Toronto Dominion Centre
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Location:
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King St & Bay Streets
Toronto
Ontario M5K 1A1
Canada
coordinates:
lat 43.6474419, long -79.3824463
Building names(s): Toronto Dominion Centre / TD Centre
Architect/Designer:
Mies van der Rohe
architect website:
Other Information:
Completion date: 1967-1991
Function:
website: www.tdcentre.cagetting there: The Toronto-Dominion Centre is located in the heart of the Central Business District of Toronto, at the southwest corner of King and Bay Streets. The area occupies an entire city block, with Wellington Street to the south, York Street to the West, Bay Street to the East and King Street to the north.
Public Transport: The closest subway stops are St. Andrew located at University and King, or King station located at King and Yonge. There is access to the PATH system through these stations. From the TTC or GO Transit, exit north from Union Station, via the Royal Bank Plaza using the PATH system.
Last modified: 3 June, 2009 | Suggested By Matt
Designed by renowned architect Mies van der Rohe, the original TD Centre consisted of a grouping of two steel-and-glass towers and a banking pavilion. The 55-storey Toronto-Dominion Bank Tower was the first to be completed, officially opening on Canada’s 100th birthday, July 1st, 1967. The pavilion opened in 1968 and one year later the 43-storey Royal Trust Tower was completed. Three more buildings have since joined the complex: CP Tower in 1973, TD Waterhouse Tower in 1985 and the Ernst & Young Tower in 1991.
To avoid the canyons created by office towers in many cities, Mies van der Rohe’s plan for the seven acre site set the building back from the streets and placed them on a landscaped plaza. The plaza not only created a space for art, concerts and public gatherings, but has become a respite for visitors and workers in surrounding offices. Below the plaza, he created an underground shopping concourse, the first of its kind in the city and the cornerstone for the extensive and distinctive Path network of modern Toronto.
Mies gave the Toronto-Dominion Centre a clear and deliberate design, graceful and powerful, black and timeless. A design that welcomed people and elevated the city.
The 223m (731-foot) tall Toronto Dominion Bank Tower is the tallest completed building ever designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It sits in the middle of the complex and is the centerpiece of the TD Centre. The Royal Trust Tower is the next tallest at 46 stories. The remainder of the buildings are between 31 and 39 stories, with the exception of 220 Bay Street, one of the newer buildings, which is only 15 stories tall.
The buildings are known for their stunning black painted steel frames and bronze-tinted glass curtain walls as well as the special touches applied to the interior, which includes liberal use of marble, granite, travertine, and beautiful oak.
For Visitors
Aside from admiring the beautiful architecture of the TD Centre, visitors will want to head there to do a little shopping. Nearly a hundred stores and restaurants have taken up residence at the Dominion Centre, and for shopping fanatics, this is heaven! A Food Hall also provides guests with a plethora of different choices for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.