[7] The building was built to be the new main office of the Royal Bank of Canada after its decision to move its centre of operations from Place Ville Marie in Montreal to Toronto in the late 1970s, although Place Ville Marie remains the bank's head office (a distinct title from its corporate headquarters).

Together, both towers contain more than 14,000 windows which project from the facade to form angular bays set into brushed aluminum frames.

The double-height entry is also recessed from the facade and covered in dark-tinted glass set into dark aluminum frames.

The glass for the body of the building was manufactured by Canadian Pittsburgh Industries and was coloured using 2,500 oz (71,000 g) of gold, valued at CA$70 per pane at the time of installation.

The building was constructed with a large atrium above the main banking hall that linked the two towers, but in the 1990s a trading floor was added, closing the open space.