Planetarium

The Planetarium in Toronto, part of the Royal Ontario Museum, was built by

a huge unadorned concrete dome that offers daily excursions to intergalactic space.

Colonnade Bloor Street Toronto

Concrete is also used to create one of the first really classy shopping area of the Modernist age, The Colonnade in Toronto. Surrounded by exclusive shops and boutiques, this area still attracts the discerning (read wealthy) shopper. Concrete was the favorite material of Le Corbusier, the French philosopher and architect who was responsible for so much Modernist material through the International movement.

Eatons Marquee

Downtown Toronto still has a few Vitrolite gems> This chrome marquee on a Vitrolite background is on an eatons building in downtown Toronto.

Thunder Bay

This classic 'machine age' or mid-century modern building in Thunder bay has had a wide variety of owners. The corner cabinet with the curved glass seems to float within the wall. The chrome outline makes the inside just glitter. The walls are vitrolite and the floor is original terrazzo in a starburst pattern. This flooring has been used in commercial and civic buildings for years. It looks as good in 2012 as it did in 1950 and it should last another 200 years or more. No one knows why the idiots in renovation keep either tearing it out or covering it with last-weeks-cutting-edge slate or tile.

Daily News Building London England

Vitrolite is a material that was used sparingly during the Art Deco period between the wars, but then took off during the age of diners and pharmacies with ice cream counters in the 1950s. Vitrolite can also be found in many wall decorations and in cafés and bars in Europe. It leant itself well to the flighty, extravagant designs of the ‘Roaring Twenties'. One well known major icon is the Daily News building in London England. This four storey beacon to the cool is meticulously maintained and contains most of the original interior lighting and fixtures as well as the flawless Vitrolite on the outside. Found near the financial district of London, it gets a load of foot traffic and is a fixture on an otherwise eclectic street. Next door is a building dating from the 17th century. The British, indeed most Europeans, can identify a good building when they see it and they make few mistakes when it comes to preserving their heritage. The interior of this building is only available for viewing by appointment.

Landsdown Public School

Lord Lansdowne Public School in Toronto makes another interesting use of concrete, steel and brick with its extravagant flying buttresses.

Stratford festival Theatre

The tent-like roof and design can also be found in the Stratford Festival Theatre and the park in Toronto Island. The design was inspired by the Festival of Britain, 1951. The building was designed by Ron Thom.

Hepburn Block - Toronto

This open courtyard in Toronto has a very mid-century sculpture in an International style colonnade mad ein the ancient hypostyle method.

Residence Toronto

Glass Block

Residence Toronto

Curved and splayed doorway.

Parkside High School Dundas

Lloyd Kyles who won an award for the most innovative structural design in Canada in 1959 for his work on Parkside High School. The outside walls and spandrels were precast reinforced concrete sections with marble chips inserted in the precasting, Kyles' original idea. The reversed arch concrete roof was poured in place - in situ. The building is a small gem mixing mosaics by Ross Robinson, floor lighting, a sweeping opening terrace and windows overlooking Dundas driving park.

Wentworth House

Also by Kyles, Kyles and Garrett, Wentworth House at McMaster University .

Once a hib of activity, Wentworth House was not maintained. The fireplace on the upper level was never lit. The elegant couches and tables were replaced with plastic chairs. The balcony overlooking a wooded area was not used. And finally the building was torn down.

Hamilton City Hall

Hamilton

Designed by Stan Roscoe in , the Hamilton City Hall is an internationally acclaimed building of the International Style, and Mid Century Modern. The story of how they tried to tear it down... is really boring. Not to mention annoying. Taking off the carrara marble with jack hammers and replacing it with concrete is another interesting tale...

Hamilton City Hall

Hamilton

Front Desk and Staircase

Hamilton City Hall

Hamilton

As with the Toronto building above, this entrance is the very traditional (4000 BC) hypostyle design made popular in the early 20th century by Le Corbusier.

Hamilton City Hall

Hamilton

Terrazzo flooring is a standard of the MCM design. Community Colleges, schools, medical buildings and large civic centers across the world have terrazzo flooring. Cleaned up and polished, there is nothing that comes close to the beauty of these floors. Make no mistake, you will not get a floor as nice as this one again... ever. They simply can't do it any more.

Hamilton City Hall

Every part of Mid-Century-Modern has its own particular style. Ceramic tiles, like tessera in mosaics, were small and placed in patterns. Gold leaf tiles were mixed with the marble of the building and earth colours to accentuate the interior of the building.

Rockway Center

Kitchener

Opening onto the park.

Rockway Center

Kitchener

Opening onto the street.

Rockway Center

Kitchener

Opening onto the street.

Rockway Center

Kitchener

Glass block windows.

Drive In Kitchener

Also in Kitchener is this amazing drive through dry-cleaner.

Hendrys Shoes Hamilton

Vitrolite is a material that was used sparingly during the Art Deco period between the wars, but then took off during the age of diners and pharmacies with ice cream counters in the 1950s. Upscale shoe stores like Hendrys were also perfect for the new sleek shoes and accessories that were worn by the Modern person.

Nipigon Cafe

The wonderful glass brick foyer and original sign make this the eating place of choice in Nipigon. A lot of the interior is original too.

Sadly Remembered The DeLuxe

Another icon of the Dundas building scape was The DeLuxe, a diner kept intact by its owner for over 50 years. It had the original chrome stools, the original counters, the original booths and flawless Vitrolite on the front.

In 2008 it was bought by a chain and destroyed. The restaurant is now successful, but it will be successful without my patronage.

Massey College Toronto

At first glance Massey College in Toronto is a typical Mid-Century building. It is built with brick and concrete. The windows are placed very firmly between large concrete muntins - like those of Trent University. Vertical banding, the muntins continue the full height of the building, is one of the main features of Mid-century Modern.

The Quad at Massey College

The form of massey College, however, follows the basic shape of the 'quads' in Oxford, ca=mbridge and most other older universities. These universities were in large part based on the monasteries of the middle ages where the church or cathedral would be attached to a cloister and dormitories where monks would live and study everything from farming practices and irrigation to medicine. The cloister provided for the monks was completely secluded from the real world.

In Massey College, once you enter the quad, you are stransported far beyond the chaos of downtown Toronto.

Massey College

Along the upper edges of the more public places in the college can be found remnants of the Gothic influence found, again, in the monasteries as well as in the many 'Collegiate Gothic" educational buildings in Canada.

Fireplace Massey College

Thom has recreated the warm, community atmosphere of the monastery environment within the terms of mid-century style. This fireplace is a perfect example of the breadth od Thom's talent. Of course it's a fireplace with a hearth and a mantel, but it is also a thoroughly modern adaptation of the old formulas for heat transfer and smoke escape.

-Banquet Hall ----Massey College

The banquet room has the over large mullions and stained glass found in medieval monasteries.

Bell Tower

Beside the banquet hall is a bell tower with a working bell. The form is new but 6the idea is centuries old.

Balustrade

The college is completedly constructed in brick, concrete and glass, Wood is used in the roof, but the staircase handrail has the heavy feel of a solid masonry building.

Gate - Massey College

Even the entrance gate - made of wrought iron like the medieval yetts
( wrought iron gates on castles and manors - as well as storage areas in cathedrals) has a protective feeling to it.

Belleville

With the postwar economic boom people were buying cars and thus had easy access to rapidly growing suburbs. The small windows and clean surfaces of the International style were replaced by façades with a variety of surface finishes and large picture windows. The roof generally sloped further on one side than another to incorporate a carport or roofed terrace. This house has an angel stone base, brick and cedar paneling all on the same facade.

Brockville

To be continued There is a fabulous mid-century pavillion on Prince Edward County just by Belleville - I can't find my pictures.

Ancaster

The slightly sloping, off- center roof and alternating vertical bands of brick and windows mark this as a Mid-century Modern home. The placement of the garage also makes it a Side Split. Unlike some of the others, the windows in this are all rectangular, rather than following the slope of the roof. The doorway is simple, as are the windows. The roof cornice or, in this case, fascia, is large but not molded.

Vaughan

This Mid-century Modern house is nicely nestled in the countryside. The front façade is a long bank of windows that are custom fit to match the undulations of the roof. The windows are framed with plain, clean, white boards that create a "moderne" pattern. The exterior walls are made of orange brick, and the other trim and finish is yellow, creating a bright, cheery look.

