Gooderham Building

Welcome back to the Gooderham Building. Having established its historical context, we will now conduct a secondary, highly focused analysis on its architectural details and its role in urban photography. …

Let us return to the eastern tip. Photographically, this is known as the 'prow' of the building. …

Direct your focus to the upper echelons of the facade, specifically the heavy, ornamented cornice. The cornice projects significantly outward, casting a deep shadow that caps the visual ascent of the building. …

Walk along the northern face and analyze the rhythmic placement of the windows. The architect, David Roberts Jr., utilized a hierarchical window design, altering the shape and arch of the windows on each consecutive floor. …

Revisit the western mural, this time analyzing the mechanics of Derek Besant's optical illusion. The mural uses extreme forced perspective and highly contrasting shadows to trick the human brain into perceiving depth on a flat…

Looking outward from the mural, we analyze the Berczy Park Dog Fountain as a contextual counterpoint. While the Gooderham Building represents strict nineteenth century corporate solemnity, the fountain is an explosion of modern…

For our final analytical perspective, look west toward Bay Street from the eastern tip. The Gooderham Building acts as a literal wedge, physically splitting the urban grid into Front and Wellington streets. …

Our deep architectural analysis of the Gooderham Building concludes, revealing a structure defined by precise craftsmanship and visual trickery. From the custom molded bricks of its prow to the mathematical illusion of its rear…