This $28 million Toronto mansion was designed by a leading mid-century visionary
If you're not an architecture buff you'll be forgiven for not knowing who John C. Parkin is. But if you do dabble in architecture and design history, you'll know Parkin was one of the leaders in the development of mid-century modern style in Canada.
"Toronto was transformed by star-architect John C. Parkin who created the 'International Style' in Canada," realtor Jane Zhang notes.
Parkin's firm was behind notable Toronto designs like University of Toronto's Sidney Smith Hall, 250 College Street, and Yorkdale Shopping Centre during the 1950s and 60s.
He also designed this jaw-dropping residence in the Bridle Path: 30 High Point Road.
"It's one of Canada’s most architecturally significant residences," said Zhang.
The eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom home was originally built in 1976.
It features exceptional construction, including concrete walls embedded with pink and white quartz stones, thoughtful engineering, detail, material selection and flow.
When you drive up to the property you'll notice that the house is imposing in size but the clean lines add a sense of elegance to the building.
The interior of the home is just as stunning as the exterior.
The foyer features sparkling black granite floors and soaring atrium-like ceilings with views of a zen garden. It's giving some expensive office building vibes, too.
The home is bright with plenty of natural light flowing in from all directions.
"The spaces have been designed for both everyday family living and large-scale entertaining, with palatially proportioned living and dining rooms," commented Zhang.
There are also whimsical touches throughout the home that keep the home from feeling too impersonal.
For example, in the dining room there's a hand-painted mural that showcases an "eternal story".
The home boasts a larger-than-life 26,000-square-feet of living space over three-and-a-half storeys.
One of the grandest spaces in the home is the 1,700-square-foot recreation room where you can play cards or billiards, and there's a catering kitchen that joins the space, perfect for big poker nights.
The main five bedrooms are all on the upper level of the house, as well as two sitting areas.
There's also a guest suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the main floor.
Everything about this house is over the top, but in the best way.
It not only has an outdoor pool, but it also has an indoor pool, which has a cantilevered floor over it where the breakfast area is.
It's just too cool!
And if you're a motor afficiando the seven-car garage is a sight to behold with greenhouse windows.
But as architecturally stunning as the house is, nothing compares to the property itself – 2.12 acres of rolling lawns, gardens, towering trees, lawns, terraces, gardens and even a cheeky putting green.
"It is so rare to have over two acres of land, yet be so close to everything," said Zhang. "The land has been sculpted for privacy and allows for wonderful vistas from every window."
This "crown jewel" of Canadian modern architecture is listed for $28,000,000.
Suti Zheng & Joseph Guarrasi
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