-
11 Walmer Road
The early architecture of the Annex
Since its establishment in 1886, the Annex neighbourhood has gone through several architectural phases. In its early years, both Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne were two main styles preferred by Toronto’s wealthiest families called the Annex home. Soon, the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with its use of red brick, rustic-looking stone foundations, decorative shingles, front-facing gables, and recessed entryways, became the trademark style of the Annex.
E.J. Lennox, the architect of Old City Hall, helped to usher in this architectural trend when he designed three homes in the Annex, including 37 Madison Avenue, which became known as “The Annex House.” From the 1890s to 1920s, the Annex was the destination for Toronto’s wealthiest families, including Timothy Eaton, founder of the T. Eaton Company, and George Gooderham of the Gooderham & Worts distillery empire.
1 / 4 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
11 Walmer Road
The early twentieth century
In the early twentieth century, most of the wealthy families that had previously settled in the Annex began to move to other areas of the city. New Annex homes took on an English Cottage Style, which was plainer than previous neighbourhood styles, with high roofs and tall chimneys. Many of the older mansions, originally built as single-family homes, were divided and became rooming houses after the Second World War.
Some of the greatest architectural changes in the neighbourhood occurred in the 1950s and 1960s, as many of the original houses were torn down and replaced by large apartment buildings. Although many of these apartments were low-rise buildings, some are now recognized as masterpieces of Modern architecture in Toronto.
2 / 4 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
11 Walmer Road
What is modern architecture?
The roots of modern architecture can be traced to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Architect Louis Sullivan was responsible for many of the fair’s nondescript, temporary buildings. This emphasis on functionality with the elimination of ornamentation became the trademark of the Modern architecture movement.
Other key features of modern architecture include open floor plans, the use of modern materials (steel, glass, concrete, etc.), and cream or white facades. Modern architects often designed buildings that took on new rectangular, cylindrical, and cubic shapes. One such architect was Uno Prii, who helped shape the look of the Annex during the 1960s.
3 / 4 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
11 Walmer Road
The esthetics of Prii
Uno Prii designed several buildings in the Annex in the 1960s, including 11 Walmer Road in 1963, which helped shape the look of the neighbourhood. The curved balconies seen on 11 Walmer Road are a recurring theme of Prii’s buildings. They act as a kind of false front for the standard flat-walled interiors.
Prii found popular building designs of the 1940s and 1950s monotonous and boring, calling them “anonymous filing cabinets.” He envisioned buildings that with bright, white concrete to make them pop against the brick buildings around them. Unlike brick, concrete allowed Prii to sculpt the buildings he designed and give them a whimsical, almost futuristic, feel. Aesthetics were important to Prii, who often expressed that he wanted to create buildings that were pleasing to the eye.
4 / 4 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
