The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building

Completed in 1931, this building is the Grande Dame of Toronto's banking institutions. Designed by New York architects York and Sawyer, the 34-storied edifice casts a shadow of grandeur over the much larger structures that now dominate the city's Financial District. Located two blocks west of Yonge Street, this Romanesque building lends a sense of security to all who enter. The ground floor, with its banking rooms and grand lobbies, is decorated with wrought-iron detail and gilded moldings that offer a sense of part revenue and part reverence.