Fodor's Expert Review City Hall
The design for Toronto's modern city hall, just across the way from the Old City Hall building, resulted from a 1956 international competition that received 520 submissions from architects from 42 countries. The winning presentation by Finnish architect Viljo Revell was controversial—two curved towers of differing height—but logical: an aerial view of City Hall shows a circular council chamber sitting like an eye between the two towers that contain office space. Revell died before his masterwork was opened in 1965, but the building has become a symbol of the thriving metropolis. A remarkable mural within the main entrance, Metropolis, was constructed by sculptor David Partridge from 100,000 nails.
Annual events at City Hall include November's Cavalcade of Lights celebration, featuring fireworks and live music amid the glow of more than 525,000 lights illuminated across both the new and old city halls.
In front of City Hall, the 9-acre Nathan Phillips Square (named... READ MORE
The design for Toronto's modern city hall, just across the way from the Old City Hall building, resulted from a 1956 international competition that received 520 submissions from architects from 42 countries. The winning presentation by Finnish architect Viljo Revell was controversial—two curved towers of differing height—but logical: an aerial view of City Hall shows a circular council chamber sitting like an eye between the two towers that contain office space. Revell died before his masterwork was opened in 1965, but the building has become a symbol of the thriving metropolis. A remarkable mural within the main entrance, Metropolis, was constructed by sculptor David Partridge from 100,000 nails.
Annual events at City Hall include November's Cavalcade of Lights celebration, featuring fireworks and live music amid the glow of more than 525,000 lights illuminated across both the new and old city halls.
In front of City Hall, the 9-acre Nathan Phillips Square (named after the mayor who initiated the City Hall project) has become a gathering place for everything from royal visits to protest rallies, picnic lunches, and concerts. The reflecting pool is a delight in summer, and even more so in winter, when it becomes a skating rink. The park is also home to a Peace Garden for quiet meditation and Henry Moore's striking bronze sculpture The Archer.
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