Toronto Life – Making an Entrance

Junction House
Where: The Junction
Developer: Slate Asset Management
Designer: Dialogue 38
Number of units: 150
In 2018, developers Brandon Donnelly and Rick Sole met at Neo Coffee Bar in St. Lawrence to discuss an upcoming project: Junction House, a mid-rise building near Dundas and Annette. They were looking to hire an interior designer. Both agreed that the space should feel similar to the coffee shop—airy, with a mix of raw and refined finishes.

They ultimately commissioned Neo’s designer, Bennett C. Lo, founder of the local firm Dialogue 38, to work on Junction House. Inspired by the thinking of French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier, Lo conceives of condo buildings as miniature cities, with lobbies as the public squares. “In a traditional condo, the lobby is the place where you wait for your Uber,” says Lo. “It’s just filler. That was never going to work for me.”

At Junction House, there’s a social area located a few steps up from the main entranceway. It’s bathed in natural light and just far enough above street level that it feels a bit like a front porch. The finishes—wood detailing over rough concrete—inject the room with warmth and texture. The space is also practical: it has table and lounge seating, a bar with a fridge and a coffee machine, and double-height bookshelves. Lo likes to think of the shelves as a condo version of the Little Free Libraries found around the city, where residents can share books from their homes. “This is a workspace but also a café and living room,” he says.

The building opened its doors in late 2023. In January, at a party to welcome residents, there were pastries from Mabel’s—a beloved local ­bakery—beer from Junction Craft Brewery and, of course, coffee from Neo. People congregated in the pale wood-panelled parlour, chatting and mingling into the evening.