Commerce Court

Bill had to do some banking last week at the Headquarters of the Canadian Bank of  Commerce at King and Bay Streets in the Financial District of Toronto. It's hard not to be impressed with the Deco tower of the 1930 Headquarters contrasted to the glass and steel facade of I.M. Pei's new  addition  (1975) to Commerce Court. 

The older building exhibits grand entrances and lots of decorative ornament and an incredibly opulent interior. Just look at those ceilings!

Mr. Pei connects the old and new buildings with a delicate, otherworldly, covered passageway

and the lobby of the new structure is a vision in gleaming marble, glass and that wonderful, endless, violet information desk. 

What a surprise to find a mother elephant striding in front of her young in the inner courtyard.Bill couldn't help wondering if an elephant in the courtyard has the same negative connotations as the elephant in the room.