A Filming Hot Spot
New City Hall is our Hollywood North Landmark, appearing in film projects such as Handmaid’s Tale, Red and Star Trek. Its build is rooted in brilliant details, political controversy and the structure that sent Toronto into the future and beyond.
Uhhh…Like Hell You Are!
Toronto’s massive revolt against another design (now the current Imperial Oil Condo on St. Clair West) had locals saying [quote] “it looks like a funeral home of vast dimensions”. U OF T students and many locals weren’t havin’ it. So Toronto turned the world’s heads with a 1958 International Design Competition awarding Finland’s Vilijo Revell a $25,000 prize out of 1,500 designers. And a $1million design fee.
A Design from the Future
People were in awe of its modern details and how it emulated a massive human eye from the sky; blowing past mid-century styles.
While the inner concave walls are entirely glass, the outer walls were almost completely windowless with its Carrara marble strips set in concrete. Revell did this for 2 fascinating reasons:
To make it look like an impenetrable fortress, yet completely open and transparent from the front, so bureaucracy constantly faces the citizens they serve. How’s that for accountability?
Too Bad He Didn’t See the Final Stages
New City Hall officially opened in 1965, directly across from Old City Hall, 10 months after Revell’s death. It is said that the project brought him great stress that possibly led to his early death.
How Much We Talkin’ ‘Bout?
Total building costs? $31 million; roughly $310 million today. Any guess on how much this would cost to build in our present construction climate? Around $1.2 billion.
What’s With the Cool Rampy Thing
This sweeping concrete ramp from Nathan Phillips Square to the roof was meant as a ceremonial vehicular ramp for heads of state and dignitaries, but today, it’s mostly used by pedestrians and offers awesome views of the square and old city hall.
Haters Be Hatin’
Even though legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright despised it, declaring it the “spot where Toronto fell” and others referring to it as 2 sewer pipes standing on end, it remains the building that pulled us into the future, layered with design history and global accolades, again proving the perfect example of Toronto’s reputable hot and cold reactions when our city undergoes an impactful change.