Doors Open Toronto 2007

[wyliepoon]

Prompted by Doors Open ads I saw in the subway today, I checked out the new Doors Open website (no longer doorsopen.org, but now pages within the City of Toronto website). The list of participating buildings is up (but as of now has not yet been finalized).

Doors Open 2007 site

Some of this year's participating buildings/neighbourhoods

Beach walking tours

Bloorview Kids Rehab

BMO Field

CHUM Building

CNIB

Distillery District- Malt Kilns and Tunnel

Tridel's Element Eco-Suite

Four Seasons Centre

Gardiner Museum

HOK

Ontario Science Centre

SAS

St. Gabriel's Passionist Church

Thomas L Wells Public School

Lower Bay Station

TTC Harvey Shops

U of T Multi-Faith Centre

Special Events

Thursday, May 24

Building Toronto's Green FutureBuilding Toronto's Green Future
Presented by Doors Open Toronto, a signature event of Toronto Culture
7:30 - 9:30 pm
Free admission

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
27 Front Street East

Friday, May 25

Pecha Kucha TorontoPecha Kucha Toronto
Presented by Doors Open Toronto and Design City Toronto
Doors open: 6:30 pm; Event: 7 - 9:30 pm
Free admission

Design Exchange
234 Bay Street

Kick-off the Doors Open Toronto weekend in style when we co-host the launch of Design City Toronto, a new book on Toronto's architectural renaissance, and present the first-ever Pecha Kucha Toronto event.

Design City Toronto moves from the page to the stage when Bruce Kuwabara, Jack Diamond, Christina Zeidler and other top Toronto architects, innovators and designers present visual highlights of their work in a fast-paced showcase of 20 images in less than 6 minutes each. Learn more about Toronto's hottest properties like the Evergreen Commons at the Brick Works, Ontario College of Art and Design, the Royal Ontario Museum, Drake Hotel, Canada's National Ballet School and more.

Pecha Kucha is derived from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation (chit-chat). This informal, informative exchange of ideas features a Q-and-A following the presentations, a DJ, prizes and refreshments. Design City Toronto authors Sean Stanwick and Jennifer Flores and photographer Tom Arban will be on hand to sign copies of their book.

Already popular in more than 42 cities, including London, Buenos Aires, Rotterdam, Shanghai, and Mexico City, the Pecha Kucha movement comes to Toronto. Visit many of the venues featured in the book and at Pecha Kucha Toronto on the Doors Open Toronto weekend.

Please check back in late April for more details.

 

[ShonTron]

Again, I am most excited about Harvey Shops being new this year. Lower Bay seems like such a moot point now with the weekend diversions back in February - seeing it was so anti-climatic.

There's still a lot on my list that I still have to do - TD Centre, Carlu, OCAD, City Hall observation deck (it says the Mayor's Office will be open - is this new?). If only the Don Jail was opened again.

 

[Bogtrotter]

I have to say there's not a lot on that list that sparks much enthusiasm beyond the new ceramic gallery. Some of them I've already been to. The Distillery kilns and the TTC shops look interesting. I saw the Carlu last year which was well worth the lineup as I really like that era of design. I definitely recommend that if you're into Art Moderne. A cool model of the originally planned Eaton's building is there as well.

 

[Venti de Milo]

I wish this event is up for the whole month (weekends) instead of just 1 weekend. And the time should be extended to 6pm maybe?

Anyway, with such limited time...and so many to see...can someone recommend a few must-see buildings?

I don't know which to choose...and I can only go on Sunday...so I guess I can see maybe 3-4?

 

[Observer Walt]

It depends very much on your own tastes. I sometimes like to see the interior of old churches, and many of them will be open. If this interests you at all, a suggestion would be St. Anne's church near Dundas and Dufferin. It is built in a Byzantine style, unusual for Toronto, and interior paintings were done by some members of the Group of Seven.

Another suggestion would be to look at things which are new this year (BMO Field, for example).

 

[interchange42]

Venti - the buildings on display don't turnover that much from year to year (no guarantees either though I suppose), so pick an area of town with a number close-together that interest you, and do as many as you can there. Next year, take on a different area...

42

 

[wyliepoon]

My Doors Open wish list:

Bloorview Kids Rehab
150 Kilgour Rd, Toronto, ON. M4G 1R8

BMO Field
170 Princes' Blvd, Toronto, ON. M6K 1X2

CNIB Centre
1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON. M4G 3E8

Distillery Historic District - Malt Kilns Building & Tunnel
55 Mill Street, Toronto, ON. M5A 3C4

Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre
189 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON. M5B 1M4

Gardiner Museum
111 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON. M5S 2C7

Holy Blossom Temple
1950 Bathurst St.,, Toronto, ON. M5P 3K9

Ontario Legislative Building
Queen's Park, Toronto, ON. M7A 1A2

SAS Building
280 King Street East, Toronto, ON. M5A 1K7

 

[Edward Skira]

Urban Toronto Meet
"Come by the Duke of Richmond for a pint and/or dinner anytime after Doors Open on Saturday, or drop by after you've had your dinner elsewhere. We plan to be around until at least 9 PM."

Date: Saturday May 26

Time: 6PM - 9PM (may go later)

Location: Duke of Richmond - 20 Queen Street West

All are welcome. Hope to see you there!

 

[yin_yang]

anyone?

checked out the Mars complex yesterday, and highly recommend it if you have not been inside. it's a total surprise when you walk in

 

[adma]

One unsung thing if anyone's interested: Dominion Modern's "Endangered Species" exhibition is being re-run at 401 Richmond (and for a good month or so after Doors Open)

 

[Observer Walt]

Wylie: Did you get up to Bloorview Rehab? I was there this afternoon to see it for the first time. A very impressive building, with a good number of interesting architectural features, a few historic features preserved from two earlier buildings (now demolished) and a lot of art both indoors and outdoors.

I also stopped by another new facility, by the same architects (Montgomery Sisam), the Toronto Botanical Garden facility (formerly Edwards Gardens). OK, but not as interesting, possibly because much less of the structure is new. It has been built in three stages, from Raymond Moriyama in 1964, to Jerome Markson in 1976 and the new part last year.

 

[adma]

The older stages aren't noteworthy in their own right?

 

[wyliepoon]

Observer: Yes, I went to Bloorview and the Botanical Gardens. Will post photos soon.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Doors Open locations in my neighborhood didn't seem nearly as busy as last year.

 

[MetroMan]

^I agree. I took a friend who was going for the first time this year and I warned her about lineups. Well, there were virtually none.

We did all the major buildings around Queen + University starting with the 4SC and there were no lineups. Even the Canada Life building which sees some of the biggest lineups every year was basically a walk up.

I was glad to see that for the sake of time saving but still a bit concerned.