Toronto can get a bad name for its’ architecture, but we don’t think we deserve it. As a (relatively) young city that’s growing quickly, we’re still discovering the style that defines us. When most people think of architecture in our city, they go right to the CN Tower – but that’s just the beginning of the great design shaping our city. If you want to be an architecture tourist for a day in our city, below are a few of our must-see picks:
1. Toronto City Hall
Okay, this one is pretty high-profile, but our incredible city hall is iconic and impossible to skip on this list. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell, it was constructed in 1965. It was the winning design from 42 proposals from around the world. The modernist design won out, and it became a great replacement for our original, more traditional city hall built in 1899. It’s been featured in movies for decades, from a 1980 William Shatner flick (Kidnapping of the President) to Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Plus, the building was made even better in 2009 with the addition of the city’s largest publicly accessible green rooftop – have you been by yet?
2. Sunnyside Bathing Pavillion
This west-end pool and gym is situated on the lake, and is a summer mainstay for anyone within a reasonable TTC distance. The Greecian-esque gates are covered in blue and gold details. The last reminder of a once-busy lakeside amusement park, this relic of the past looks incredibly out of place – but pleasantly so. Image via Wikimedia.
3. Royal Ontario Museum
This building sums up everything happening right now in Toronto, where old meets new. The initial building was erected in 1933, and features art-deco details. The Crystal, visible on Bloor Street, was opened in 2007 and designed by Daniel Libeskind. While it was hotly debated when opened, for better or worse it’s become iconic in and of itself.
This museum in Toronto’s north end might be a bit of a trip from the downtown core, but the destination is so worth it. Stunningly modern and strikingly minimal, this building features inventive folds and bends, and a beautifully still reflecting pool that’s just dying to be Instagrammed. Title image via Wikipedia.
5. Ryerson Student Learning Centre
This building is brand new on the Yonge street strip, just north of Dundas, and it’s a perfect example of an interesting, engaging use of the all-glass facade many critics hate about Toronto’s architecture. The interior is light and sunny, but it’s the use of texture and colour on the exterior that makes this building one of our faves. Image via Ryerson.ca.
Want to know about the architecture Context’s added to Toronto’s history? Click here.
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