At Toronto’s western gateway, the two towers of Concord Canada House have recently risen up to greet all comers with what is being touted as the world’s largest maple leaf installation. The series of thirty-story maple leaves that span the rooftops of both towers is set to become an iconic element of the city’s skyline.
Concord Canada House is the latest major project by Concord Pacific Developments, Canada’s largest community builder. In Toronto, Concord is behind CityPlace, a model of high-density, master-planned communities that blend quality housing, creative amenities, and engaging public spaces. Both CityPlace and Vancouver’s equally iconic Concord Pacific Place on False Creek feature prime access to the water and pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods full of vibrant storefronts and landscaped parks.
Concord Canada House follows in this spirit. Like CityPlace, it is built on former rail lands, part of the continual shift of Toronto’s core from industrial infrastructure to residential and mixed-use communities. The project’s design prioritizes shared spaces and a breathtaking visual connection to the city, creating a common experience that is central to the creation of community.
Concord has won praise for integrating high-quality public art pieces into its developments. At Concord Canada House, the scale of the maple leaf installation is meant to set a tone as a widely-recognized civic marker. Constructed from thousands of individual aluminum leaves, it was engineered for longevity, envisioning its place as a permanent part of the cityscape.
Beyond the maple leaves, the development also features a 100-foot rooftop mural by iconic Canadian artist Douglas Coupland. Coupland’s mural is inspired by iceberg imagery and the idea of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, with themes of beauty and hidden complexity that align closely with urban life in high-density environments.
Through books like Generation X and City of Glass, Coupland has a major impact on how Canadians think about cities, their psychological impact, consumer culture, and modern identity. His dual identity as a prolific public artist translates those ideas to physical space, and in this case, to a residential development that aims to reflect a sense of core Canadian identity.
Concord’s commissioning of Coupland is part of a broader commitment to engaging major artists to contribute to their civic creations. Across its projects in Toronto, Vancouver, and elsewhere in the UK and US, the company has commissioned works from both Canadian and international artists, creating what’s become Canada’s largest privately funded public art program.
Concord Pacific’s CEO Terry Hui sees art as part of the infrastructure, shaping how spaces are experienced and inhabited. Through these ambitious, permanent public works, Concord provides artists with visibility and scale rarely available outside institutional or civic projects.
“We are proud that the Concord Pacific Place model for incorporating public art into community planning is now being used in cities across North America,” said Concord Pacific President Terry Hui. “Thirty years on, we have created more than 60 installations by Canadian, First Nations, and international artists. Public art is accessible to everyone, and we hope our installations inspire generations of emerging artists.”
With Concord Canada House now fully realized, the maple leaf installation and Coupland’s murals have become a piece of Toronto’s urban environment, inviting different interpretations from residents, newcomers, and visitors alike.
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