1914 – Dominion Bank Building, King Street, Toronto

Constructed in 1914, and one of Toronto’s historic skyscrapers, the Dominion Bank Building is Beaux-Arts in style with Renaissance Revival detailing. At opening it boasted the city’s largest vault and most elegant banking hall. The tripartite format is discernable with the tall base or plinth containing the banking hall and public offices, the repetitive floors of the column for administrative needs, and the more elaborate top floors for leadership. It served as the bank’s headquarters from 1914 to 1955. In 1955, a merger with The Bank of Toronto formed The Toronto-Dominion Bank. While many head office functions were relocated, a branch continued here until 2000. In 2005, the Dominion Bank Building was opened for residential use after being redesigned by Stanford Downey Architect.

“Rising one hundred and eighty-five feet above the ground, this structure is quite expressive of the original intentions for w4iich it has been erected. The granite base comprises the ground and main floors; the large window treatment on the Yonge street facade indicating the banking room proper, while the lower row of openings express the location of the savings department. The smaller windows above the King street entrance designate a mezzanine floor directly over the main lobby. Seven stories devoted to office space comprise the shaft, while the arcade treatment at the top encloses the head office department of the institution.

From the granite, extending fifty-two feet above the street level to the roof, the exterior is faced with glazed terra cotta, well executed and quite conformable to the style of Italian Renaissance as adhered to in the designing of this edifice. One feature which exemplifies the careful attention paid to the small details, which in turn produce the harmonious ensemble, is the method of treating the vertical lines of the shaft. Moulded as they are with no horizontal interruptions, and designed so that no vertical jointing becomes apparent, the result is not only ornate, but lends considerable solidity to the general effect, each piece presenting in appearance a square tile.”
Construction, December 1914

The interior at opening was described as

“Once inside the main entrance the feeling of strength and ornate simplicity is felt. To the left is the approach from Yonge street, through a revolving door located directly inside of the bronze doors already” mentioned, and which has been prevented from protruding into the lobby by furring the wall to the required depth. On the right is the main stairway leading to the public banking room above, and straight ahead are five broad marble steps leading down to the savings department. The entrance hall, nineteen by sixty-four feet and twenty-six feet in height, is lined throughout with Tavernelle marble, which material is also used for the main stairs, the large banking room and the savings department.

Two bronze lamp standards, with frosted lights, mark the opening into the savings bank department. This room is practically a continuation of the entrance hall, extending back some seventy feet and leading directly to the vaults below by means of a broad marble stairway. The flooring here, as in the banking room above, consists of light gray Tennessee marble slabs thirty inches square, set within a reddish border. The artificial lighting is semidirect, sixteen frosted glass bowls being hung from the centre of the ceiling panels.

At the top of the monumental marble and bronze stairway leading from the entrance hall is located the main banking room. Eighteen piers enclose the large public space, and counter screens, while the surrounding area is planned for the official and clerical forces of the local institution. The entire room, measuring one hundred and fifty-four feet long, sixty-eight wide, and thirty-three in height, is designed in Tavernelle marble of a greyish color, excepting the floors of Tennessee marble and the ceilings of hard plaster. Extending from pilaster to pilaster, the narrow way of the room, are beams with soffits designed in a classical fret, separating the ceiling into sections, which are in turn divided into three panels, practically square. A floral band encloses the various panels, in the centre of which are introduced in their natural heraldic colors the coat-of-arms of the nine Provinces.”
Construction, December 1914

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