The Yorkville, 32 Davenport Rd: Wallman’s Copper-Finned Tower Reviewed

The Yorkville is the tall tower with copper-coloured fins at Davenport and McMurrich, on the north edge of Yorkville. It mixes compact one-bedrooms with large two- and three-bedroom suites, and its fee covers more than most buildings its age. Of the Yorkville towers I review regularly, it is one of the more reasonable ways into the neighbourhood. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Copper fins and gold glass on a sharp corner

Wallman Architects, led by Rudy Wallman, had an awkward site to work with. Davenport Road curves here and meets McMurrich Street at an acute angle, so the lobby was planned around that point rather than squaring it off. The four-storey podium runs along McMurrich, and the tower rises above it.

The tower is wrapped in copper-coloured vertical piers, with an extruded bay of gold-tinted glass on the east side. UrbanToronto noted during construction that the glass casts a warm, golden light into the suites behind it. Higher up, two cantilevered box sections step out from the main tower, and the first of these ends at the 26th floor.

It is a confident design, and the fins make it easy to pick out on the Davenport skyline. Like any coloured or textured cladding, it needs regular care to keep its look, which is one of the items I would ask about in the reserve fund study.

The rest of the design team was chosen with the same care. Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting did the lobby and interiors, and the landscape architecture firm gh3 designed the outdoor spaces. When you tour the building, judge how the lobby, corridors and terrace have been maintained over the past decade; that tells you as much about the board and management as any document.

A wide range of suites in one tower

The building’s listings show a broad spread. At the small end there are one-bedrooms under 500 square feet; in the middle, two-bedrooms and two-plus-dens in the 800s and 900s; and at the top, larger two-plus-dens and three-bedrooms that are priced well above $1 million. Upper floors include suites with private terraces.

That mix means you will share elevators with investors, students, professionals and downsizers. It also gives the building more resale activity than a boutique of 30 or 80 suites, which makes pricing easier to judge.

Before you buy a two-bedroom here, look at whether the second bedroom has a proper window and a closet, and how the suite deals with the angled floor plate. The angled site and the cantilevered sections create some unusual layouts, which can be a pleasure or a problem depending on the furniture you own.

The podium terrace and the plunge pool

The outdoor amenity space sits on top of the McMurrich podium, with landscape design by gh3, and it was divided into separate areas during construction. Indoors there is a fitness centre, a yoga studio, a sauna and a plunge pool, along with a party room and a lounge, and the building has a concierge.

A plunge pool is not a lap pool. If swimming laps is part of your routine, The Milan on Church Street lists a full indoor pool. If you want a cold dip after the sauna or a place to cool off in summer, the plunge pool does the job.

Davenport and McMurrich, day to day

McMurrich is a short, tree-lined street, and the Yorkville Avenue shops and restaurants are a couple of minutes’ walk south. Yonge Street is a short walk east and Bloor Street’s luxury strip is just beyond. The Florian at 88 Davenport is a near neighbour on the same stretch of road.

Davenport Road is busy at rush hour. Suites facing the road and lower floors hear more of it than those facing McMurrich or on upper floors, so ask about orientation. The data panel on this page covers transit, Walk Score and nearby food and parks.

One of the cheaper ways into Yorkville

The building averages about $970 per square foot, close to the Residences of Yorkville Plaza (about $983) and below Pears on the Avenue (about $1,059) and The Florian (about $1,259) on the same part of Davenport. For a building of this age, with this location and these fee inclusions, that is reasonable.

Six suites were for sale at the time of writing, asking from about $530,000 under 500 square feet to about $1,599,000 for the largest two-plus-dens and three-bedrooms. Two-bedrooms and two-plus-dens in the 800s were asking between about $720,000 and $932,000. Fees on those listings ran from roughly $511 to $1,443 a month, or about $0.90 to $1.20 per square foot.

The fee includes air conditioning, heat, water, building insurance and parking. That is a complete package, and it means a suite here can cost less each month than one in a newer building with a lower headline fee and those items billed separately. My building sold report shows what has actually closed.

With six suites listed across several size bands, there is real choice here, which is not true of the smaller buildings nearby. That gives a buyer leverage: if one seller will not move, there is often a comparable suite a few floors away.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Yorkville Condominiums

The amenities are built around wellness and the podium terrace rather than a big pool deck. For most residents, the gym, yoga studio and sauna get daily use, and the gh3 terrace is the reason to stay home on a summer evening.

Jatin’s honest take on The Yorkville Condominiums

The Yorkville Condominiums — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.