Standing tall at the corner of Yonge & King is One King West Hotel & Residence, a 51-storey residential tower within the heart of Toronto's Financial District. The site served as the headquarters of The Dominion Bank upon opening in 1914, and decades later in 2005, the original building reopened as a hotel with the addition of the new 51-storey condominium tower directly above. This year is very a special year for One King West, as July 1st marks the property's centennial anniversary.

One King West Hotel & Residence, image by Jack Landau

A century after the opening of the original Beaux-Arts style building, One King aims to remain one of Toronto's most prominent architectural landmarks, recently announcing that exterior restoration work on the heritage building was getting under way immediately. The historic portion of the property is now sheathed in scaffold. "As caretakers for one of Toronto's most historically significant buildings, we are very proud to be commencing with this project," said Matt Black, Director of Marketing at One King West. "Our property has become a landmark of the downtown core over the last 100 years and this work will ensure the building maintains its architectural grandeur for decades to come."

One King West Hotel & Residence, image by Jack Landau

Intersection of Yonge and King, image by Jack Landau

The project will spend $5 Million restoring the Beaux-Arts style terracotta facade, with a focus on the upper cornices and the building's other unique features. Interior remodelling of the hotel's suites will take place in conjunction with the exterior work, while the modern tower above the historic building will not be touched. Restoration of the property is expected to wrap up in November 2014. 

You can keep up on One King West's centennial restoration in the Projects & Construction thread, linked below. Leave a comment there or in the space provided on this page.