The Hermant Building at 19 Dundas Square, designed by Bond & Smith Architects in 1913, is an early and excellent surviving example of terracotta cladding in Toronto. When it was completed, this 10-storey building was the tallest in the city, and a significant landmark. The Hermant Building originally housed the headquarters of Imperial Optical which at one time controlled over 80 percent of the optical industry in Canada.

As part of a 40-storey mixed-use redevelopment designed by Diamond Schmidt, ERA worked as heritage architects on both 19 and 21 Dundas Square. Our scope of work included:

• preservation, restoration, and refurbishment of both buildings, including exteriors and lobbies;
• restoration and refurbishment of windows, terracotta cladding, and colour scheme for 19 Dundas Square;
• reconstruction of original bronze entry and doors for 21 Dundas Square;
• replacement of ground floor signage at 19 and 21 Dundas Square with contextually appropriate signage;
• design of new building lighting scheme; and
• development of heritage interpretation materials.