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At the center of mid-town Toronto, Park Avenue delivers a commanding
presence at 48 St. Clair Avenue West. Originally constructed in the 1950s,
this special building has been completely renovated into sophisticated
residential suites and penthouses. Resident amenities include concierge,
furnished lobby with fireplace, multi-purpose room, fully-equipped
exercise facility
and landscaped garden terrace.
Showcase design features include 10’ high ceilings with
oversized windows, French doors with Juliet balconies and walk-out terrace.
Floors are a blend of marble and exotic wood. Custom designed
kitchens have furniture style cabinetry and complementary counters and
floors. Master ensuites are on par with European spa standards.
Christopher Hume, the highly regarded architectural critic for the Toronto
Star, gave Park Avenue an extremely rare score of "A" for its
architectural design:
Despite its name, the Park Avenue is in Toronto at 48 St. Clair Ave.
W. Actually, it's a condo remake of a late 1950s office building on the
north side of the street west of Yonge. Though the original doesn't qualify
as historic, it was built at an interesting moment in Toronto architectural
history.
It was a time before the wholesale adoption of modernism but
after its influence had arrived in these distant shores. The result
was a stripped-down classicism that looks surprisingly good in retrospect.
Most obviously, the building has the proportions of a structure designed
during a period when such a 13-storey tower was expected to have
a base,
shaft and top. The bottom here was clad, very nicely, in limestone,
rarely found in contemporary architecture. But because the ground floor
is the
one we see from the street, it makes sense. The middle sections somewhat
altered with new and enlarged windows, is made of red brick. The
top, with its columns and flat roof, looks especially enticing like
some kind
of loggia.
The renovation is respectful and mindful of the building's
new role as a residential tower. This can be seen in the landscaping
in front; though there's not much space, these compact flowerbeds
are awash in tulips. Whether the planted profusion continues in the
months
ahead remains to be seen. Early indications are hopeful. The new
canopy over the main entrance is the only obviously contemporary
addition, but
it also brings a welcome note of freshness to the whole. GRADE: A
- The Globe & Mail (May 13, 2005):
Office building in Deer Park gets extreme makeover;
Ted Burnett is one developer who'd rather restore an older structure
than
tear
it
down
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