One Benvenuto Place, Heritage Property Plaque, 2023.
File information | File dimensions | File size | Options |
Original JPG File | 7350 × 4650 pixels (34.18 MP) 62.2 cm × 39.4 cm @ 300 PPI |
3.1 MB | Restricted |
Low resolution print | 2000 × 1265 pixels (2.53 MP) 16.9 cm × 10.7 cm @ 300 PPI |
450 KB | Restricted |
Screen | 1265 × 800 pixels (1.01 MP) 10.7 cm × 6.8 cm @ 300 PPI |
237 KB | Restricted |
Resource ID
10677
Access
Open
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2023
Historical Themes
Architectural Heritage, Residential History
Program Category
Historical Plaques
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Time Period
1835-1899, 1900-1953, 1954-1998, 1999-today
Caption
One Benvenuto Place, Heritage Property Plaque, 2023.
Description
Designed by celebrated architect Peter Dickinson, Benvenuto was one of the first Mid-Century Modern apartment buildings in central Toronto. It was built on the site of the first Benvenuto, a grand home and property of Simeon Janes. With limestone walls, deep windows, and a red-tiled roof, the first Benvenuto overlooked Janes’s real estate empire on the Baldwin Property (now known as The Annex). Benvenuto means “welcome” in Italian, and Janes loved to host parties with dinner and music. Janes sold Benvenuto in 1897 to railway entrepreneur Sir William Mackenzie, who lived there for 25 years. Benvenuto was demolished in 1932, with only a stone wall remaining. In 1950, developers Yolles and Rotenberg hired Peter Dickinson to design a combination apartment and hotel building on the site. It opened in stages between 1953 and 1955 and demonstrated innovative building techniques, including one that allowed higher ceilings and thinner floor slabs. Dickinson's design was intricate, yet solid, and the building appears to float above the ground. Many celebrities stayed at the hotel, including Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The hotel closed in 1979, and Benvenuto was converted into condominiums in 2004. Designated in 1990 under the Ontario Heritage Act