List of tallest buildings in Calgary

Calgary is both the largest city and largest metropolitan area in the Canadian province of Alberta, with a municipal population of 1,267,344[1] as of April 1, 2018, and a metropolitan population of 1,469,300[2] as of July 1, 2016. Standing at 56 stories, 247 m (810 ft), the tallest building in the city is Brookfield Place.[3][4] The second-tallest building in the city is The Bow, standing at 58-storeys, 236 m (774 ft). The third-tallest building in the city is the 60-storey, 222-metre (728 ft) Telus Sky, which surpassed the 215-metre (705 ft) Suncor Energy Centre upon its completion in 2020.[5][6] The Calgary Tower is included in this list for comparison purposes; however, it is not ranked since it is not considered a habitable building.

Downtown Calgary, with Calgary's four tallest buildings in the bottom right

Calgary's history of towers began with the Grain Exchange Building (1910), the Fairmont Palliser Hotel (1914), and the Elveden Centre. Building construction remained slow in the city until the early 1970s. From 1970 to 1990, Calgary witnessed a major expansion of skyscraper and high-rise construction. Many of the city's office towers were completed during this period, such as the First Canadian Centre and the Canterra Tower office towers. A ten-year lull in building construction came after the expansion, though Calgary experienced a larger second building expansion beginning in the late 90s and continuing into the present.[7] Currently, the city has height restrictions that prevent any building from casting a shadow over the Bow River and the city hall, however, winter months are excluded from this limit. There is no other imposed limits elsewhere in the city, which could allow for some extremely tall buildings. The Bow Tower was originally proposed to be at least 1,000 feet tall but reduced to comply with these rules.[8]: 367  As of June 2018 Calgary hosts 373 buildings over 35 m (115 ft) complete and under construction, 82 of which are 100 m (328 ft) or more and are all in the downtown area. This is the second highest concentration of skyscrapers in Canada, behind Downtown Toronto.[9]

As of March 2019, there are 10 skyscrapers over 100 m (328 ft) under construction, along with another 34 skyscrapers over 100 m (328 ft) approved and proposed, with a further 56 high-rises over 35 m (115 ft) under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in the City of Calgary. After this skyscraper boom, Calgary's skyline will have dramatically changed, having added at least the second tallest and fourth tallest buildings in Western Canada between 2016 and 2018, Brookfield Place East and Telus Sky respectively.[9]

Buildings

This list ranks buildings in Calgary that stand at least 400 feet (120 meters) tall, based on CTBUH height measurement standards. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. Freestanding observation and/or telecommunication towers, while not habitable buildings, are included for comparison purposes; however, they are not ranked. One such tower is the Calgary Tower.

RankBuildingAddressHeightFloorsCompletedImage
1Brookfield Place East210 7 Avenue SW247 m (810 ft)562017
Brookfield Place East
2The Bow500 Centre Street S236 m (774 ft)582012
The Bow
3Telus Sky619 Centre Street S222 m (728 ft)602020
Telus Sky
4Suncor Energy Centre - West150 6 Avenue SW215 m (705 ft)[10]531984
Suncor Energy Centre
5Eighth Avenue Place I525 8 Avenue SW212 m (696 ft)512011
Eighth Avenue Place
6Bankers Hall - West888 3 Street SW197 m (646 ft)[11]52[12]2000
Bankers Hall - West
7Bankers Hall - East855 2 Street SW197 m (646 ft)[13]52[12]1989
Bankers Hall - East
8Calgary Tower101 9th Avenue SW191 m (627 ft)1968
Tower from below
9Centennial Place - East520 - 3rd Avenue SW182 m (597 ft)412010
Centennial Place
10Eighth Avenue Place II585 8 Avenue SW177 m (581 ft)412014
Eighth Avenue Place II
11Canterra Tower400 3 Avenue SW177 m (581 ft)[14]45[15]1988
Canterra Tower
12TransCanada Tower450 1 Street SW177 m (581 ft)382001
TransCanada Tower
13Jamieson Place308 4 Avenue SW172 m (564 ft)382009
Jamieson Place
14First Canadian Centre350 7 Avenue SW167 m (548 ft)411982
First Canadian Centre
15Western Canadian Place - North707 8 Avenue SW164 m (538 ft)411983
Western Canadian Place North
16TD Canada Trust Tower421 7 Avenue SW162 m (531 ft)401991
TD Canada Trust Tower
17City Centre I215 2 Street SW162 m (531 ft)372016
City Centre I
18Stephen Avenue Place700 2 Street SW155 m (509 ft)411976
Scotia Centre
19801 Seventh Building801 7 Avenue SW153 m (502 ft)371982
801 7th Avenue Building
20West Village Towers I850 11 St SW150 m (490 ft)412022
West Village Towers I
21West Village Towers II850 11 St SW150 m (490 ft)412022
West Village Towers II
22The Guardian North1122 3 St SE147 m (482 ft)442016
The Guardian North
23The Guardian South1188 11 Ave SE147 m (482 ft)442016
The Guardian South
24Bow Valley Square 2205 5 Avenue SW143 m (469 ft)391975
Bow Valley Square
25Dome Tower333 7 Avenue SW141 m (463 ft)351977
Dome Tower
26Fifth and Fifth Building505 5 Avenue SW140 m (460 ft)341980
27Shell Centre4 Avenue SW140 m (460 ft)331977
Shell Centre
28Eleven1055 11 St SW138 m (453 ft)442021
Eleven Tower
29Home Oil Tower324 8 Avenue SW137 m (449 ft)341977
Home Oil Tower
30Bow Valley Square 4205 5 Avenue SW134 m (440 ft)371981
Bow Valley Square
31Fifth Avenue Place East425 1 Street SW133 m (436 ft)351981
Fifth Avenue Place East
32Fifth Avenue Place West237 4 Avenue SW133 m (436 ft)351981
Fifth Avenue Place West
33Suncor Energy Centre - East111 5 Avenue SW130 m (430 ft)[16]331984
Petro-Canada Centre
34Calgary Courts Centre601 5th Street SW129 m (423 ft)262007
Calgary Courts Centre
35Western Canadian Place - South707 8 Avenue SW128 m (420 ft)[17]321983
Western Canadian Place South
36Arriva 341111 Olympic Way SE128 m (420 ft)342007
Arriva Tower
37Altius Centre500 4 Avenue SW126 m (413 ft)321973
Altius Centre
38The Edison150 9 Ave SW125 m (410 ft)311982
EnCana Place
39Vogue930 6th Avenue SW125 m (410 ft)362017
Vogue
40Stock Exchange Tower300 5 Ave SW124 m (407 ft)311979
Stock Exchange Tower
41Hewlett Packard Tower715 5 Ave SW124 m (407 ft)331975
Hewlett Packard Tower
42707 Fifth707 5 Ave SW124 m (407 ft)272017
707 Fifth Avenue
43Five West East Tower910 5th Avenue SW123 m (404 ft)282008
Five West East Tower
Downtown Calgary from the south in May 2018, with Telus Sky under construction
Downtown Calgary from the north in 2010, with The Bow building under construction at left

