The historic Thornton-Smith Building today announced the upcoming launch of its new event venue, Aperture Room, located at 340 Yonge St. on the third floor of the prominent downtown property. The renovated, loftlike space, set to open on Apr. 30, reinvigorates the neighbourhood with a dose of forgotten heritage.
“I am so excited about the opening of Aperture Room,” says Ken Rutherford, owner, The Thornton-Smith Building. “We’ve always wanted to transform this space, so rich with Toronto history, into something that would celebrate the legacy of the building’s prominence on Yonge Street. The name is also very close to my heart as it is derived from Toronto Camera, a family business that occupied the building for many years and was once the country’s largest photographic store.”
The building was designed in 1922 by architect John M. Lyle for The Thornton-Smith Company, a British antique and interior design firm. Lyle was a champion of the neoclassical beaux arts style, and a prolific contributor to the City Beautiful movement in the early 20th century. In 1926 he received the first gold medal awarded by the Ontario Association of Architects for his design of the building, and later added Union Station and The Royal Alexandra Theatre to his portfolio of Toronto landmarks.
While the surrounding area has witnessed a century of transformations, the well-maintained Thornton-Smith building has remained true to its original architecture. Its striking facade, covered with light-grey Indiana limestone, features five two-storey showroom windows topped with stone arches.
Aperture Room was designed with Yonge Street’s rich history in mind, and boasts exposed brick, hardwood floors, plaster ceilings and three magnificent skylights. The versatile open-floor plan can accommodate 120 seated guests, and up to 180 reception-style for a wide variety of events including cocktail receptions, business events, intimate weddings or concerts.
“We’re pleased to announce that Thornton-Smith has partnered with Oliver & Bonacini as the exclusive caterer and service operator of Aperture Room,” Rutherford says. “O&B’s proven track record for premium service and dedication to professionalism, paired with their passion for high-quality food, made this an obvious choice and a perfect fit.”
Headed by O&B corporate events chef Jamie Meireles, Aperture Room offers an extensive menu suitable for all forms of events, ranging from express corporate lunch gatherings to standing cocktail receptions, and formal customized seated dinners. Highlights include an “out of the box” poutine station, antipasto harvest table and an all-Canadian oyster shucking table; champagne and mojito bars; and a specialty “mixed-to-match” cocktail bar.
For more info, visit http://www.oliverbonacinievents.com/Venues/Aperture-Room.aspx
ABOUT APERTURE ROOM
Aperture Room is a stylish event space located on the third floor of The Thornton-Smith Building in downtown Toronto. The name is derived from one of the building’s most prominent tenants, Toronto Camera, which occupied all four floors in 1966. The space features original exposed brick walls, three magnificent skylights, hardwood floors, plaster ceilings, LED lighting throughout and a refined heritage flare. Aperture Room also offers built-in AV equipment including state-of-the-art screens, projectors and architectural lighting, lending itself to all types of social and corporate events. The space can accommodate 120 guests for a seated event and 180 guests for a standing reception.
ABOUT THE THORNTON-SMITH BUILDING
The Thornton-Smith Building is a vibrant heritage property located at 340 Yonge St. in downtown Toronto. The building was designed in 1922 by Irish-born architect John M. Lyle for The Thornton-Smith Company, a British antique and interior design firm. Lyle’s neoclassical beaux arts design received the first gold medal awarded by the Ontario Association of Architects, along with recognition in architectural journals in London and New York. In 1966, Toronto Camera moved in to occupy all four floors of the Thornton-Smith Building, and became Canada’s largest photographic store. In 1974, the Thornton-Smith Building was added to Inventory of Heritage Properties, and to this day has remained true to its original architecture.
ABOUT OLIVER & BONACINI CATERING
Oliver & Bonacini (O&B) is recognized as one of Canada’s leading fine dining restaurant, events and catering companies, operating 12 unique and innovative restaurants in Ontario. Operations include à la carte dining, quick service dining, catering and special events. Restaurants include America, Auberge du Pommier, Bannock, Biff’s Bistro, Canoe, Canteen, Jump, Luma, and Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (Toronto, North York, Blue Mountain, Oakville). The company’s private dining and events division, Oliver & Bonacini Events and Catering, manages a number of large-scale event facilities, including Arcadian, The Carlu, Toronto Region Board of Trade, Malaparte at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Windermere House on Lake Rosseau, Muskoka, and the Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto (in collaboration with INK Entertainment).