The City Hall of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is one of the most distinctive landmarks of the city. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell (with Heikki Castrén, Bengt Lundsten, Seppo Valjus) and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965; its modernist architecture still impresses today. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Viljo Revell ( January 25 1910 &ndash November 8 1964) was a Finnish Architect of the functionalist school Hannskarl Bandel ( May 3, 1925 Dessau Germany - December 29, 1993 Aspen Colorado, United States was a German-American Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century It was built to replace Old City Hall which was built in 1899. Toronto 's Old City Hall was home to its city council from 1899 to 1966 and remains one of the city's most prominent structures
Contents |
Location
The building is on a large site on the north side of Queen Street West between Bay Street and Osgoode Hall. Bay Street is a street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the centre of Toronto's financial district and is often used by Osgoode Hall is the name for a landmark building in Downtown Toronto which houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of The address is 100 Queen Street West, and its postal code is M5H 2N2. It is on the site of Toronto's first Chinatown. Toronto 's Chinatown (多倫多華埠 is an Ethnic enclave in Downtown Toronto with a high concentration of ethnic Chinese residents and businesses extending The population of the large area was displaced, mostly to the northwest of the site. Much of the Chinese population residing in the district had to be relocated before construction of the new City Hall could begin.
Design competition
Toronto had been looking to build a more modern city hall for several years. In 1954, a partnership of three of Toronto's largest architectural firms was selected to do the design. The result, presented in November 1955, was an extremely conservative structure that was called "sterile" by Frank Lloyd Wright and "very poor" by Walter Gropius. Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8 1867 &ndash April 9 1959 was an American (of Welsh descent Architect, Interior designer, Writer, and educator who Walter Adolph Georg Gropius ( May 18, 1883 &ndash July 5, 1969) was a German Architect and founder of Bauhaus It died when voters rejected plans for a new $18 million city hall in a December 1955 referendum. Led by Mayor Nathan Phillips, Toronto city council decided in 1956 to have an international competition to choose the new design under terms drawn up by the International Union of Architects. Nathan Phillips KC ( November 7 1892 &ndash January 7 1976) was a Canadian politician and popular Mayor of Toronto The International Union of Architects ( Union internationale des Architectes, or UIA is an international Non-governmental organization that represents over a million This caused some controversy as some felt the work should be done by a Canadian. A five-person panel of judges was drawn up with some of the world's greatest architecture experts. Eric Arthur served as advisor. Eric Ross Arthur, CC ( July 1, 1898 &ndash November 1, 1982) was a Canadian Architect, writer and educator Over 500 designs were submitted, from which eight semi-finalists were selected. In September 1958, Revell's design was selected by three of the judges, including Eero Saarinen. Eero Saarinen (eːro saːrinen (August 20 1910 Kirkkonummi, Finland – September 1 1961 Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States) was One of the two dissenting judges was William Graham Holford, who was skeptical that the design could be built within the $18 million budget set by the city. William Graham Holford Baron Holford ( 22 March 1907 &ndash 17 October 1975) was a British Architect and town planner Revell received a $25,000 prize plus what was estimated to be $1 million in fees to supervise construction. He complained that not enough credit was given to his design collaborators, Heikki Castren, Bengt Lundsten, and Seppo Valjus, and asked that all names be listed as the architects. Construction began in 1961 and the building was completed four years later. Revell died in 1964 before the project was finished.
Design
While the building's base is rectangular, its two towers are curved in cross-section and rise to differing heights. Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986 was an English artist and sculptor. The east tower is 27 storeys (99. 5 metres) tall and the west tower is 20 storeys (79. 4 meters). Between the towers is the saucer-like council chamber, and the overall arrangement is somewhat like two hands cradling the chamber. The outer concrete surfaces of the towers have been ribbed, to prevent collapse of the fabric as a result of the expansion of the exterior surfaces, and the tearing apart of the fabric as a result of differences in air pressure on the two sides of each wing-like tower during the high winds characteristic of the Great Lakes. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The north, west, and east elevations are plain in contrast with the south elevation; each presents a view of unrelieved concrete. To the east of the square is the former City Hall (locally known as Old City Hall) which is now a courthouse. Toronto 's Old City Hall was home to its city council from 1899 to 1966 and remains one of the city's most prominent structures For the Arlington Virginia neighborhood see Courthouse Virginia A courthouse (sometimes spelled court house) is a building
From the air, the building is seen as a giant unblinking eye, thus the building's original nickname of "The Eye of Government".