Kitchener

This Mid-century Modern house is in a more upscale neighborhood and has a much more dynamic façade. The roof slope is still very low, and there are many different materials in the same façade. Vertical wood paneling is found with large plates of unadorned window glass and stone. No window surrounds are present.

The two sidelights on either side of the of the Neo - Classical door are replaced by two sidelights on the same side of a Mid-century Modern door.

Hamilton

On large apartment buildings, the fenestration is understated, and balconies are generally large, blocky and colourful. The ornate porticos of earlier styles are replaced by a "butterfly" or inverted wing portico that encompasses space for a car.

Mid-century Modern styles are self-consciously free of any historical detail. Window surrounds are nonexistent. Doors are single pane and often sliding. Doors and windows are placed according to interior functional requirements and the comfort of the inhabitants as opposed to exterior design. Wall surfaces, lintels and sills are unadorned.

Toronto

This is a splendid use of glass block with a small but useful overhang. The house fits beautifully into a very small Toronto lot.

Toronto

Banded brick and glass block make this a classic.

Toronto

One of the most spectacular sites in the big city, this little oasis is protected by a large stone exterior courtyard wall. A central enclosed atrium makes it a private refuge in a huge city.

Dundas

TheOne of the signatures of the mid century style is the use of new materials like plywood. Here is a sideboard or buffet finished in plywood.

Dundas

Fireplaces also take on a whole new look.

Dundas

Like most handrail systems, this one is now illegal - no handrail - 4.5 inches apart - but has not killed anyone yet.

Dundas

Another brilliant mid-century design. The hearth is suspended at the level of the fire. Plywood is used as a finish material on the walls.

Sault Ste. Marie

Like the other Mid-century Modern examples, this façade is compiled from a variety of textures and finish materials. There are no sidelights or transom on the door. The large picture window in the front is equipped with a sliding component for air flow.

Like the Prairie school designs, the fireplace in this house is in the center of the building. While the Prairie style was the innovative style for the wealthy at the turn of the century, the Mid-century Modern was the style for individuals and families in the postwar era.

Thunder Bay

The dynamics of the family home had changed drastically. In 1900, the large home had servants to stoke the fire for coal or wood burning furnaces. By 1950, architects were looking into solar heating and power- saving alternatives. As a result, many Mid-century Modern style homes have floor to ceiling windows on the south side of the house. The large overhang was calculated to produce shade in the summer and a maximum of sunlight in the winter. Window designs were built on rectangular patterns as opposed to the floral or circular patterns of earlier styles.

Thunder Bay

The dynamics of the family home had changed drastically. In 1900, the large home had servants to stoke the fire for coal or wood burning furnaces. By 1950, architects were looking into solar heating and power- saving alternatives. As a result, many Mid-century Modern style homes have floor to ceiling windows on the south side of the house. The large overhang was calculated to produce shade in the summer and a maximum of sunlight in the winter. Window designs were built on rectangular patterns as opposed to the floral or circular patterns of earlier styles.

Thunder Bay

A more dynamic façade allows for many different light sources. For privacy, the windows admitting light facing the driveway are clerestory; light enters the building but no one can see in. The central fireplace cuts the design in two. The entrance or public area would have a fireplace opening and the private area would have an opening on the other side. Like the original Prairie designs, this is all on one level, a long rambling floor plan that opens out onto an interlocking hallways. The exterior materials are all natural: cedar rather than painted wood and natural coloured brick.

Fort Erie

It is sometimes difficult to say where International or Art Deco stop and Mid-Century Modern begins. This is a good example of that. This building could be International, but the lovely curve and glass brick make it Mid-Century.

Thunder Bay

A more dynamic façade allows for many different light sources. For privacy, the windows admitting light facing the driveway are clerestory; light enters the building but no one can see in. The central fireplace cuts the design in two. The entrance or public area would have a fireplace opening and the private area would have an opening on the other side. Like the original Prairie designs, this is all on one level, a long rambling floor plan that opens out onto an interlocking hallways. The exterior materials are all natural: cedar rather than painted wood and natural coloured brick.

Lamp

As

Lamp

The is the Jack in the Pulpit lamp.

Stove

Here the hotplate folds up into the wall.

Awnings

Here