Lots of angles and contrast between the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal at the ROM and the Exhibit Residences across the street at 200 Bloor Street West.
Author: Marvin Job (Page 24 of 32)
Welcome to a New Series!
This is the first instalment of a series of posts I call From The Vaults. These are shots of Toronto’s architecture I’ve taken many years ago on film, prior to making the move to digital photography. I’ve been scanning my old film prints to digital lately, so eventually there will be a few more instalments of From the Vaults to post and enjoy.
Today’s Post
For my first From The Vaults post I’m covering the demolition of the CBC Radio/TV Studios and broadcast tower at 345 Jarvis Street. Occurring in 2002, the demolition made way for the construction of the dual-tower Radio City condo project and Canada’s National Ballet School.
After the Jarvis Street transmitter was made redundant by the CN Tower, the CBC continued to use these Jarvis Street studio facilities until moving to the Canadian Broadcasting Centre at 250 Front Street West in 1992.
The adjacent studio complex facing Jarvis Street (now the Ballet School’s Margaret McCain Academic Building) was used for CBC Toronto’s radio and television operations. Prior to CBC doing extensive renovation when they first acquired the property, this building was the original Havergal Ladies’ College, built in 1898. Later, the building became known as the CBC Radio building.
Our city view prior to the Radio City towers going up. Note the brown studio building (far right) slowly being demolished floor by floor.
Demolition continues on the main studio building, just behind the tower’s left side
A few months later the studios are almost a hollow shell
The studio building continues to shrink…
… and shrink some more
The site is almost totally demolished. Just one building remains, lower left of frame, and the broadcast tower still stands… for the moment.
Demolition Starts on the Broadcast Tower
The old CBC broadcast tower was a mass of approximately 1,000 iron girders held together with 10,000 bolts. The tower rose from a base of 63 square feet located between the old Havergal Ladies College – which CBC bought for about $120,000 in 1944-45 – and historic Northfield House built in 1856 on Jarvis Street north of Carlton. The tower was painted red and white as a warning for low-flying aircraft.
The 540-foot freestanding lattice-style tower was built in 1952 to provide radio transmission facilities to the city of Toronto. It was the second tallest freestanding structure in Canada for several years and the second tallest freestanding lattice tower ever built in Canada after the Cambridge Bay LORAN Tower. In addition it was the tallest structure in Toronto for 15 years until the completion of the TD Tower in 1967.
Transmitting from the tower were CBC stations CBL-FM, CBLT and CBLFT, as well as CJRT and CICA-TV. In 1976 almost all broadcast signals in Toronto moved to the CN Tower, making the Jarvis Street broadcast tower redundant.
Demolition starts on the broadcast tower. As I was watching this years ago I remember wondering if the guy swinging around on that precarious basket/platform was receiving danger pay.
Demolition continues on the broadcast tower
The very top section and antenna were dismantled and lifted down by crane
Removal of the top section continues. It’s hard to see in the shot, but there are two workers clinging to the very top of the tower (right side) as the top segments are lifted away by the crane.
Bring on the Destruction!
Time For the Tower To Go: August 24, 2002
I took these shots as the tower started to fall after the explosives detonated at the base. Luckily I had a power winder going full blast on my film camera at the time, so it just kept snapping away automatically as the structure fell.
The tower starts to lean after the first explosives go off at the base
The descent continues
Almost down
She’s dead, Jim. Nothing left but a cloud of dust and some mangled pieces of iron.
I have several photos of the Radio City condos and National Ballet School being built on this location – stay tuned for future posts of those.
If you’d like to learn a little more about the CBC demolition and subsequent building of Radio City and Canada’s National Ballet School on this site, check out these links:
Dismantling a Cultural Landmark – The Globe & Mail
Ballet school gets former CBC studios – The Globe & Mail
This piece, entitled The Ascent, is located outside Starbucks at 1121 Bay Street, corner of Bay and Charles Streets. Designed by Toronto husband and wife team Paul Kipps and Colette Whitens, it features nine female silhouettes climbing upward.
A bit of trivia: this Starbucks location is the former site of the famed, but long-gone, restaurant La Scala.