When finished, the building caused a storm of controversy among many people, who felt that it was extremely futuristic, too futuristic for the city. Even 40 years later, it still appears very modern.
In front of the main structure is Nathan Phillips Square, a public space containing a fountain/skating rink. Nathan Phillips Square is a City square that forms the front (south entrance to Toronto City Hall or 'New City Hall' at Queen Street West and
The square is surrounded by an elevated walkway, with connections to City Hall, the square below, and the Sheraton Hotel across Queen Street. Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts ' largest and second oldest brand ( Westin being the oldest
Statues and monuments
- a memorial to Hiroshima
- Three-Way Piece No. The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's 2 (The Archer), an abstract bronze sculpture by Henry Moore. Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986 was an English artist and sculptor.
- statue of Sir Winston Churchill
- Peace Garden
Additions/Changes
City Hall has changed over the last four decades:
- Minor upgrades by Toronto architect Bruce Kuwabara to connect the two towers and upgrade council chambers in 1997-1998
- Observation deck closed
- Peace Garden added
- Gift shop closed
- City Hall library reduced in size
City Hall was designated as a property of historical and architectural significance under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1991. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Bruce Bunji Kuwabara, BArch OAA FRAIC AIA (born 1949 is a Canadian architect and partner in the firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects The Ontario Heritage Act, first enacted on March 5 1975 allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in In 2005 the building celebrated its 40th birthday and plans are underway to re-design Nathan Phillips Square. Nathan Phillips Square is a City square that forms the front (south entrance to Toronto City Hall or 'New City Hall' at Queen Street West and
Toronto City Hall in fiction
- In the 1980 film The Kidnapping of the President starring William Shatner and Hal Holbrook the city hall and Nathan Phillips Square provided the location for a protracted hostage scene. The Kidnapping of the President is a 1980 political Thriller film made by Presidential Films and Sefel Films and distributed by Crown International William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook Jr (born February 17, 1925) is an American Actor.
- In the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "All Our Yesterdays". Star Trek is a Science fiction Television series created by Gene Roddenberry that aired from September 8, 1966 through " All Our Yesterdays " is a third season (and the penultimate) episode of Star Trek The Original Series, first broadcast March 14
- The city hall was seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Contagion" as one of the possible destinations of an alien portal. Star Trek The Next Generation ( STTNG or TNG) is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning science fiction television program created by Gene Roddenberry " Contagion " is a second-season episode of Star Trek The Next Generation first broadcast on March 20, 1989.
- In the October 2001 issue of Sonic The Hedgehog (Issue 103), the Freedom Fighters are seen fleeing the burning city of Mobotropolis, with Toronto City Hall portrayed in the background. Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing series of American comic books published by Archie Comics, featuring Sega 's mascot Video game character
- In the 2002 film The Tuxedo, the city hall was playing the role of "CSA Headquarters". The Tuxedo is a 2002 action/comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
- In the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse, the building portrayed the City Hall in Raccoon City. A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a City or Town 's administration and usually houses the city or Raccoon City is a fictional midwestern American city depicted in the Resident Evil series of Survival horror Video games created by It was destroyed by a neutron bomb blowing up over the building.
- In the 2006 film The Sentinel, an assassination attempt takes place at a Group of Eight summit meeting in Toronto's city hall. The Sentinel is a 2006 Thriller film about a veteran Secret Service bodyguard who is suspected as a traitor after an attempted assassination
- In a 2005 episode of the Pokémon anime, the Devon Corporation headquarters looked similar to the City Hall building. Pokémon (abbreviated from in Japan) is an ongoing Japanese animated series which has since been adapted for the North American and European
Festivals
City hall is one of the main host of different festivals and events in Toronto. Great new year celebration is held there every year including fireworks, sparkling & singing of different music bands. One of the other major festivals at Toronto city hall is the annual Cavalcade of Lights sets which is held from ends of November until end of December. Inside the Toronto city hall is accessible to the public at Doors Open Toronto day. Doors Open Toronto is an annual event held in the City of Toronto, Canada, that showcases many of the city's unique and historically significant buildings to
See also
- East York Civic Centre
- Etobicoke Civic Centre
- Scarborough Civic Centre
- York Civic Centre
- Metro Hall
- North York Civic Centre
External links
| Preceded by Old City Hall (Toronto) |
City of Toronto 1965– |
Succeeded by none |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic