Toronto's New City Hall
Viljo Revell, the architect of City Hall, did not live to see the opening of this impressive and uniquely designed building. His legacy, however, remains a major architectural accomplishment. Revell's design was viewed by many as representing a break with tradition. Former Mayor Phil Givens claimed that "new City Hall has provided staid old Toronto with the impetus and architectural inspiration with which to proceed." Indeed, despite the considerable controversy and debate among architectural traditionalists, this award-winning design represented a step forward in time and was repeatedly described as "monumental" and "expressionistically modern."
Revell's design was the result of an international competition held in 1956 when the original design for City hall - done by a coalition of firms noted for substantial institutional buildings of refined materials but conservative form - was decried as "dull and uninteresting" and "an inhuman pile of stones" by architectural students at the University of Toronto. Coverage in the student newspaper, The Varsity, was picked up by Toronto dailies and undoubtedly influenced the Toronto plebiscite in which the proposal was defeated. A new, year-long architectural competition drew 520 entries from 42 countries.
Born in 1910 at Vaasa, a town on the west coast of Finland, Viljo Revell studied architecture at the Institute of Technology in Helsinki and opened his practice there in 1935. He also served as assistant to the renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and though he always remained a loyal admirer of Aalto, Revell led the modern nationalist school that developed in Finland after World War II.
Decades after the opening of City Hall on September 13, 1965, the building remains a symbol of modern Toronto. Displayed here are only a few of the photographs documenting the construction of this landmark building.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Toronto Plaques. Full page here.