Toronto Massey Hall Revitalization at the Allied Music Centre | 48.46m | 7s | KPMB

[ADRM]

That family is a bunch of Slaight Shuters.

 

[pdcstream]

Downtown has enough concert halls! What about Scarborough?

There is the P.C. Ho Theatre at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. It only seats 626 but it's beautiful. Built in 2006.

 

[Edward Skira]

News Release

Province Investing in the Revitalization of Historic Massey Hall
August 8, 2017

Preservation and Restoration of Iconic Venue is Music to the Ears of Ontario Fans
Ontario is investing in the revitalization of Massey Hall, the site of many historic cultural performances and experiences, to ensure it continues to engage and entertain people for years to come.
Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, were joined by JUNO award-winning band July Talk at Massey Hall this morning to make the announcement.

Ontario is supporting the restoration of the interior and exterior of the historic venue and planning for a future tower connected to the south of the building. This project will ensure that Massey Hall -- which has hosted artists from Glenn Gould to Neil Young and Bob Dylan to Justin Bieber over its 123-year history -- continues to host many more iconic performances and enrich peoples' lives for generations to come.

The province previously provided support for Massey Hall renovations, including the construction of a foundation for the new south tower.

Maintaining and restoring historic cultural attractions is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is investing $4 million in phase two of the revitalization of Massey Hall.
• Ontario previously invested $8 million in phase one of the revitalization of Massey Hall.
• Massey Hall’s revitalization is a seven-year multi-phased project. To complete the project, it will close temporarily between summer 2018 and fall 2020. It will continue to operate until then.
• Built in 1894, Massey Hall was designated a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act by the City of Toronto in 1975. The venue became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981.
• Massey Hall holds about 100 cultural events every year.
• Through the Ontario Music Fund, Massey Hall has received support for “Live at Massey Hall,” a program designed to showcase new Canadian talent on Massey Hall’s stage for the first time.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From the Star:

https://www.thestar.com/news/queens...on-gets-a-little-more-cash-from-province.html

I wonder how far will they go to restore the interior of the hall - I would love to see the balconies by the stage getting restored. Also how much colour is there in the original Moorish details in the hall, esp. the ceiling? It looks kind of grey and dull right now...

AoD

 

[MetroMan]

I did not know about the stained glass windows!

It's funny that I've always sensed that the place felt like it was built to be shown off in natural light but I suppressed that idea because "it's a music auditorium silly. It's supposed to be dark". My instincts were correct! I can't wait to see it flooded in light.

 

[interchange42]

That unattributed photo comes from the front page story just posted, which goes into just what's happening with the $4 million grant they just got. Taken in 1894, the photographer is unknown.

42

 

[interchange42]

Massey Hall has released a pile of new details about the revitalization project, including the future ability to provide a major mosh pit for shows that demand it. You can read all about it on the front page, and the database file has been updated, of course, with a number of new renderings.

42

 

[jje1000]

Would be great to see a new work of art commissioned for the pediment.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

And the horrifying canopy originally proposed for the Shuter facade is gone, thankfully. The passerelles look heavy - I wish they could have gone all glass, floors and all with it.

The newsletter at the Massey Hall site indicates there are some unexpected heritage elements being revealed - one being the ceiling wasn't white - but pink with terracotta, saffron and green stencils:

https://www.masseyhall.com/revitalization/shine-a-light

And there is an entire section on the stained glass (by Shawn Micallef)! There is almost nothing detailed available online about that until now. Not quite Palau de la Musica Catalana level, but no slouch.

The acoustics of the hall will be reworked by Bob Essert (who also designed the acoustics of Four Seasons Centre).

Video of the stained glass restoration portion:

AoD

 

[MetroMan]

I love how this room is facing the cupola of the old bank building on Yonge. It's kind of serendipitous that the still unoccupied building lines up perfectly with Massey Hall's expansion. Perhaps it can one day become a Yonge St. entrance and event space for the complex.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

It reminds me of a less polished version of Rose Theater in Jazz at Lincoln Centre, NYC.

AoD

 

[MetroMan]

I love how this room is facing the cupola of the old bank building on Yonge. It's kind of serendipitous that the still unoccupied building lines up perfectly with Massey Hall's expansion. Perhaps it can one day become a Yonge St. entrance and event space for the complex.

Come to think of it, the view of the cupola is essentially protected. The absent owner of the bank building has been sitting on it but now its development potential is very limited. Can’t build a tower on it so close to Massey Tower and once the view of the cupola from Massey Hall becomes iconic, the city will likely prevent anything from covering the view and nothing can be built there. Might as well sell it to Massey Hall as a Yonge entrance.

Photo: @Benito

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Come to think of it, the view of the cupola is essentially protected. The absent owner of the bank building has been sitting on it but now its development potential is very limited. Can’t build a tower on it so close to Massey Tower and once the view of the cupola from Massey Hall becomes iconic, the city will likely prevent anything from covering the view and nothing can be built there. Might as well sell it to Massey Hall as a Yonge entrance.

I wish they could afford using a single pane of glazing for that space - the mullions are super distracting.

AoD

 

[3Dementia]

^ the mullions are the the least they could do to remind the audience to attend to the performance and not always gaze at the glorious backdrop. Keeps them in the building and hopefully the moment/music (sure they have cyc drop to block the upstage view when needed).

 

[jje1000]

I wish they could afford using a single pane of glazing for that space - the mullions are super distracting.

AoD

I think structural glass would be a good compromise on that.