WELCOME TO RYERSON UNIVERSITY Taking Root In The City That s what University as City Builder means to me: a wellknown University footprint in the City...giving people reasons to visit, and to live nearby. Because what is good for Ryerson University - is also good for Toronto. -President Sheldon Levy Statement From Kendra -Chair, Kendra Smith The Ryerson Campus
CONTENTS TEN IMPORTANT BUILDINGS IN TORONTO +1 G A L L E R I E S R E S T A U R A N T S C O F F E E S H O P S SERVICES AND CONTACTS
TEN IMPORTANT BUILDINGS IN TORONTO +1 AS SEEN BY PAUL RAFF The following is a list of the ten most important works of architecture in the city of Toronto as seen through the eyes of prominent Toronto-based architect Paul Raff. The list was compiled for an exhibition, displayed on the CN tower's observation deck in 2007. With a variety of projects that span the globe, Mr. Raff has still maintained a close relationship with Ryerson s School of Architecture throughout his career. Added to this list is Frank Gehry s addition to the AGO, which was completed in 2008. An article by John McMinn provides some perspective on this important project, and serves to update the list that Paul compiled several years ago. Gooderham Building (Flat Iron Building) RC Harris Water Filtration Plant Sony Centre (formerly the Hummingbird Centre) Toronto City Hall Toronto Dominion Center Ontario Place Mississauga City Hall Sharp Centre for Design, OCAD Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research Royal Ontario Museum Umbra Retail Store Art Gallery of Ontario (AG0)
Viljo Revell 1965 100 Queen Street West Toronto City Hall The result of an internationally open competition that attracted over five hundred entries, City Hall solidified Toronto s place in the architectural world. The winning entry, submitted by Finnish architect Viljo Revell, consists of a circular podium surrounded and enclosed by two office towers. Reminiscent of classical columns these office towers are fluted, and symbolize cupped hands holding and protecting the values and responsibilities of government. In plan, these three distinct built-forms of City Hall appear as an eye, one that looks over and protects the city. Set against tall and repetitive skyscrapers, City Hall brings a circular relief to the grid pattern that is so common in large, North American cities.
Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe 1967 66 Wellington Street West Toronto Dominion Centre The Centre consists of five towers clad in bronze-tinted glass and supported by a grid of black steel. The towers are arranged on a granite plinth. By raising the office function from the ground plane, the granite plaza extends into the building maintaining an entirely public level. This collection of buildings is an example of the archetypal modernist design strategy as executed by one of the fathers of modernism. By arranging columns around the periphery and a service core in the center, a free plan creates an open, flexible space to accommodate the ever-changing requirements of a corporate office. The gird, used to derive proportion in every detail, has a commanding presence in the scheme and it is remarkable to observe the rigor with which each element is bound to it. The Toronto Dominion Centre is the most developed version of this International Style as it was his last building of this type, following the original Seagram Building in New York City completed in 1958. Once completed, this complex of unprecedented scale radically changed Toronto s skyline and prompted a wave of similar development that spread throughout Canada.