This sculpture is located in front of the Penrose condos at 750 Bay Street. As part of this condo’s development in 1999, this waterfall-inspired artwork by Catherine Widgery was installed. Liquid Echo was commissioned by H and R Developments as part of the program of integration of art and architecture for the City of Toronto.
The entire plaza in which the sculpture sits is over 100 feet long by about 33 feet wide and was designed as part of the work. The vent shafts to underground parking across the front of the site, that would have been massive concrete planters in the original plans, were razed and replaced with circular openings that house the supporting structure for the twenty-four spiral cut columns that turn to create the impression of a water fall.
All the language of the elements in this work is a translation of the experience of nature. My goal is to find a language and materials appropriate for the urban environment. Large boulders were cut and reassembled along the grid of the pavers to be seating in the warm weather. Inlaid into the pavers are sections of circles made from stainless steel to suggest the way light bounces off of water that has been disturbed. Small groves of honey locusts (on platforms to minimize the massive planters necessary for this site) frame the space and the stairs provide additional seating.
Catherine Widgery
I love these! There is something incredibly adorable about the characters in this sculpture.
Immigrant Family, a work by New York sculptor Tom Otterness, sits outside the Lanterra condos at 18 Yonge Street. The 10-foot high bronze work was unveiled in 2007.
Selected through an international public art competition, Otterness’ work recalls the experience of visitors and new immigrants to Canada, capturing their sense of wonder at seeing the city and Lake Ontario, while bringing them close together as they embark on their new life.
I think it is a good purpose of public art that it sort of honours being a newcomer in the country and acknowledges it is an important role to play in the society.
Tom Otterness
The artist and the developer discuss the project
The Church of the Redeemer, at 162 Bloor Street West, sits at the very busy intersection of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road. This Anglican Church was founded in 1871 and opened its doors at this site on June 15, 1879. At that time the area was still on the fringe of the city (hard to imagine now…). The Church’s architectural style is Gothic Revival.
The Church of the Redeemer is known for its progressive stance on social issues, especially gay rights. In 1998, the congregation published An Honourable Estate: Same Sex Unions and the Church, advocating the blessing of same-sex unions. The parish uses exclusively the Book of Alternative Services.
From time to time the church also hosts a range of musical events and concerts. I remember seeing singer-songwriter Gary Jules here several years ago and thinking what a cool venue it was for a concert.
“The walls were covered with rubble stone from the Credit Valley, near Georgetown. The term rubble stone means that the stones were the rubble that remained after stones were cut in the quarry. They were irregular in shape and their sizes varied. However, though rough in texture and inexpensive, they created a pleasing effect when assembled on the church walls. Ohio sandstone was imported for the stone ornamentation and the trim around the windows of the church. The interior walls were of white and red bricks, enhanced by including geometric patterns. The support columns in the interior were constructed of polished granite from the Bay of Fundy area.”1
The Church underwent major renovations in the 1980s. At that time the parish hall on the north side of the Church was sold; because of this the Church lacked sufficient space for offices and meetings. The problem was solved by raising a section of the floor of the Church to expand the basement level. Pews were removed from the raised section at the rear of the nave and replaced with chairs, as you see here:
1Doug Taylor’s website: Historic Toronto: Information on Toronto’s History
Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth and was originally called Armistice Day to commemorate the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11:00 AM.
Until 1930, Armistice Day was held on the Monday of the week in which November 11th fell. In 1931 a bill was introduced to observe Armistice Day only on November 11, and to change its name to Remembrance Day. The first Remembrance Day was observed on November 11, 1931.
By remembering the service and sacrifice of Canadians who served, we recognize the freedom that they fought to preserve. We must remember.
Here are monuments and people from past Remembrance Days in Toronto.
Old City Hall
Originally built after World War I to commemorate Torontonians who lost their lives in services for Canada, the memorial also commemorates those who died in World War II and the Korean War. It was modelled on The Cenotaph at Whitehall in London, England, constructed using granite cut from the Canadian Shield, and unveiled on November 11, 1925.
East York Civic Centre
The East York Cenotaph reads:
Since the earliest crusade, men and women have suffered in the throes of war, not for personal gain or glory, but for the preservation of an ideal that righteous freedom might be realised as a reward to all mankind.
