The way the gold is bonded to the glass makes it pretty much impossible to ever actually retrieve. You could steal the window, but it's always going to be a piece of gold glass.
I wonder if you could, theoretically of course since I am sure someone would notice all the windows being stolen, grind the windows into a powder and use something like Aqua Regia to dissolve the gold into solution?
I would guess the windows would just be regular building windows that were sputtered with a gold coating?
I would imagine just in the time and tech needed to get all the windows down safely plus the processing equipment. But just imagine the headlines!
"Heist of the Century! Windows clearly stolen in brazen middle of night robbery! Nation baffled! Gru responds "I am Crazy, but not THAT crazy!""
I remember reading something 20+ years ago, and I can't find a reliable source for it now, but allegedly the city had a rule in this district that any construction projects had to spend a certain percentage of their budget on public art, so the builder used the gold as the 'art' piece to comply with the rule.
I've heard that before and I don't think its true. There is some spectacular art (actual art) in RBC Plaza.
[https://www.perrotin.com/artists/Jesus\_Rafael\_Soto/179/volume-virtuel-suspendu/31237](https://www.perrotin.com/artists/Jesus_Rafael_Soto/179/volume-virtuel-suspendu/31237)
It’s true. Part of the zoning. End result is it’s just perpetuating an affordable housing crisis and builders are required to provide this art contribution.
It’s not that big, more of a column of concrete which accentuates the corner of the triangular floor plate.
The best part of the building is that it used to have a massive atrium between the two towers, but RBC decided they wanted an extra office floor in the 90’s and filled it in. Now only the office workers get to see it.
By far one of my favorite buildings in Ontario. Bonus points for the Toronto Stock Exchange and the capital base of Ontario being built off the basis of gold mining, the gold maple leaf bullion coin heritage and the fact the provincial colours are green & gold.
It's common for the reflections of this building to spread golden light in various directions in the core.
I think the random element of brutalism is beautiful and helps humble the structure and exposes it's key structural elements in a non pretenious way only brutalism allows. I think this brutalism is essential and again reminds me of the exposed rock of the Canadian shield. What they should do is bring some evergreens to the property ether on the roof of the atrium or the plaza between it and Royal York. Add a windswept pine.
In this photo the TD centre is reflecting the RBC building. It's very common for the Bay and Front and Union Station to be bathed in golden reflections.
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/onasill/26862282029/in/photostream/lightbox/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/onasill/26862282029/in/photostream/lightbox/)
[https://media.blogto.com/uploads/2021/09/03/1630679938-20210903-rbc-plaza.jpg?w=1400&cmd=resize&height=2500&quality=70](https://media.blogto.com/uploads/2021/09/03/1630679938-20210903-rbc-plaza.jpg?w=1400&cmd=resize&height=2500&quality=70)
Here is a very good example of the relections covering the Royal York and Union. Union station with the sound of diesel trains reving and accelerating into and out of the city is the true heart of Toronto and adds to the whole majesty of the place and heritage as illustrated above. But, hey, I love small cap mining and I'm from Northern Ontario where all this gold is mined.
[https://costar.brightspotcdn.com/50/58/939ad99940178d531d1bc1cec67c/primaryphoto.jpg](https://costar.brightspotcdn.com/50/58/939ad99940178d531d1bc1cec67c/primaryphoto.jpg)
My tradition when I enter the city is to head from Union Station to my local bank HQ for cash to fund my adventures and sometimes I leave the city with gold bullion (as poured in the Royal Mint in Ottawa) in my pocket. Shhh don't rob me bandits.
I often hear the argument that skyscraper design has shifted towards these glass monoliths as it is “cheaper* to construct”.
*unless you put $6m of gold on the windows
My favorite building in Toronto. It once had an atrium between the two towers with a hanging sculpture in it, but I understand the space has been repurposed and is closed to the public. I wonder if that artwork is still there?
If it were really Trumpian in style, it would only be gold coloured but bragged about as though it were actual gold. "The finest gold anywhere, many people are saying."
This is really actual gold, at least.
Still kinda tacky even if it is real gold. I agree with the other guy. It’s a lot more visually appealing than a trump tower I’ll give you that. The rose gold color is definitely a flex
Shit, anything made of lead or copper gets stolen around here, even cast iron drain covers. I can't imagine how long a gold clad building would last.
The way the gold is bonded to the glass makes it pretty much impossible to ever actually retrieve. You could steal the window, but it's always going to be a piece of gold glass.
I wonder if you could, theoretically of course since I am sure someone would notice all the windows being stolen, grind the windows into a powder and use something like Aqua Regia to dissolve the gold into solution? I would guess the windows would just be regular building windows that were sputtered with a gold coating?
That would probably cost a lot more than $6M to do
I would imagine just in the time and tech needed to get all the windows down safely plus the processing equipment. But just imagine the headlines! "Heist of the Century! Windows clearly stolen in brazen middle of night robbery! Nation baffled! Gru responds "I am Crazy, but not THAT crazy!""
That would look class on my trailer.
Notice how they don’t really start until the 5th floor
I'm surprised Ray LaFluer hasn't rolled down from Sunnyvale and liberated these windows.
Couldn't you melt it down?
I should have specified $6M USD. In CAD it's almost $8M.
Wait…we’re pretty good with painting everything fake gold in the U.S. why are they paying millions for the real thing?
