From vision to reality: Nutrien Tower emerges from the ground

Nutrien Tower started to emerge from the frozen ground in late 2019 with crews working on basement mechanical, site services like water and the first few above-ground floors. 

"The construction company spent a lot of the year putting in the parking garage and building the foundation for what will be Saskatchewan's tallest building," says Graham Canvin, Senior Director, Global Facilities. “Keep watching the skyline as we're going up." 

Tasked with taking Nutrien's vision and turning it into the real thing are architectural firms Group 2 and Perkins+Will. The rest of the building, including the exterior, has been up to Gibbs Gage. Chito Pabustan, Partner and Managing Director at Gibbs Gage, recently gave an interesting overview of the inspiration for the design of the building's exterior.

"In the prairies, structures that stand out above the horizon are things like grain elevators. What makes a grain elevator interesting is that it can be seen from 360 degrees all the way around, and each side promotes a different view. That's why our design isn't just your typical square footprint. When you're walking or driving around the city, each view of the building is going to be different and dynamic," explains Chito. 

Nutrien Tower will be world-class inside as well. The building will feature a "winter garden" on its top floor, for instance, making the building unique in Saskatchewan and a stand-out facility in western Canada.