted glazing with black aluminum framing, continuing the broad glazed bays, projecting white fins, and faceted corner panels below. Blue weatherproofing remained exposed along portions of the slab edge, the report said.
A close-up captured final detailing beside the hoist, where blue-tinted glass guards line the rooftop edge above the completed curtain wall. At right, a compact rooftop crane assisted a crew member guiding a narrow white metal closure panel between the guard glazing and a projecting fin. These final pieces completed the parapet’s glass run above the main glazing system.
Crane dismantling and envelope finishing
A few days later, the crane had begun to dismantle itself, with the shortened jib and climbing assembly lowered to roughly the roofline, according to UrbanToronto. Crew members stood atop the mechanical levels near the hoist, whose run interrupts the otherwise continuous envelope with exposed slab edges, concrete columns, temporary platforms, and localized openings. At grade, removed lattice mast sections stood in a fenced laydown area at the Yonge Street and Lake Shore Boulevard intersection.
The next day, the lattice jib was below the roofline. SkyTower’s twelve-sided envelope combines blue-grey reflective glazing, slender dark mullions, and white fins that rise along its chamfered elevations before angling inward with the taper. A recessed stack of balconies with glazed guards marks the southeast corner, while rooftop guards trace the upper edge below the concrete mechanical section.
Most recently, the slewing assembly and jib descended below the uppermost white horizontal accent bands, as the crane cast a shadow across the reflective glazing. With the hoist still interrupting the east elevation, the envelope remains incomplete there, but the cladding work around the mechanical penthouse is done, UrbanToronto indicated.
Project scale and future phases
UrbanToronto noted that “SkyTower stands 351.85m tall, containing 958 condominium suites above a podium with retail, amenities, and a 223-room Le Méridien hotel.” A third Pinnacle One Yonge tower is proposed to rise 320.35m, adding another 95-storey supertall to the waterfront development at some point in the future. Below, one of the earlier versions of the peak of the tower proposed a screen to elegantly hide all of the projections atop the building.
The publication did not specify a timeline for the third tower. It also showed an earlier rendering where a screen would have concealed the rooftop mechanical elements, contrasting with the now-completed short glass parapet and exposed concrete. The report did not say whether the proposed third tower will follow the same design approach.
The BMU, Tuned Mass Damper chamber, and other mechanical equipment remain exposed on the roof, as shown in the drone images. UrbanToronto’s update did not state whether a later phase will add a screen or enclosure to hide them.
Canadian fenestration context
For Canadian glazing contractors and specifiers, unitized curtain wall assemblies of the kind used on SkyTower are typically evaluated under CSA A440 and NAFS, the fenestration standards referenced by the Ontario Building Code. The standards cover air leakage, water penetration, and structural resistance for fenestration products. The Ontario Building Code references these standards for compliance on high-rise projects. UrbanToronto’s construction update does not discuss compliance, performance values, or testing results for the tower’s glazing. In Canada, ENERGY STAR certification for fenestration products follows separate criteria, but the report does not address energy performance for SkyTower’s curtain wall.
UrbanToronto said it will continue to follow progress on the development, and pointed readers to its project database file and forum for further details. The publication also invited readers to join the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment on its page.