Notes:
With its height, use of contemporary materials, and blend of Classical and Gothic-inspired
detailing, the Commodore Building is architecturally significant as a good example of the
substantial warehouses that appeared in the 1920s. Anchoring the southeast corner of Adelaide
Street West and Peter Street, the building is a landmark in the King-Spadina neighbourhood that
contributes contextually to the character of the area as it expanded after World War I. The heritage attributes of the building are found on the exterior walls and roof with attention
focused on the north and west facades. The ten-storey structure is built of concrete with buff
brick and stone cladding on the elevations facing Adelaide and Peter Streets. On the north
façade with its stone-clad base, a central two-storey round-arched entrance has buttresses, reed
moulding, floral motifs, and a nameplate. The commercial windows in the first floor (some have
been altered) and the paired flat-headed window openings in the second level are separated by
buttresses beneath a frieze with Gothic-inspired ornament. The upper-storey window openings
are divided horizontally by recessed panels and vertically by piers and pilasters of varied widths.
Rib-like stone buttresses extend to the tenth floor to form crenellations along the flat roof. A
tower centered above the facade features similar Gothic decoration. The pattern of fenestration
and the decoration is repeated on the west wall, while the visible portion of the east elevation has
large commercial windows.
