The Thornton-Smith Building, located at 340 Yonge Street, is a prominent heritage building in the heart of downtown Toronto, Canada. Since the completion of the building in the twenties, Yonge Street has seen many transformations and while tenants in the building have reflected these changes The Thornton-Smith Building itself has remained true to its original architecture. The building was designe
d in 1922 by John M. Lyle (1872-1945) for The Thornton-Smith Company, a British antique and interior design firm. Lyle, who was one of the pre-eminent architects in Canada at the time, was very vocal about the proliferation of false shopfronts and unregulated billboards on Yonge Street. Through The Thornton-Smith Building he was given the opportunity to inject an architectural gem amongst much less distinguished buildings in the increasingly crowded Yonge Street retail corridor. In 1926 his design received the first gold medal awarded by the Ontario Association of Architects, along with recognition in international architectural journals in London and New York. Today, Thornton-Smith is a very vibrant building and is occupied on the main floor by Champs Sports, an international retailer and on the second floor by Salad King, a Toronto “landmark” that has been serving Thai food in the neighbourhood for over 20 years. The third floor is home to the Aperture Room, a newly renovated loft-like space that reinvigorates the neighbourhood with a dose of forgotten heritage.
