401 Richmond Street

Black and white drawing of building. Tall building, built in a U shape, with a small section connecting the two long sections towards the top of the U. — Etching of the MacDonald Manufacturing Company building, 401 Richmond Street West, c. 1900.

Etching of the MacDonald Manufacturing Company building, 401 Richmond Street West, c. 1900.

Black and white photograph of the interior of a building. There is a tall ceiling and columns down the centre of the room. Many people sit at desks in rows with their heads down looking at their work. There are windows on the opposite wall separating the photographed room from the room on the other side. — Sales and office staff, Macdonald Manufacturing Company, 1900s. Courtesy of 401 Richmond

Sales and office staff, Macdonald Manufacturing Company, 1900s. Courtesy of 401 Richmond

Photo of a large red-brick building covered in vines situated alongside a busy road with cars on it. — Former MacDonald Manufacturing Co. warehouse, 401 Richmond Street, Toronto, 2011. Image: 401 Richmond

Former MacDonald Manufacturing Co. warehouse, 401 Richmond Street, Toronto, 2011. Image: 401 Richmond

Interior image of a room with red brick walls, two black leather sofas, four large windows, wooden floors, and many plants in the corner. On the wall behind one of the sofas is a large art piece, presumably a painting, that is obstructed from view. In between three of the windows on the wall are smaller art pieces. — Interior, west lobby, 401 Richmond Street, Toronto, ON. Courtesy of 401 Richmond.

Interior, west lobby, 401 Richmond Street, Toronto, ON. Courtesy of 401 Richmond.

Developer & Architects: Margaret Zeidler, Urbanspace Property Group

Built between 1899 and 1923, the building complex at 401 Richmond Street West was once the home for the Macdonald Manufacturing Company, makers of tin lithographs. After a period owned by the Continental Can Company from 1944-1967, the buildings at 401 Richmond were left neglected.

In 1994, Margaret Zeidler and the Urbanspace Property Group purchased the former factory and spearheaded its rehabilitation. Years of work went into lifting zoning restrictions to allow small organizations and creative companies to become tenants of the space. In 2007, 401 Richmond Street West was added to the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties. Noteworthy features included the buildings’ decorative brick and stone, the addition of the rooftop garden, and its large brick smokestack.

The restoration project, which turned the former factory into a community-oriented commercial space, won a Heritage Toronto Award of Merit in 1999. The Zeidler Family also won a Heritage Toronto Special Achievement Award in 2007. The building is now home to numerous artists and non-for-profit organizations and is a prime creative workspace in the city.