The Derby, which stands at the southeast corner of Parliament and King, makes a handsome terminus for the King Street vista seen from the west. The project, initiated by Ron Thom’s Toronto office, was brought to a successful conclusion by Dermot Sweeny. Twenty-six innovative mezzanine lofts (long before “loft” became the ultimate marketing buzz-word it is today) and the commercial space at street level fit in well in this zone of (formerly) clandestine lofts and industrial buildings.

David Winterton