Flatiron Building, Toronto

This will surely be part of your Itinerary when traveling on foot the St. lawrence neighborhood. It is also known as Gooderham building and the building looks like a flatiron with Roamesque styling. It is also one of the most photographed sights in Toronto. I think it has 5 stories and can be easily spotted at Wellington st. after St. Lawrence market. This almost brick red building stands alone from the skycrapers around. This architectural symbol and a historical sight of Toronto was built in 1892 for George Gooderham an known distiller that time.

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The Flat-Iron is the colloquial name of the red brick Gooderham Building, a well-known landmark in Toronto.
It's renowned for it's unique shape, as well as the mural on one of its walls which's actually a clever optical illusion to make the building look like it has more windows than it actually does.

In 1891, the Goodenham family wanted local residents to recognize their success and the success of their distillery business, so they commissioned the family architect, David Roberts, to build them a grander office space. At a cost of $18,000, an unusual Gothic Romanesque structure was built at the intersection of Front, Wellington, and Church Streets on a triangular piece of land.

The 5-story red brick building was one of the grandest of its time, with 12-foot high ceilings, brass fittings, and the very first manually-operated Otis elevator in the city of Toronto. A walk-in vault was constructed to hold the Goodenham riches and a tunnel was dug so that those in charge could travel from the building to the bank across the street (which Goodenham purchased) without having to walk outside with large bags of cash.

What many do not realize is that Toronto’s Flatiron actually preceded New York’s famous Flatiron Building by more than 10 years, though the one in NYC gets much more publicity than Toronto’s version. Currently, the Flatiron ranks among the most expensive office space in the city and is home to prestigious businesses. Visitors will also find a small pub in the basement, which is quite popular with the after-work crowd.

We Many admired the interesting mural painted on the back of the building. The mural is a mirror image of the Perkins Building, which is located directly across the street. It was created by the renowned Canadian artist Derek Besant and utilizes the trompe l’oeil effect (literally, “trick the eye”), which creates an optical illusion that convinces the viewer that the objects depicted really exist.

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What many do not realize is that Toronto’s five stories high, red brick Flatiron actually predates New York’s famous Flatiron Building by more than 10 years and is perhaps the most photographed sightseeing in downtown Toronto. On the back of the building an interesting mural can be seen. The mural is a mirror image of another building, which is located directly across the street. It creates an optical illusion as if the depicted facade would really exist. The building is National Historic Site since 1975.

In the basement there is a pub named Flatiron and Firkin, where you can eat and drink. The building is open to visit from Monday to Fridays from 9am to 5pm.

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This is an old structure in downtown Toronto located in the financial district east of Yonge Street. It was built in the Year 1892 with its unique narrow wedge shape and red brick colour shades. Visit this architecture and enjoy the large patio and a pub within the building. Plan to come from Monday to Friday at 9AM. It will close to visitors at 5PM. It is advisable to visit also the other attractions like; Hockey Hall of Fame, Union Station, St. Lawrence Hall, St. Lawrence Market, and St. James Cathedral which is just a walking distance. Enjoy and......

Welcome to Flatiron Building - Toronto.

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Old Town Toronto contains the largest concentration of historical buildings in the city. The landmark Flatiron Building it a favourite.

We obtained a city map and just strolled around the district for a few hours, enjoying the street scene, the people and then found a nice place for a light lunch. Streets were safe, weather good, what more could we ask for?

built in 1892, as an office building for the company of Gooderham and Worts, the flatiron building is an example of how to build a building on a triangular plot. this historic building was built in the shape of a trinagle. the bright red colour, contrasting with the green roof, adds to the attractivenss of the buildign.

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I have to admit I researched this before I wrote it because it was so interesting. When I typed "Flatiron Building" into wikipedia it came up with New York's Flatiron, but it actually appears that Toronto's Flatiron, built in 1892, was the first structure of its kind. The architects were the firm David Roberts Jr. Apart from its unique shape and colour (at least in Toronto) as well as the trompe l'oeil mural on the side (which makes it appear to have another set of windows), there isn't much remarkable about the building. It was originally meant to be a distillery, but now it has a restaurant or eatery on the ground floor and offices above. Its location is a good starting point, however, as it leads right into the St. Lawrence Market Area.

I love to see the mix of old and new buildings in cities, the contrasting styles dont compliment each other, rather they scream out the differences

The Flatiron Building [or Goodheram Building to give it it`s correct title] was built in 1892, and was the offices for George Goodheram of Goodheram and Woods distillery who in addition to being president of the Bank of Toronto had several other business interests in the city and was at the turn of the cenruty the richest man in Toronto. Well maintained the building now has cafes on the ground floor and offices above. While I wouldnt make a special trip to see this building it is interesting to view it if you visit the St Lawrence market

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I think it's pretty safe to say that in the midst of modern, towering buildings the Flatiron Building is a refreshing look to the past. It certainly is unique in its appearance and is also unique for the land that it occupies. Built in the 1800's, it is reported to be the most expensive office space in Toronto. So, naturally, it is at the top of my list for my planned Toronto office. Right! Just check the registry and you'll likely find my "How You Doin'?" Talent Agency! We specialize in Clowns & Idiots and our company philosophy begins at the very top and trickles down, and down, and down...

Enough of self-promotion... If you're in Toronto, you'll likely enjoy the view of this famous Flatiron Building. As a special bonus, there are other neat attractions, restaurants, markets, shops, and scenic sights to behold all in this same area. Stay tuned and you'll learn more about them!