mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Nov 27, 2006 13:34:35 GMT -5
Toronto has four city halls. I don't suppose many cities can make that claim. This, our first city hall, was built as a farmers' market in 1834. The second floor was used as our city hall until 1844. The building is still in use as a farmers' market. Here it is decorated for Christmas. Our second city hall. The St Lawrence Centre, was built in 1845 and served as a city hall and concert theater and convention centre. It was used as our city hall until 1899. Our third city hall, affectionately called The Old City Hall was used from 1899 until 1965. It still contains court rooms and some prison cells. A great hue and cry arose when some foolish municipal polititian suggested demolishing it. He was not re-elected. It is purported to have some ghosts. I would like to meet them. The Cenotaph is on the left. Important visitors to the city are still greeted on the steps of this great old building. And The New City Hall, sometimes called "the clamshell", was finished in 1965 and is still in use. It has become a symbol of Toronto and appears on our city flag. The pond in the foreground becomes a skating rink in the winter. The building is situated in Nathan Phillips Square and is adjacent to the old city hall. All pictures were taken with a Pentax D100K and its 18 to 55mm lens. Mickey
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Post by vintageslrs on Nov 27, 2006 14:03:15 GMT -5
Mickey
Very nice pix!
I love the photo of the "first" City Hall....and I like the styling of the first City Hall the best too..... ;D
Bob
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Post by herron on Nov 27, 2006 16:02:51 GMT -5
Neat pictures, Mickey! I lke them all! The third one looks a bit like a building on the Wayne State University campus, called "Old Main." Yours looks like it might be a bit larger, but the architectural styles are remarkable similar. It caught my eye right away. I had many classes in that old building (40 years ago). It was recently refurbished.
I'll try to get over to that area of town sometime, and take a picture of "Old Main" from the same relative angle.
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Post by John Parry on Nov 27, 2006 16:32:42 GMT -5
A great series Mickey - what a great theme!
Most of our Town Halls (called that, even in the cities) were built in the days when cotton was king, and there was great rivalry between the towns as to which could put up the most ornate. In our part of the world, Bolton and Leeds are the ones that have the most matchstick models made of them!
Regards - John
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PeterW
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Post by PeterW on Nov 27, 2006 16:38:28 GMT -5
What a lovely set of pictuures showing changing styles of architecture, Mickey.
To me the first is the least attractive style, when architecture was feeling its way from the clean asutere lines of Nash (which I like a lot) towards the ornamental industrial-generated wealth of the mid 19th century.
The second shows this blossoming with Greco-Roman influences, while third is typical of the over-blown mish-mash of heavily decorated architecture which came to its height in the late 19th century. But for all its over-ornateness, this had a certain grandeur about it which is attractive.
The thid one is a complete jolt from the others, a 20th century breakaway using new materials but still with a legacy of the open, spacious, clean design of Nash's time. When it was first built I expect a lot of people criticised it, disliking it out of hand on the basis not of 'I know what I like', but of 'I like what I know'.
I didn't like a lot of 'modern' architecture when it first appeared. Style was still feeling its way and hadn't developed. But this I don't dislike it at all. I rather like it. I wonder where style will go in this century? I don't suppose I'll be around to see much change, but my grandsons and great grandson will. I hope tomorrow's architects don't let them down.
PeterW
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Post by GeneW on Nov 27, 2006 17:46:43 GMT -5
Mickey, I really enjoyed seeing these. Thanks for all the info. I didn't realize the first two buildings had been city halls at one point. St Lawrence Market looks rather festive all dressed up for Christmas. I don't think I've ever been there at night. As much as I like the older architecture, it's your new city hall shot that grabs me. Maybe it's the arches leading to the curved towers, but it's an eye-catching shot!
Gene
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malkav
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Post by malkav on Nov 27, 2006 22:01:36 GMT -5
I love the look of the older city halls, they have alot of character as older buildings do. With the newest one though, and I'm sorry to say this, all I see when I look at it is Racoon City hall from the second Resident Evil movie. Sorry. It is a neat looking buliding though.
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