Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

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The Canadian Bank of Commerce Building 1929-1931

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted April, 2007

Photo Source - Wikimedia Commons

Here at 25 King Street West stands what used to be Toronto's tallest building. This 2006 Heritage Toronto plaque attached to the building says this:

Coordinates: 43.648824 -79.379064

Click here for a larger map

Upon completion, this 34-storey skyscraper was the tallest building in the British Empire and was praised as the "greatest addition to Toronto's increasing, Manhattan-like skyline." It was designed for The Canadian Bank of Commerce jointly by the Toronto firm Darling and Pearson, and by York & Sawyer, the foremost New York City bank architects of the era. Rising in tiers, the building features richly carved Romanesque Revival detailing and a vaulted Main Banking Hall said to be modelled after Rome's Baths of Caracalla. A popular outdoor observation gallery on the 32nd floor - guarded by great carved heads with flowing beards - gave the public unobstructed city views until even taller office towers were built in the 1960s. After The Commerce merged with the Imperial Bank of Canada in 1961, the building became the head office of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Related Toronto plaque
Canadian Bank of Commerce

More Toronto buildings designed by Darling and Pearson
Canadian General Electric Company Building 1908
The Dominion Bank Building 1914
Imperial Bank of Canada 1908
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Toronto General Hospital

More
Financial Buildings

Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

> Posted May 9, 2010
Is anyone aware of the Canadian Bank of Commerce building, 1917, closed 1974 in Wiseton, Saskatchewan? Could this possibly be designated a heritage building do you think? Does CIBC have their own archives of buildings or do they have money or grants for historical purposes? Thank you very much for any information you can send me.
Bea Jackman. My email [email protected]

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