Toronto Architecture from the 1940's and 1950's

[adma]

I don't think DuBois was even in Toronto yet. (IIRC it was something like Gordon S. Adamson, though I could be wrong.)

 

[mattelderca]

I am not sure if it was a 50's or a 60's design, but someone should check out Glen Ames senior public in the beaches. I know it was built in 61 but the design in my thought is more 50's. I especially remember the cafeteria and the exterior staircase that exits from it. It's not as clean and simple as Thistle town, but it sure is cool.

 

[adma]

Interesting link (actually, more of a link-to-a-link, but with an important correction re provenance) re John B. Parkin's Christadelphian Hall at 728 Church--a building which really merits more recognition, esp. as it's virtually intact (and John B.'s own place of worship, at that--and they seem to cherish the fact)
http://www.cforu.org/2013/02/21/john-c-parkin/

 

[barit]

Wow! Hiding in plain sight on that curve on north Church Street! Thanks for this.

 

[Goldie]

It's interesting that John B. Parkin's partner, John C. Parkin (no relation), created a unique structure just around the corner on Park Rd. (plenty of "parks" involved here!).
This building (built as the headquarters for the Ontario Association of Architects) was opened in 1954 and is now a private office.

http://www.oaa.on.ca/news & events/...of-the-ontario-association-of-architects /233

 

[adma]

And the pre-Don Mills Parkin firm office is *also* nearby, wedged into the Church-Collier angle (and still extant, though considerably altered/contemporized--if thankfully not EIFS'd--along the Church curve). So, it was a pretty compact Parkin nucleus here...

 

[junctionist]

It's weird to see such a bad staircase for an architects' building.

 

[thecharioteer]

St. Clair Subway Station, opened 1954, architect ?:

Drawings:

1953:

1955 (Arthur Meighen Building to the east):

1961:

1972:

Today:

 

[thecharioteer]

Original Davisville Station (replaced by the William McBrien Building, designed by Charles Dolphin, in 1958):

1952:

1953:

The opening of the Yonge Subway at Davisville Station March 30, 1954:

Mayor Lamport, Premier Frost:

 

[adma]

Interesting Russell Spanner furniture billboard in one of those shots.

 

[brewster]

Interesting link (actually, more of a link-to-a-link, but with an important correction re provenance) re John B. Parkin's Christadelphian Hall at 728 Church--a building which really merits more recognition, esp. as it's virtually intact (and John B.'s own place of worship, at that--and they seem to cherish the fact)
http://www.cforu.org/2013/02/21/john-c-parkin/

I wish I had this photo when I walked top to bottom on Church Street doing Then & Now photos. Big changes to the Parkin building over the years at 717 Church.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Charioteer: Excellent group of TTC 50s era black and white photos and the color pictures from 1972 looked good also...

The group of Davisville pictures and the empty under construction St. Clair station stood out to me...

I still think that the original Yonge Subway is arguably the most significant transit improvement in Toronto's history...

LI MIKE

 

[thecharioteer]

Thanks, Mike!

Perhaps the most architecturally significant station on the original Yonge line is the Rosedale Station, designed by John B. Parkin in 1947, and opened in 1954. Designated by the City in 1990 (http://app.toronto.ca/HeritagePreservation/details.do?folderRsn=2436059&propertyRsn=272571), it has unfortunately suffered along with almost all the stations by bad renovations, particularly the replacement of the streamlined brick cladding on the exterior with precast projections, and inappropriate tiles on the platforms walls (also not helped by the perpetually leaking ceilings). In a perfect world, this station would be restored back to its pristine elegance.

In 1961:

1952:

1953:

1955:

1966:

Then (1953):

Now:

 

[adma]

For all the bad renos, it's interesting how one of the old-fashioned "profiled" TTC Subway signs seems to have been salvaged and mounted atop the ROSEDALE lettering...

 

[Uncle Teddy]

I never knew that the train was above ground just south of St Clair Station at one point.