Towers

Observation/Communication towers completed as of October, 2006
RankBuildingAddressHeightCompletedImage
=1CFCN-DT Tower 1*Old Banff Coach Road SW250 m (820 ft)1954
=1CFCN-DT Tower 2*Old Banff Coach Road SW250 m (820 ft)1954 

(*) Although Calgary's two largest structures are actually CFCN-TV's twin communication towers, they are not self-supporting and are assisted by cables (guyed). This is not unlike most stand-alone communications antennae.

Historic towers

Notable historical towers
BuildingAddressHeightFloorsCompletedNotesImage
Ski Jump (Canada Olympic Park)88 Canada Olympic Park Road SW90 mn/a1987The taller of three ski jump towers built for the 1988 Winter Olympics; 90 meters is the distance a ski jumper travels from the terminus, not the height of the structure
Canada Olympic Park
Elveden House (part of Elveden Centre)727 7th Avenue SW80 m201960Calgary's first skyscraper
Elveden House
Fairmont Palliser Hotel133 9th Avenue SW60 m121914Calgary's tallest building 1914-1958
Fairmont Palliser Hotel
Grain Exchange Building[18]815 1st Street SW61910First building in Calgary with an elevator
Grain Exchange Building

Projects

The following is a list of buildings that are under construction, approved, or proposed in Calgary that are planned to rise at least 100 m (328 ft) As of January 2021.

Under construction

BuildingHeightFloorsUse
Arris West142 m (466 ft)41Residential
Park Central North133 m (436 ft)39Residential
Oliver West121 m (397 ft)35Residential

Approved

BuildingHeightFloorsUse
Elbow River I178 m (584 ft)56Residential
Elbow River II162 m (531 ft)50Residential
Elbow River III146 m (479 ft)40Residential
Place 10 West121 m (397 ft)35Residential
101 - 11 Avenue SE120 m (394 ft)37Residential
Brentwood Common120 m (394 ft)40Residential
Curtis Block III119 m (390 ft)36Residential
West Village Towers III100 m (328 ft)?Residential

Proposed/on-hold

BuildingHeightFloorsUse
Stephen Avenue Quarter287 m (942 ft)66Mixed-use
Oxford Place262 m (860 ft)62Office
Plaza 54187 m (614 ft)54Residential
Brookfield Place West178 m (584 ft)40Office
633 Third167 m (548 ft)46Mixed-use
Portfolio IV147 m (482 ft)44Residential
Eau Claire Market I135 m (443 ft)35Office
City Centre II132 m (433 ft)47Mixed-use
1520 East123 m (404 ft)37Residential
526- 4th Ave112 m (367 ft)32Residential
Portfolio III~100 m (328 ft)29Residential

Timeline of tallest buildings

This lists buildings that once held the title of tallest building in Calgary. Although it is not a building, the Calgary Tower was the city's tallest free standing structure from 1968 until 1983 when it was surpassed by the Suncor Energy Centre's West tower.

NameStreet addressYears as tallestHeight
m / ft
FloorsImage
Fairmont Palliser Hotel133 9th Avenue SW1914–195860 / 19712
Fairmont Palliser Hotel
Elveden House727 7th Avenue SW1960-196880 / 26220
Elveden House
One Calgary Place330 5 Avenue SW1968-1973110 / 36130
One Calgary Place
Altius Centre500 4 Avenue SW1973-1974126 / 41332
Altius Centre
Bow Valley Square 2205 5 Avenue SW1974-1976143 / 46939
Bow Valley Square
Stephen Avenue Place700 2 Street SW1976-1982155 / 50941
Scotia Centre
First Canadian Centre350 7 Avenue SW1982-1984167 / 54841
First Canadian Centre
Suncor Energy Centre - West150 6 Avenue SW1984-2011215 / 70553
Suncor Energy Centre
The Bow500 Centre Street SE2011–2017236 / 77458
The Bow
Brookfield Place East210 - 7 Avenue SW2017–present247 / 81056
Brookfield Place East

Other buildings

See also

References