The Bow | Foster + Partners

The Bow is the tallest building in Canada outside of Toronto and the third tallest in Canada overall. It is Canada’s largest steel-framed building. It has the largest floor area of any single office building designed by Foster + Partners. The raft slab for the foundation was the largest single concrete pour in Canadian construction history, using 94 concrete trucks and taking 39.5 hours. The foundations are 3m thick and contain 14,000m3 of concrete. The intersecting triangular sections of the south atrium wall form the largest diagrid of Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS) in the world 400,000m3 of land was excavated. Approximately 1 floor was built each week. There are 40 elevators, including an express elevator serving Ground to Skygarden. Sustainability The building’s form deflects the prevailing winds, allowing for a lighter structure. The solar heat collected in the atrium is redistributed throughout the year by means of extraction during winter and heat exchange during summer, reducing the load on the mechanical systems. 3 x 6 storey-high “Sky gardens” with natural vegetation at levels 24, 42 and 54. Large glazed areas reduce the need for artificial lighting. Heat redistribution system. Displacement ventilation via a raised floor.