Thus we the Citizens of East York erect this symbol to commemorate throughout the years those who laid down their lives or were incapacitated serving the cause of such freedom in the victorious wars of 1914-1918, 1939-1945, Korea 1950-1953.
Pray that the Crusade is now ended in eternal peace.
Fort York National Historic Site
Beginning at the Strachan Avenue Military Burial Ground on Garrison Common, a procession led by period-uniformed staff and standard bearers of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire made its way to the old cemetery at the west end of the Common. At the eleventh hour, all soldiers of the Toronto Garrison who fell in the defence of Canada, here and around the world, from 1812 to the present, were remembered and honoured.
College Park
This installation is a tribute to all who have sacrificed their lives for us throughout history. The individuals here remind us that these heroes came from different backgrounds and cultures; and gave up their freedom so that we can have ours.
This is an installation by the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area.
In front of Manulife’s headquarters at 200 Bloor Street East, there is currently a display honouring Canadian Armed Forces members who made the ultimate sacrifice. As a gesture of thanks and remembrance, more than 12,000 flags are planted on the front lawn of Manulife’s headquarters. Each flag represents 10 members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have fallen in service.
This display is up from November 2 to November 11, 2022. The gates to the Manulife courtyard are open from 7:00AM to 6:00PM, so you can wander the lawn and take this in during those times.
More information can be found on Manulife’s website here.
Sculptor Shayne Dark, a Kingston native, has three sculptures which dot Toronto’s downtown condo landscape.
I. Double Vision
Double Vision is located on the northwest corner of Jarvis and Charles streets in front of X Condominium at 558 Jarvis Street. The huge red poles jutting out of the sidewalk bring to mind bamboo shoots.
II. Double Take
Just across the street, at 101 Charles Street East in front of The X’s younger sister building X2, sits Double Take. It is characterized by the same monumental poles, but this time they are slightly slanted toward Double Vision as if the two pieces are communicating. You have to be careful when you come out of Rabba at this site, as you could potentially brain yourself or take one of these in the eye… not the best way to appreciate the artwork.
It’s an interesting project because there’s a dialogue between the two pieces across the road from one another. You’ve got the red vertical sticks, then you’ve got the blue horizontal ones and it sets up a dynamic and creates a threshold. They are engaging both in their own right and also with one another. They engage in an interesting artistic and architectural discussion,
Brad Golden, a Toronto public art consultant whose job it is to partner with developers and organizations to help them figure out what kind of art would work for their space.
III. Nova
Shayne Dark’s third condo-based sculpture, Nova, is located at the Tableau Condominium at 125 Peter Street. The piece is completely incorporated into the structure of the building.
Shayne Dark’s Inspiration For The Pieces
Initially, we’d walk in the forest or along the lakeshore and I’d find these interesting found objects, like a big pile of sticks and pieces of driftwood, and these became my art practice. I think for any artist, where you live is so important. Being Canadian at this point in history, on this day, in this time is an experience and feeling I want to document. I feel where you’re from can not help but influence every artist’s practice to some degree.
The “One Percent Solution”
“Under Section 37 of Ontario’s Planning Act, developers are allowed to have taller buildings or more units and other such concessions in exchange for putting a minimum of one per cent of the project’s construction costs toward public art. The art can either be on-site, on city property nearby, or a combination of both. The guidelines set out by the program ensure that the art is of public benefit and is also visible, accessible and adds to the urban character of the city in a positive way.
Financial investment is a huge factor for anyone who makes their living as a sculptor. Shayne Dark, the artist, says it costs literally tens of thousands of dollars to manufacture the materials necessary to make those big public art projects you might see as part of a condominium development.
‘Those jobs in Canada are few and far between. But luckily, what ended up happening in a few major Canadian cities was this one percent rule where if you were a developer working on a public building, a portion of the construction costs would actually go to art,’ says Shayne Dark”.1
At 1033 Bay Street, there stands this bronze, marble and mosaic monolith. It was designed by Hamilton-based artist Robert Bowers and installed in 1988 as part of the Polo Club condominium complexes that went up at that time on Bay Street.
With all due respect to the artist, I think this thing is Plain Butt Ugly and the face in the circle simply gives me the creeps. The shallow, sad, empty pool with raised and dislodged tiles surrounding the piece is not doing it any favours either.
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