Downtown Yonge East in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Excelsior Life Building
1915
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022
1. Excelsior Life Building Marker
This 11-storey building, designed by prominent Toronto architect E. J. Lennox, was the tallest building on the block at the time of construction. It was named after the Excelsior Life Insurance Company, whose offices were located within. It replaced the Union Block, a Second Empire-style office building that stood here from 1873 to 1914. Its exterior is constructed of terracotta stone with a granite base and is designed in the Classical Italianate style, with decorative columns near the top. A reconstruction project by Strong Associates in 1987 connected it to the Millichamp Building via a glass atrium.
Erected 2019 by Heritage Toronto.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.
Location. 43° 39.037′ N, 79° 22.59′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in Downtown Yonge East. Marker is on Toronto Street just south of Adelaide Street East, on the right when traveling south. Marker is mounted at eye-level, directly on the subject building, just to the right/north of the east entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 36 Toronto Street, Toronto ON M5C 2C5, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Toronto Street: the New Excelsior Life Building.
“Florid Corinthian engaged columns and coupled pilasters at the corners provide the building with a rich appearance,” Marilyn Litvak writes of Lennox’s design, his last before he shut down his architectural practice, in her biography of Lennox. The lower levels were granite, but most of the building was of white enamel terracotta, and it was capped by a parapet since removed. Construction magazine dubbed it “one of the finest of Toronto’s many high-class office buildings.” Built at a cost of $500,000, the Excelsior Life Building opened once interior work was completed in May 1915.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022
2. Excelsior Life Building Marker
2. Excelsior Life Building.
The distinctive features of the facade include the two-storey granite base with its recessed shop-front entrances and finely detailed fenestration; the terracotta of the upper floors; and the attic floors with fluted two-storey Corinthian columns. This building is an important part of the significant group of historic buildings flanking Toronto Street.(Submitted on March 4, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. 36 Toronto Street Heritage Renewal.
The exterior cladding system is comprised mostly of terracotta stone with granite cladding on the ground floor. Decorative terracotta columns exist between the storeys as well as the North building entrance.(Submitted on March 4, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022
3. Excelsior Life Building (northeast elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 123 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 4, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
