Although Garden Court is the newest building ever featured in this account yet, it is also probably one of the oldest apartments in Leaside.

Built in 1941, this art deco apartment designed by architect Forsey Page & Steel does not look 80 years old at all. Its “modern” look stems from its streamline moderne style

As an evolution of the art deco style, with a focus on minimizing ornamentation, emphasizing horizontal lines, adding aerodynamic elements like the round curved balconies and airplane style port side windows, liberal usage of architectural glass, like the tall strip stairway window made from glass bricks, the Garden Court is a timeless design.

As the name suggests, the housing compound has a huge communal garden in the middle, with the aim to blur the concept of front / backyard detached house living with the convenience of being close to downtown.

To inject the feel of “privacy”, each block has a few entrances, and the ground floor units have separate doorway. It was a time when each floor only had 2-3 units in a block, so the corridors were never too long and congested.

It was a time when the designer really cared about the residents and thought carefully about providing a decent living environment.

1477 Bayview, Leaside, Toronto