Arcade Building (Toronto)
The Arcade Building at 137 Yonge Street/74 Victoria Street,[1] Toronto, is a 10-storey office building with a ground floor retail mall.[2] The building was erected in 1960, today it is best known for the colorful LED lighting program that has adorned its facade since 2008. This digital lighting program was conceived and designed by Kramer Design Associates (KDA) of Toronto, Ontario.
It is on site of a former structure also called the Arcade Building. The original 1884 building was a major shopping location in the late 19th century. It was the first shopping arcade built in Canada consisting of several dozen independent stores intended to compete with the large nearby department stores. It was a popular shopping destination for several decades, but by the 1950s the small shops and offices were considered outdated. Two fires damaged the structure in 1953 and it was demolished in 1954.[3]
Prior to the construction of the Arcade building, and unknown to most Canadians alike, stood the Bay Horse Hotel, catering to famers and their beast alike! This building stood, and was very popular until its demolition, making way for the construction of the Yonge Street Arcade.[4]
References
- ↑ Colonia Treuhand press release about the sale of the Arcade Building retrieved June 4, 2007
- ↑ Toronto Path retrieved June 4, 2007. Click on "Building Directory", then "Victoria Street"
- ↑ Historicist: The Rise and Fall of a Shopping Arcade
- ↑ http://www.oldto.ca/
Coordinates: 43°39′04″N 79°22′41″W / 43.651211°N 79.378042°W