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02 | The Architectural Fashion of Toronto Residential Neighbourhoods
RASEK ARCHITECTS LTD

Introduction Toronto Architectural Styles

The majority of styled houses in the United States and Canada are The architecture of residential houses in Toronto is mainly influenced by its history and its culture.
modeled on one of four principal architectural traditions: Ancient
Classical, Renaissance Classical, Medieval or Modern. The majority of Toronto's older buildings are loosely modeled on architectural traditions of the British
Empire, such as Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian architecture. Toronto was traditionally a
The earliest, the Ancient Classical Tradition, is based upon the peripheral city in the architectural world, embracing styles and ideas developed in Europe and the
monuments of early Greece and Rome. United States with only limited local variation. A few unique styles of architecture have emerged in
Toronto, such as the bay and gable style house and the Annex style house.
The closely related Renaissance Classical Tradition stems from a revival
of interest in classicism during the Renaissance, which began in Italy in The late nineteenth century Torontonians embraced Victorian architecture and all of its diverse revival
the 15th century. The two classical traditions, Ancient and Renaissance, styles. Victorian refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), called the Victorian era, during
share many of the same architectural details. which period the styles known as Victorian were used in construction. The styles often included
interpretations and eclectic revivals of historic styles mixed with the introduction of Middle Eastern and
The Third tradition, the Medieval, separated the Ancient Classical and Asian influences. The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a
the Renaissance Classical in time. The Medieval tradition includes reigning monarch. Within this naming and classification scheme, it follows Georgian architecture and
architecture based on the formal Gothic style used for church buildings later Regency architecture, and was succeeded by Edwardian architecture.
during the Middle Ages, as well as that based upon the simpler domestic
buildings of the same era. Most of the Medieval architecture that has Victorian-style housing dominates a number of the city's older neighbourhoods, most notably
influenced the Toronto houses originated in England and France. Cabbagetown, Parkdale, Rosedale, and The Annex. These neighbourhoods hold some of the largest
collections of Victorian houses in North America. During this period Toronto also developed some
The fourth traditions, the Modern style, began in the late 19th century unique styles of housing. The bay-and-gable house was a simple and cost effective design that also aped
and continues to the present. It is based primarily on the lack of applied the elegance of Victorian mansions.
ornamentation and a resulting external simplicity or "honesty", as well
as on spatial variations made possible by new construction techniques.