This spring, the world’s largest maple leaf sculpture will take its place on the Toronto Skyling, crowning Concord Canada House, the flagship development of Concord Pacific Developments. Conceived by acclaimed Canadian artist and author Douglas Coupland, the installation is a statement about what Canada means now.
Coupland, best known for defining an era with his 1991 novel Generation X, has built a career translating Canadian identity into visual and conceptual art. His work often explores how technology, architecture, and collective memory shape the way Canadians see themselves, both as individuals and as a nation.
At Concord Canada House, his latest project will be his most visible yet: a massive, stylized maple leaf sculpture positioned atop the twin towers that anchor the western edge of Toronto’s downtown. At once national emblem and contemporary artwork, the piece will be visible for kilometres in every direction, marking a new focal point on the skyline with an unmistakable ode to Canada.
Concord Canada House represents both a physical and symbolic capstone for Concord Pacific Developments, the company that has shaped skylines across the country from Vancouver to Toronto. The project completes the transformation of the once-industrial waterfront into a dense, modern residential community that blends architecture, public space, and cultural infrastructure.
In that context, Coupland’s maple leaf becomes more than an aesthetic flourish — it’s a national landmark in the making. “Public art has the power to connect a community with a larger identity,” said Terry Hui, Concord Pacific CEO. “When people see this piece, they won’t just think of the building or the city, they’ll think of Canada.”
Hui’s words point to a philosophy that has long guided Concord Pacific’s approach to development. The company is the driving force behind the country’s largest privately funded public art program, commissioning works from both Canadian and international artists to populate its master-planned communities. From Vancouver’s False Creek to downtown Calgary, Concord’s developments often integrate sculptures, murals, and interactive installations as part of their design DNA.
For Coupland, whose work frequently blurs the line between art, architecture, and social commentary, the Concord Canada House commission is a natural evolution. His career has traced the shifting shape of modern Canadian identity, from Generation X’s portrait of disenchanted youth to City of Glass’s meditation on Vancouver’s urban transformation, to his visual art exploring the digital age and its discontents.
Over the past two decades, Coupland has created major public artworks across Canada, including Digital Orca at Vancouver’s convention centre and Infinite Tire in Calgary. The maple leaf installation should prove to be an indelible part of his legacy, not only for its unprecedented scale but for its placement atop a building complex that itself represents the country’s evolution from industrial to innovative.
Since its founding in Vancouver in 1987, Concord Pacific Developments has grown into one of Canada’s largest urban developers, with projects stretching from the West Coast to downtown Toronto. Beyond its impact on architecture, it has increasingly positioned itself as a cultural patron, incorporating art, design, and sustainability into every project.
That blend of civic ambition and private initiative is what makes the Concord Canada House installation significant. It’s not just a sculpture on a tower; it’s a collaboration that brings together the two halves of contemporary Canada — the builder and the storyteller, the skyline and the symbol.
As Coupland’s maple leaf takes its place above the city, it stands not only as a piece of public art, but as an emblem of how Canadians continue to define themselves — visually, collectively, and proudly.
Written in partnership with Tom White
