The Thornton-Smith Building, located at 340 Yonge Street, is a world class 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 designed 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 won the first gold medal awarded by the Ontario Association of Architects, along with recognition in international architectural journals in London and New York.
Today, The Thornton-Smith Building is a vibrant building occupied on the main floor by OHYO SPREE, an family arcade and on the second floor by Salad King, a Toronto “landmark” serving Thai food in the neighbourhood for over 35 years. The Aperture Room, an exclusive heritage event venue, occupies the third floor.