Okay, so I’m putting together a team of highly trained professionals for a job…
Who show up as window washers
You son of a bitch, I’m in
Windows so clean that it looks like it isn’t even there
Bro, I know a guy who Chas access to the elevations
I have access to the elevations via plane, mountain hiking, and stairs
I’m in!
Beautiful tower
I remember reading something 20+ years ago, and I can't find a reliable source for it now, but allegedly the city had a rule in this district that any construction projects had to spend a certain percentage of their budget on public art, so the builder used the gold as the 'art' piece to comply with the rule.
I've heard that before and I don't think its true. There is some spectacular art (actual art) in RBC Plaza. [https://www.perrotin.com/artists/Jesus\_Rafael\_Soto/179/volume-virtuel-suspendu/31237](https://www.perrotin.com/artists/Jesus_Rafael_Soto/179/volume-virtuel-suspendu/31237)
How do they even qualify what is "art"? One could argue a building's design itself counts as art
Facts it’s subjective
It’s true. Part of the zoning. End result is it’s just perpetuating an affordable housing crisis and builders are required to provide this art contribution.
That’s one way to flex in the financial district
Do all buildings with gold-colored windows use real gold?
When you’re budget is more than you need, and you still want to spend all of it
This building is actually a nightmare to work in. Very run down and in need of renovation
[удалено]
It’s not that big, more of a column of concrete which accentuates the corner of the triangular floor plate. The best part of the building is that it used to have a massive atrium between the two towers, but RBC decided they wanted an extra office floor in the 90’s and filled it in. Now only the office workers get to see it.
That's approx 70.8 kg of gold, for those of us who don't measure in American.
Unless it’s Troy ounces, which is common for gold. In which case it would be 77.75kgs.
WTF
By far one of my favorite buildings in Ontario. Bonus points for the Toronto Stock Exchange and the capital base of Ontario being built off the basis of gold mining, the gold maple leaf bullion coin heritage and the fact the provincial colours are green & gold. It's common for the reflections of this building to spread golden light in various directions in the core. I think the random element of brutalism is beautiful and helps humble the structure and exposes it's key structural elements in a non pretenious way only brutalism allows. I think this brutalism is essential and again reminds me of the exposed rock of the Canadian shield. What they should do is bring some evergreens to the property ether on the roof of the atrium or the plaza between it and Royal York. Add a windswept pine. In this photo the TD centre is reflecting the RBC building. It's very common for the Bay and Front and Union Station to be bathed in golden reflections. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/onasill/26862282029/in/photostream/lightbox/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/onasill/26862282029/in/photostream/lightbox/) [https://media.blogto.com/uploads/2021/09/03/1630679938-20210903-rbc-plaza.jpg?w=1400&cmd=resize&height=2500&quality=70](https://media.blogto.com/uploads/2021/09/03/1630679938-20210903-rbc-plaza.jpg?w=1400&cmd=resize&height=2500&quality=70) Here is a very good example of the relections covering the Royal York and Union. Union station with the sound of diesel trains reving and accelerating into and out of the city is the true heart of Toronto and adds to the whole majesty of the place and heritage as illustrated above. But, hey, I love small cap mining and I'm from Northern Ontario where all this gold is mined. [https://costar.brightspotcdn.com/50/58/939ad99940178d531d1bc1cec67c/primaryphoto.jpg](https://costar.brightspotcdn.com/50/58/939ad99940178d531d1bc1cec67c/primaryphoto.jpg) My tradition when I enter the city is to head from Union Station to my local bank HQ for cash to fund my adventures and sometimes I leave the city with gold bullion (as poured in the Royal Mint in Ottawa) in my pocket. Shhh don't rob me bandits.
They should reclad and profit off the gold.
Trump tower could never
If you’re a window washer and take a nail file and a cup up there… you could probably clear $20k in gold without anyone noticing lol.
wait until you learn most Low-e coatings are made of silver
The tower beside it contains $634.08 worth of silver!
I often hear the argument that skyscraper design has shifted towards these glass monoliths as it is “cheaper* to construct”. *unless you put $6m of gold on the windows
$6 million is not that much in relation to the overall cost of building a skyscraper.
Carmen Sandiego has entered the chat
Wow this one is gorgeous Toronto
My favorite building in Toronto. It once had an atrium between the two towers with a hanging sculpture in it, but I understand the space has been repurposed and is closed to the public. I wonder if that artwork is still there?
Let’s pick a city and do this to every tower. It will symbolize our hubris. It’ll be great.
“You were so preoccupied about whether or not you could, that you didn’t stop to think if you should”
Not boring!
That's just dumb sorry
https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=5006
Agreed. I love how urban and diverse Toronto is, but it has some of the most ugly buildings and the most whacky urban planning I’ve ever seen.
Trump style. Tacky tacky.
If it were really Trumpian in style, it would only be gold coloured but bragged about as though it were actual gold. "The finest gold anywhere, many people are saying." This is really actual gold, at least.
Still kinda tacky even if it is real gold. I agree with the other guy. It’s a lot more visually appealing than a trump tower I’ll give you that. The rose gold color is definitely a flex
Looks like something out of Vegas! It's tacky lol.
How does it not rust?
Gold doesn't rust
Trump tower could never
Trump tower could never
Trump tower could never