I’ve been spending some time with Torontonians, including an architect and an interior designer, and giving some thought to Toronto specifically and cities in general. As ever, I walk around with a camera, always scouting locations, always taking visual notes.
![](https://lefkowicz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/5124556157_8300417f8b.jpg)
At the moment, Toronto is growing and building. (The city bird seems to be the construction crane.) Lots of high-rise condos. Lots of green building. Lots of glass and steel. In part because Toronto is self-consciously trying to promote it’s stature in the world, there are some projects by big name architects.
Herewith some visual notes:
![](https://lefkowicz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/5124555817_a26eee2a43.jpg)
Frank Gehry’s exterior of the Art Gallery of Ontario (here with Henry Moore’s sculpture) is impressive, But then there’s the interior.
![](https://lefkowicz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/5124556449_82c3e80cba.jpg)
Daniel Libeskind’s addition to the Royal Ontario Museum gets raves and pans.
![](https://lefkowicz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/5124555343_5333d57ccc.jpg)
The Sharp Centre for Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design, by Will Alsop, Alsop Architects:
![](https://lefkowicz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/5124555709_50c2597381.jpg)
Lest you get the idea that it’s all new, there are some fine examples of older architecture:
![Old City Hall, Ontario](https://lefkowicz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/5125160862_52a2fe26fe.jpg)
![The Great Hall, Union Station, Toronto](https://lefkowicz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/5125161290_b1be0d2238.jpg)
More photos of Toronto Civic and Commercial architecture, including more details of some of the buildings shown here, with notes, are available on my flickr feed.
I may have a later post on residential architecture.