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This weekend, Doors Open returns to Toronto for the 17th time. Ahead of the annual event, UrbanToronto is previewing some of this year's must-see attractions. Last week, we introduced the "Re-Used, Re-Visitied, Revised" theme that underscores many of this year's offerings, promising a thought-provoking exploration of adaptive reuse. In addition to building tours, however, Doors Open features a number of special events, including a selection of walking tours, talks, and studio visits.
Talks, Presentations, and Site Tours
For the first time in Doors Open's Toronto history, this year's event will feature a keynote address. Delivered by designer Karim Rashid, the "Future of Design" presentation kicks off this years OpenInsights speaker series with an exploration of aesthetic evolution. Held at the Design Exchange on Friday, May 27th, at 7:30 PM, seats will be available on a first come, first serve basis. The talk will take place on the second level's historic trading floor, with doors opening at 6 PM.
The University of Toronto's Scarborough Campus will host a talk by historian and author on Saturday, May 28th, at 11 AM. "Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo" will shed light on the secret history of "over four kilometres of abandoned tunnels under the city" beneath Scarborough. According to the Doors Open website, "these tunnels once belonged to a top-secret WWII munitions factory comprising 172 buildings spread over 346 acres. Its unassuming company name, General Engineering Company or GECO (pronounced GEE-KO) for short, kept both the curious and the more unscrupulous in the dark."
On Saturday and Sunday, City Hall will host a series of "Diaspora Dialogues," interrogating Toronto's shifting cultural landscape. From 10 AM to 4 PM on both days, diverse range of writers from Diaspora Dialogues' mentorship program will give readings every half hour.
"DeRAIL: A Platform for Contemporary Art + Architecture" will also be held on both days, offering a "public dialogue around placemaking, landscape and urbanism" along the West Toronto Railpath. The special event will be held at the DeRAIL hub at 1900 Dundas Street West, running from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, May 28th, Honest Ed's is offering three 15-person walking tours of Toronto's legendary discount emporium. Held at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM, the Honest Ed's Tours will be led by Franca Lombardi, who brings 38 years of experience as the store's Advertising Manager.
The Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) is hosting a provocatively titled panel discussion called "Architecture is Art?" Is it? Come out to the Aga Khan Museum at 2 PM to find out. Moderated by Michael Awad, the panelists include Christie Pearson, Paul Raff, Kim Storey, Rohan Walters, and Betsy Williamson.
Another panel discussion titled "Why New Ideas Need Old Buildings" engages with Jane Jacobs' now-legendary insight. But what exactly does it mean? And how is the role—both economic and socio-cultural—of re-purposed buildings changing? Moderated by Denise Pinto of Jane's Walk, the panel will feature Lloyd Alter, Megan Torza, Adil Dhalla, Marc Ryan, and Michelle Xuereb.
Architects' Open Studio Program
In partnership with the Toronto Society of Architects, a number of the city's most prominent design studios offer members of the public the rare opportunity to get a taste of the behind-the-scenes action. While atelier rzlbd, DTAH, and Studio Junction's Courtyard House will be open on both Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM, the majority of studios will only be open on Sunday.
On Sunday, May 29th, six studios will open their doors to the public. The Denegri Bessai Studio will be joined by Teeple Architects, Moriyama & Teshima Architects, Zeidler Partnership Architects, as well as Hariri Pontarini Architects' Parisian Laundry Buidling, and MODERNest's House 4. More detailed information about each participating firm's program will become available on the TSA website.
This year's Doors Open also features 13 walking tours, most of which will be held on both Saturday and Sunday. While tours of Toronto's Towers, West Don Lands, Art & Performance Architecture, and Guild Park, are now "sold out", free tickets at the time of writing are still available for the good number of remaining walks. Organized by neighbourhood or theme (sometimes both), these tours include Creating a Walkable Downtown, Industry and Internment in Liberty Village, Riverside: Looking Back While Moving Forward, The Junction's Revitalized Main Street, Transforming Farquhars Lane (below), Truth and Reconciliation on the Street of Toronto, Voices of Danforth East: A Jane's Walk, and Transforming Reggae Lane.
According to Doors Open Toronto, many of this year's tours "highlight the unique histories and adaptive re-use of featured Toronto neighbourhoods," relating to the theme of "Re-Used, Re-Visited, and Revised." A full list of walks is and links to tickets is available here.
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We will return tomorrow with our list of this year's must visit buildings. In the meantime, full information about this year's event is available on the City of Toronto's Doors Open website. Finally, once Doors Open has come and gone for another year, we hope you'll post some of your photos in our dedicated thread for the event.
