Metro Minute at Flatiron Building

In a city of boxy rectangular structures, the Flatiron Building at the corner of Wellington and Church looks as though it has been smooshed between a pair of beastly skyscrapers. It’s an architectural non sequitur in an increasingly glass-and-steel-based neighbourhood, with an equally interesting heritage. The Gothic Romanesque building was commissioned in 1891 by the Goodenhams, a family of wealthy distillers who wished to construct a monument to their success. With the help of the personal family architect, Master Goodenham installed Toronto’s first manually operated Otis elevator, and even dug a tunnel so bank employees across the street could access his personal vault directly. Just like Harry Potter.