The Lillian Massey Building is a Neoclassical building located in

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, at the southeast corner of Queen's Park and

Bloor Street Bloor Street is an east–west arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct, which spans the Don River (Ontario), Don River Valley, westward into Mississauga where it ends at Central Parkway. East ...

along the

Mink Mile Mink Mile is an upscale shopping district in the neighbourhood of Yorkville in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, along Bloor Street between Yonge Street and Avenue Road. History In the 21st century, mid-market retailers have begun to locate along the ...

and across from the

Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...

. It was designed by architect George Martell Miller (1855–1933) and built between 1908 and 1912 for the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

's Household Science program created by Lillian Massey Treble, daughter of wealthy Canadian business man,

Hart Massey Hart Almerrin Massey (April 29, 1823 – February 20, 1896) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Massey family. He was an industrialist who built the agricultural equipment firm that became Massey Fe ...

. It presently houses the offices of the University of Toronto's Department of Classics and

Centre for Medieval Studies Medieval studies is the academic interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages. A historian who studies medieval studies is called a medievalist. Institutional development The term 'medieval studies' began to be adopted by academics in the opening ...

and the offices of the University of Toronto's Division of University Advancement. Part of the building previously housed

Club Monaco Club Monaco is a Canadian-founded luxury casual clothing retailer owned by Regent, L.P. With more than 140 locations worldwide, the retailer has locations in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, Mainland China, the ...

’s flagship retail store until 2021.

Architecture

Designed by George Martell Miller in the Neoclassical style, the building features Indiana Limestone facades with columns topped with Ionic capitals. There are several

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

s including one supported by columns forming the grand

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

fronting Queen's Park. The interior of the University of Toronto part of the building has been kept almost unchanged, featuring marble tile flooring and finishes, while the Club Monaco interiors were modified to fit the needs of a retail store. Fort Architects renovated the interior of Club Monaco's part of the building with drywall and hardwood flooring before installing shelves. The original underground pool was covered by a false floor to house the men's section of the store. Landscaping was kept to a minimum as tree planters were used in front of the Club Monaco facade to frame its entrance.

References

{{Coord, 43.66845, -79.39365, type:landmark_region:CA-ON, display=title Neoclassical architecture in Canada University of Toronto buildings Limestone buildings in Canada School buildings completed in 1912 1912 establishments in Ontario