City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release: April 22, 2015
Doors Open Toronto weekend offerings announced
Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf has announced
its lineup of buildings and enhanced programming for May 23 and 24. The 16th
annual weekend celebration of architecture will offer free and rare access to
architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings
across Toronto.
This year's event features more than 155 buildings,
including 55 new participants, an exciting speaker series and city-wide walking
tours. Details are now available at
http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen.
“Doors Open Toronto offers a truly unique
behind-the-scenes experience at some of the City’s great institutions,” said
Mayor John Tory. “My office will be open for all to see and I encourage
Torontonians to visit City Hall for an in-depth tour. I’d like to thank our
presenting sponsor Great Gulf for its continued commitment to this event and
support for the city, its buildings and its people.”
"Doors Open Toronto is an exceptional opportunity
for residents to get to know Toronto and celebrate the buildings in which we
live, work and play," said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37
Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic Development Committee. "As one
of the city's most popular events, it is a unique opportunity for us to explore
the charismatic, historic and architecturally significant public and private
spaces that we see, but rarely have an opportunity to visit."
"At Great Gulf, we know how vital buildings are to
shaping the identity of a city, which is why we are delighted to return as
presenting sponsor of Doors Open," said Christopher Wein, President, Great
Gulf Residential. "We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the
brilliant architecture and progressive design showcased throughout the
weekend."
Toronto City Hall, which celebrates its 50th anniversary
this year, will be abuzz with activity during the Doors Open Toronto weekend.
Visitors to the building can experience rare access to the Mayor's Office, the
27th floor observation deck, the council chamber and special exhibits and
activities, including:
- 50th Anniversary of City Hall – a photographic
exhibition featuring the landmark's design and construction, in honour of its
50th anniversary
- Fit for Office - Fitness Circuit – a family-friendly
fitness circuit of activities at City Hall
- Snapshots of Ontario Sports Heritage – a showcase of
archival images and facts about sports in Ontario, and
- Rendering Toronto's Landscape – an exhibition
documenting Toronto's most significant public spaces.
In honour of this summer's TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am
Games, this year's theme – Sports, Recreation and Leisure – offers attendees a
sneak peek inside more than 70 private and public recreational sites, and is
highlighted throughout many of this year's walking tours and exhibits.
Fourteen free walking tours sponsored by the University
of Toronto will extend throughout the weekend, delving deep into the history
and architecture of a wide variety of neighbourhoods. Many of the walking tours
shine light on Toronto's sports history, including A Century of Fun: Sports
Leisure and Recreation at the University of Toronto, Sport Stadiums and
Lakeside Leisure: Playing Along the Waterfront, Ravine Lands at the University
of Toronto Scarborough and Toronto's Playground: A History of Amusement,
Recreation and Athletics on the Toronto Islands.
Three OpenInsights speaker series, featuring influential
architects, civic officials, academics and artists, will examine landscape and
architectural design, housing, heritage and public space in the city. The
series will take place throughout the weekend.
Complementing a conference called the Second Wave of
Modernism III: Leading with Landscape taking place in Toronto, the Cultural
Landscape Foundation has organized What's Out There Weekend in conjunction with
Doors Open Toronto. The series of events brings light to the unique landscape
legacy and local character of Toronto.
Full program details, including the speaker series,
walking tour registration and a complete list of buildings can be found at
http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen.
Note to media: High resolution images and background
information about the event are available at
http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/media.
About Doors Open Toronto
Since its inception in 2000, Doors Open Toronto has
attracted more than two million visits to nearly 650 unique locations across
the city. It is Canada's largest Doors Open event and one of the three largest
Doors Open events in the world. Doors Open Toronto is dedicated to built
heritage, architecture and design. It is presented by Great Gulf and produced
by the City of Toronto in partnership with the broader community.
About Great Gulf Group
Established in 1975, the Great Gulf Group of companies
including Great Gulf, Ashton Woods Homes, First Gulf Corporation, Tucker HiRise
Construction, Brockport Systems Ltd. and Taboo Resort Golf and Spa, is one of
North America’s premier real estate organizations. With major projects in
Canada and the United States, the company’s fully-integrated activities span
the entire real estate spectrum.
This news release is also available on the City's
website:
http://bit.ly/1PhBoeN
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in
North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It
is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently
ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host
City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency
City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can
visit
www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
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Media contact: Justine Palinska, Economic Development and
Culture, 416-395-7318,
jpalins@toronto.ca
