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Since 1999 Great Gulf's Doors Open Toronto has invited the public to view Toronto's most historically significant and noteworthy buildings. This year is no different, and Doors Open Toronto has put forth 155 buildings—55 of which are new to the event—for the public to view. Along side this weekend's open buildings, DO TO will host 14 free walking tours sponsored by the University of Toronto, alongside various special programs. With the Pan Am Games in sight, this year's walking tours will mainly focus on the history of sports in Toronto.
Among the many available walking tours, visitors will get a glimpse at the history of sports on the University of Toronto St. George campus. This tour will feature a look at the Hart House and the newly built Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport. Keeping its focus on sports and athletic performance, another walking tour will give visitors a chance to explore the history of sports that has been a part of Toronto's central waterfront since the 19th century. Visitors will also get a chance to explore the Toronto Islands and the history that they hold as both Toronto's playground and Torontonians' escape from "the hustle on the mainland".
Along side the walking tours, there will also be a set of special programs such as the Cultural Landscape Foundation-organized What's Out There®Weekend Toronto, which aims to inform curious members of the public and urban enthusiasts alike of the importance of the great architectural works of Toronto. Fool's Paradise, once the home of Canadian landscape artist, writer and educator Doris McCarthy, will host the internationally renowned contemporary dance company Kaeja d'Dance, as they preform an excitingly choreographed re-vision of the history of Fool's Paradise. The 20 minute performance will run on both Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM. The Little Kickers, an international soccer network for kids from 18 months to seven year olds, will host a soccer skills work shop for kids, where they can practice fundamental soccer skills in a safe and fun environment, at various Doors Open Toronto locations.
A pair of talks will focus on Toronto's public realm, one on Saturday at City Hall called Cost & the Civic Soul: A Conversation on the Value of Toronto's Public Landscape, and one on Sunday at the Fort York Visitor Centre called Rethinking It: Making Toronto’s Public Space Work Harder. If you care about Toronto's public realm, both of these should be well worth your time.
A number of architectural firms will also be opening their doors to the public, and a number of architects will be speaking; those offerings will be highlighted tomorrow.
We look forward to exploring Toronto's culture and architecture this weekend. Let us know below what you are most interested in exploring at Doors Open this year.
