Toronto City Hall
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The City Hall of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is one of the most distinctive landmarks of the city. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965; its modernist architecture still impresses today. It was built to replace the Old City Hall (built in 1899).
The building is on the site of Toronto's first Chinatown. 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.
Toronto had been looking to build a more modern city hall for several years. In 1951 the idea first began to be worked on, and a partnership of three of Toronto's largest architectural firms was selected to do the design. The result was an extremely conservative structure that was rejected by the population. Mayor Nathan Phillips thus decided in 1958 to have an international contest to choose the new design. This caused some controversy as some felt the work should be done by a Canadian. A panel was drawn up of some of the world's greatest architecture experts. Over 500 designs were submitted with Revell's design being championed by his fellow Finn Eero Saarinen. When it was unveiled it caused great controversy but construction began in 1961 with the building being completed four years later.
The building is on a large site on the north side of Queen Street West between Bay Street and Osgoode Hall. The specific address is 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and its postal code is M5H 2N2. While the building's base is rectangular, its two towers are curved in cross-section and rise to differing heights. 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.
In front of the main structure is Nathan Phillips Square, a public space containing a fountain/skating rink; a memorial to Hiroshima; and Three-Way Piece No. 2 (The Archer), an abstract bronze sculpture by Henry Moore. The square is surrounded by an elevated walkway, with connections to City Hall, the square below, and the Sheraton Hotel across Queen Street.
The north, west, and east elevations are plain in contrast with the south elevation (shown); each presents a view of unrelieved concrete.
To the east of the square is the former City Hall (universally called Old City Hall), which is now a courthouse.
The distinctive city hall forms part of the logo and the flag of the City.
In 2005 the building celebrated its 40th birthday and plans are underway to re-design Nathan Phillips Square. 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
- Outdoor Walkway 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.
The east tower is 27 storeys (99.5 meters [326.5 feet]) tall and the west tower is 20 storeys (79.4 meters [260.5 feet]).
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[edit] Architecture
The two curved high-rise office towers surround a low circular city chamber. Each tower is structurally efficient, since it acts as a huge curved shell shape which naturally provides streangth and rigitity against overturning from wind and earthquake.
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[edit] 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 city hall was seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Contagion" as one of the possible destinations of an alien portal.
- In the 2002 film The Tuxedo, the city hall was playing the role of "CSA Headquarters".
- In the 2004 film Resident Evil: Apocalypse, the building portrayed the headquarters of Umbrella Corporation in Raccoon City. 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.
[edit] 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 is 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.
