Horticulture Building (Toronto)
| Horticulture Building, Muzik | |
|---|---|
|
View of the Horticulture Building main entrance in 1912. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Exhibition building |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Location | Exhibition Place |
| Address | 15 Saskatchewan Road |
| Coordinates | 43°37′57″N 79°25′25″W / 43.6325°N 79.4236°WCoordinates: 43°37′57″N 79°25′25″W / 43.6325°N 79.4236°W |
| Opened | 1907 |
| Owner | City of Toronto |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel Truss |
| Floor count | 1 |
| Floor area | 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2)[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | G. W. Gouinlock |
The Horticulture Building, which houses the Muzik Nightclub, is a heritage building at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, containing event and conference space. It was built in 1900s for the display of horticulture during the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). It is a listed heritage building. Along with four other buildings at Exhibition Place designed by the same architect, it is a National Historic Site of Canada.[2][3] After a long period of use, the CNE closed the building and leased it to private management as the nightclub.
Description
The Horticulture Building was constructed in 1907, designed by local architect G. W. Gouinlock in the Beaux Arts style. It is a one-storey building, in the layout of an "E" with a large glass dome at the intersection of the wings. The glass dome is the site of the main entrance facing south. The wings extend to the east and west to the north.
History
The site was previously the site of Toronto's Crystal Palace building, an exhibition hall fashioned after the design of the Crystal Palace in London, England. The Palace was destroyed by fire on October 18, 1906, spread by sparks from a fire in the grandstand building.[4] The following year, the Horticulture Building was constructed.
Between 1942 and 1946, when the CNE grounds were in use by the Canadian armed forces, the Horticulture Building became the Quartermaster Stores. In September 1949, when the passenger liner the S.S. Noronic was destroyed by fire in Toronto Harbour, the Horticulture Building was turned into an emergency morgue. It temporarily housed as many as 104 casualties.[5]
In 1958, the building was used in the design competition for Toronto's City Hall. All of the models for the new city hall and square were put on display for public inspection.[6]
In 2004, Muzik Clubs Inc. won a competitive process to occupy the building and grounds from 2004 until 2024. It operates the upscale Muzik club on Saturday nights and uses the building for other private events. In 2013, the club proposed building swimming pools on the site in exchange for an extension of the lease until 2034. It was turned down.[7]
Gallery
- Exterior
Horticulture Building in 2005.
Horticulture Building in 1927.
View of Toronto's Horticulture Building in 1912.
References
- ↑ Osbaldeston, Mark (2008). Unbuilt Toronto: A History of the City That Might Have Been. p. 94.
- ↑ Gouinlock Buildings / Early Exhibition Buildings, Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
- ↑ Gouinlock Buildings / Early Exhibition Buildings, National Register of Historic Places
- ↑ Bradburn, Jamie. "Historicist: An Exhibition in Crystal". Torontoist. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Crowds Outside The Horticulture Building, 1911". CNE. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Architectural models at Horticultural Building for City Hall and Square Competition, Toronto, 1958". Toronto Public Library. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Exhibition Place wants to extend lease for Muzik nightclub until 2034". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 30, 2015.