Will Alsop, Robbie/Young + Wright 2003 100 McCaul Street Rather than renovate an overcrowded maze of classrooms and building additions, why not build above it? Part of the Ontario College of Art & Design s campus redevelopment, the whimsical table top building hovers ten stories above its urban context, delicately supported by vibrant steel legs. The exuberant design is rooted in strong urban design principals while at the same time, enhances the Historic Grange Park and gives the College a strong presence within the city. This playful approach is appropriate to its use and frames a unique urban condition in the green space below its pixilated cladding. Sharp Centre for Design, OCAD
Studio Daniel Libeskind, B+H 2007 100 Queens Park In 1914 the ROM was formed at the opening of the new building which originally housed five separate museums. The first addition, facing Queens Park, was completed in 1933. Subsequent renovation in 1978 to 1984 saw the open areas inside the H form filled in to accommodate more gallery space. This previous expansion has since been demolished to accommodate the newest addition. The newest addition to the ROM, The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal features a geometrically complex steel structure clad with anodized aluminum and glass that protrudes into the historic museum and out into the street. The juxtaposition between the historic and the contemporary creates a unique tension in this Toronto Landmark both in terms of materiality and form. Irregularly shaped floor plates house museum collections in a dynamic, angular volume with views of the city through thin, towering windows. What began as a sketch on a napkin has developed into a feat of engineering and an iconic attraction that places Toronto in the spotlight of the international Architecture scene. Royal Ontario Museum
Frank Gehry 2008 317 Dundas Street West The Gehry design skillfully combines new and existing construction, presenting the visitor with an experience of openness and light, accented by the inviting pop friendliness of the slightly cartoony overscaled Douglas Fir-clad ramps and stairs which bend and curve inside the building. Strongly connected to its surrounding neighbourhood community, one of the most striking experiences for the visitor is the way the architects have incorporated the city itself as an artifact for consideration. On the second floor above the north entrance of the building, the soaring Galleria Italia, funded by a group of donors from Toronto s Italian community, provides an intimate overview of the domestic 19th-century architecture of the neighbourhood... The overall experience of the new gallery is very positive, bringing the experience of art to a broad-based public audience without diminishing its cultural significance. -John McMinn Art Gallery of Ontario Of Toronto s Art & Design District, Queen Street West is home to a wide range of galleries that exhibit emerging as well as accomplished Canadian and International artists. QUEEN
GALLERIES The Distillery District is the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian Industrial Architecture in North America. For this reason the District is a national Historic Site. In its early years, the Distillery was a central figure in the growth and development of the city in terms of manufacturing and trade. Known today as one of Toronto s trendiest neighbourhoods, the Distillery re-opened its gates in 2001 and became a pedestrian-only village showcasing Toronto s ever-growing arts, culture, and entertainment industries. It is now home to upscale condominium buildings, fine dining and well-respected art galleries; modern life in a Victorian context. UNIVERSITY AVE. YONGE ST. DISTILLERY DISTRICT
Queen West Galleries Angell Gallery 890 Queen Street West Wednesday to Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Current Galleries: You Only Live Once - an exhibition of the works of Kader Brock Edward Day Gallery 952 Queen Street West Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00am - 6:00pm Sunday: 12:00pm 5:00pm. Stephen Bulger Gallery 1026 Queen Street West Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00am - 6:00pm Current Galleries: The World From My Front Porch by Larry Towell Distillery District Galleries Artcore / Fabrice Marcolini 55 Mill Street Pure Spirits Building 62 Sunday to Monday: by appointment Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00am - 6:00pm Corkin Gallery 55 Mill Street Building 55 Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00am - 6:00pm Sunday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Current Galleries: The Presence of Portraits
BLOOR ST. YONGE ST. AVENUE RD. 100m
RESTAURANTS Cantine Restaurant & Bar International cuisine 138 Avenue Rd. Phone: (416) 923-4822 YORKVILLE Studio Café International cuisine Four Seasons Hotel, 21 Avenue Rd. Breakfast: Weekdays 6:30am -11:30am; Weekends 7:00am -11:30am Phone: (416) 964-0411 400m Walking Distance BLOOR ST. Remy s Restaurant Italian cuisine 115 Yorkville Ave. Phone: (647) 260-0822 Sassafraz Californian, French, Vegetarian and Seafood 100 Cumberland St. Phone: (416) 964-2222 Il Posto Italian cuisine 148 Yorkville Ave. Phone: (416) 968-0469 COLLEGE ST. YONGE ST. 100m
COFFEE C A F E S SHOPS Bulldog 89 Granby St. Daily: 7:00am 7:00pm Golden Mint Coffee & Tea Co. 439 Yonge St. Monday to Saturday: 8:00am 8:00pm Lettieri Espresso Bar Café 94 Cumberland St. Sunday to Thursday: 7:00am 10:00pm Friday to Saturday: 8:00am 12:00am Café Nervosa 75 Yorkville Ave. Sunday to Thursday: 11:30am 10:00pm Friday to Saturday: 11:30am 11:00pm Second Cup 170 Bloor St. West Daily: 8:00am 11:00pm