Capturing Mid-Century Toronto: The Flower Tower
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The Flower Tower
44 Walmer Road, Toronto, 2019. Image by Vik Pahwa.
Circles of 44 Walmer Road, Toronto, 200. Image courtesy of Alfred Holden.
The Prince Arthur Towers, 20 Prince Arthur Avenue, 1993. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.
Advertisement for the Prince Arthur Apartments, Globe and Mail, July 25, 1969. pg 35.
Why apartments?
Uno Prii’s passion for creating apartment buildings can be traced to his own experiences trying to find a home in Toronto. When he and his wife Silvia first arrived in Toronto in 1950, rental options were restricted to only a few old apartment buildings. The average wait time for an apartment to become available in the city was seven years. The Priis eventually found an apartment, but the situation inspired Uno to design and build apartment buildings in Toronto.
In the 1950s, many Torontonians were critical of apartment living: why would anyone choose to live in one instead of a single-family home? However, following the opening of the Yonge Street subway in 1954, apartment construction dramatically increased along the new public transit corridor. Prii secured a number of commissions for apartment design. As a new architect, he didn’t have enough money to open his own office, or to hire other architects, so he worked every day by himself. When he did find an office for himself, Prii would receive calls from Silvia asking if he’d be home for breakfast, as he often worked all night long.
A love of circles
Affectionately called the Flower Tower, 44 Walmer Road has become one of Prii’s most iconic works. When it was first built in 1969, the balconies had circular, cut-out designs along the railing. This inspired the nickname “Flower Tower” by Toronto Life, because it served as a reminder of the 1960s playfulness of “flower power,” going against then-current ways of building.
Besides the balconies, the circular theme is also found in the porte cochere, the canopy structure over the door, where circle cut-outs emit light. It is again repeated with the arches and fountain in front of the building. Uno Prii’s love of circles, loops, and curves gave the building a sculptural sense of fun, making the building stand out against its rectangular neighbours. Uno and Silvia planned to live in the Flower Tower after Uno’s retirement, but the building was so popular and the waitlist so long that the Priis were never able to live there.
Whose art?
In 2001, the Flower Tower was sold to new owners, who renovated the building and removed the iconic circular cut-outs from the railings. One critic stated the change of this “high-sculptural, landmark tower” would drive the city further into “architectural mediocrity.”
Despite protests from tenants and Uno Prii’s family, the Flower Tower’s circular elements were lost. Tenants, architects, and historians called into question the renovation. If architecture is art, does a new owner have the right to change an architect’s original design?