The Adelaide Block

The Adelaide Block was the embodiment of mixed-use real estate when it was constructed in 1906. Designed by Samuel Hooper’s architecture firm Hooper & Walker, the Adelaide Block held a variety of commercial tenants on the main floor—including a barber, wallpaper shop, and florist—with apartments above. Commercial in style, the red brick Adelaide Block has large storefront windows and a flat roof with decorative cornice. The most unusual feature of the building is the open-air courtyard located in the centre of the structure, which was added to increase ventilation in the suites.