Curry Building
233 Portage Avenue

The two storey Curry Building appears to be a granite structure but is really clad with an exceptional quality terra cotta that closely mimics granite. Texture and colour (beige accented with splashes of black and grey) contribute to the illusion but so does the apparent 'stone carving' that abounds on the building. At the top there is a lacy parapet. The spandrels (horizontal panels between first and second storey windows) have a similar delicate look. Columns are dressed with winding 'double twisted' ribbons which, alternately, show a plain then floral pattern. Above each pair of columns, nestled in the leafy decoration, are the heads and shoulders of what appears to be scribes. The result of these details is a cathedral-like Gothic-inspired design. Interestingly, this handsome structure was meant to be the base for a further seven stories. Plans for the addition, announced in 1928, were delayed a year only to have the Depression cancel the plans altogether.