Toronto is not really known for it's neoclassical or turn-of-the-century/industrialist
architecture, so when a chance comes up to do some educated gawking, you can understand if I jump at it. In fact, I did more than just gawk at this old TD Bank tower turned swanky hotel and residence -- I had a chance to stay there!
The experience was indeed something to write home about (even if home was just down the street), and it resolved me to say this: it really makes quite an impact on your stay away from home if the hotel is in itself a story. The grand
One King West in Toronto which opened over a year ago is just such a place, with a history (which is documented on story boards throughout) reaching back as far as the 1870s.
You wouldn't know it however, as the current structure is a formidable combination of the old and the new. The historic 13-storey tower supports a 51-storey condo-hotel adjunct known as "The Sliver", as it has one of the smallest height to footprint ratios ever. A marvel in its own right, its architects, Stanford Downey Inc., have been added next to Darling and Pearson on the dedication plaque, the Toronto firm responsible for the original historic tower, as well as the Royal Tower in Winnipeg and The Sun Life building in Montreal.
The particulars of my lovely stay aside (I'll follow up with a quick gallery next week) I wanted to give you guys a video snippet of a venerable peice of Canadian history. Here's Part I & II of a walkabout tour of One King West, co-hosted by local celeb, Toronto historian Bruce Bell, who gives architectural walking tours of the downtown core (worth a booking if you're visiting Toronto.)
One of my favourite highlights of the tour is the 1950s bank vault, which looks like something out of a James Bond movie, now an event space available for parties. Wouldn't that be fun?
Tour of One King West Hotel and Residence
Ever stayed in a designated historic property? Where?
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