William McBrien Building

The William McBrien Building is a seven-story office structure located at 1900 Yonge Street that serves as the Toronto Transit Commission headquarters. Its limestone facade sourced from Queenston gives the building a clean, functional appearance typical of mid-century administrative architecture.

This administrative building opened in 1958 and replaced the Toronto Transit Commission's former offices in the Toronto Board of Trade Building. Architect Charles B. Dolphin designed it as a modern headquarters for the expanding urban transit authority.

The building bears the name of William Carson McBrien, who led the Toronto Transit Commission from 1933 to 1954 and supervised Canada's first subway construction.

The building connects directly to Davisville subway station, making it easy to reach by public transit. Ground-level bus bays serve daily transit operations, so visitors may see buses and activity in that area.

The main lobby features light brown Italian marble details that blend international materials with locally sourced limestone. This combination of imports and regional stone shows how the building incorporated both global and local craftsmanship.

Location: Toronto

Architects: Charles B. Dolphin

Official opening: 1958

Architectural style: modern architecture

Floors above the ground: 7

GPS coordinates: 43.69774,-79.39689

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:03