Toronto Star

Saving face seems to have become more important than saving architecture. That's not always a bad thing, but heritage preservation goes beyond keeping a façade or two. The question of what to do with historic sites has vexed Toronto almost since its beginnings. Most recently, the discussion has been focused on a modest two-storey building designed by John Lyle as his office. Lyle, an important Canadian architect of the early 20th century, produced Union Station, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Runnymede Public Library and many other local landmarks. But now plans by architects Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg are afoot to erect a condo on the site and so Lyle's old studio must go. What to do? The answer: Save the front wall and fireplace and feature them in the lobby of the new development. Nothing wrong with that, but no one should mistake it for heritage preservation.