The Masters Condos - Etobicoke

[yyzer]

These seem to have come up in discussion over the last while, thought I would take a few pics, for the record....this project with its distinctive zigzag shape was very highly considered when it came out, sometime in the 1970's - interesting to compare 1970's high chic aesthetic with today's....there are two buildings, and they front onto Mill Rd. at Burnhamthorpe Rd. right at the Etobicoke/Mississauga border.

These are all west facing shots, shadows were too deep for eastside pics...

 

[Observer Walt]

west facing shots

I think you meant shots from the west side, looking east.
This complex is not far from where I live. It has been very well kept over the years and has held its value. The west side has good views over the Etobicoke Creek and a park on the Miss. side. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[yyzer]

I think you meant shots from the west side, looking east.

oops, you are right, Walt......
what I was trying to say was the west face of the buildings, i.e. shots from the west side, looking east.....

too much caffeine today....

 

[Archivist]

I have always thought these buildings were fabulous, yet they seem rather under the radar. yyzer, you mention that they have been discussed recently - do you mean on the forum here, or somewhere else. They are by Kelton Architects & Planners, about which I know little.

Thanks for the great photos of them.

 

[Conrad Black]

Neat looking buildings. Are they well maintained and considered high end?

 

[Jarrek]

The parking garage/lot has been out of service for the past few years. I believe it's undergoing some kind of rehabilitation.

 

[Alvar]

The Masters were Toronto's answer to Habitat in Montreal. A bit of architecture envy at the time. It is a classic, modern building, and I pray it has some sort of historical designation. Otherwise, it could be subject to renovation, a la the Eaton Centre.

 

[yyzer]

Archivist - I forget the thread, but yes, they were discussed briefly here..

Conrad Black - they have been considered high end, although I think today you can buy a unit in the mid-to-high 300k range, and they have huge square footage, some are two storey, up to about 1700 sq ft..

What Jarrek said is right - they have had some problems with the underground garage, there has been a special assessment for the owners, and there is work ongoing there - too bad, as the condo fees, afaik, are pretty high too....

I think they were first registered about 1978; that would make them one of the first condominiums in the GTA....today the average age of the owners is about 75 years

 

[adma]

The Masters were Toronto's answer to Habitat in Montreal. A bit of architecture envy at the time. It is a classic, modern building, and I pray it has some sort of historical designation. Otherwise, it could be subject to renovation, a la the Eaton Centre.

It's undesignated. (You really think Doug Holyday would agree?)

However, I'd assume it's relative stability and lack of mercenary "market commitments" (it's a condo, not a mall) renders the likelihood of disfiguring renovation rather less than w/the Eaton Centre.

And yes, a lot of the dwellings are nicely 2-storey and Corbusian...

 

[Observer Walt]

The underground garage has been undergoing rehab for a couple of years now. It's a large garage, extending under both buildings. They have chosen to do the work in stages rather than all at once, so at any given stage some residents' cars are out of the garage, in the visitor's surface parking, and visitors are required to park on the street. I'm not sure how much longer this will take.

The buildings are nice. The landscaping is impeccable. There are both outdoor and indoor swimming pools, and outdoor tennis courts. All in all, it's a fairly "upscale" place, lengthy garage repairs notwithstanding.

 

[Archivist]

I imagine these buildings are "safe", in the sense that they are in an area with a low amount of development right now, and the nature of the buildings means they are unlikely to be altered significantly. I would like to see them on the Inventory, but it seems unlikely. There are only 18 residential high-rises that are on the Inventory of Heritage Properties that I am aware of, and a number of those are on the list because of their proximity to Union Station rather than on their intrinsic merits.

Still, I was disappointed to see no reference to them in the recent tome "Concrete Toronto", which I thought an oversight.

 

[trackiva]

Here is the link for more information on this property. The garage work above mentioned has been completed. First approach was to do it in sections each spring/summer season due to it's size but that was to slow so they did the rest all at once.

Link:

https://themasters.nexusonline.ca/nexus/index.php?uclicked=1

 

[radioheadmike]

Reminds me of a post apocalyptic community.

 

[Towered]

What fascinates me the most is that such bold architecture was created in quite possibly the dullest area of Toronto. And I'm talking about today - I'm sure in the 70's the area was practically comatose.

 

[interchange42]

Markland Wood - which this complex is immediately north of - has a few interesting modernist mansions, mostly backing on the same golf club that The Masters does. "Quite possibly the dullest area in Toronto" is quite the hyperbole for what was a very nice suburb to grow up in. While I prefer my more urban location now, that doesn't negate the fact that growing up here was far from dull. Home is what you make it.