Roy Thomson Hall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall located at 60 Simcoe Street in Toronto, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.

Opened in 1982 and renovated in 2002, its circular architectural design exhibits a sloping and curvilinear glass exterior. It was designed by Canadian architects Arthur Erickson and Mather and Haldenby.

The hall seats 2,630 and features an impressive pipe organ built by Canadian organ builders Gabriel Kney of London, Ontario.

Formerly known as New Massey Hall, it is named after the late Roy Thomson, first Lord Thomson of Fleet and founder of the publishing empire Thomson Corporation.

The concert hall was used in scenes of the film X-Men.

The hall is also one of the main venues used by the Toronto International Film Festival, with many gala screenings held there each year.

Filmaker Jeffery Klassen's 2005 film, Toronto Archictecture, interviews Arthur Erickson about the structure. Erickson talks of the point of the grey structure being that of a container in which people were to fill up with their own decorations. The pond was originally designed to be used as a skating rink in the winter. The building was influenced by Erickson's journey's in Japan and his realtionship with the North American Indians.

[edit] See also

• List of concert halls

[edit] External links

• The Corporation of Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall
• About Massey Hall