In 1998, seven former municipalities (the Borough of East York, the City of Etobicoke, the City of North York, the City of Scarborough, the original City of Toronto, the City of York and the Regional Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto) were amalgamated to form one new city to be called the City of Toronto.
Following amalgamation, the City Council for the much enlarged City of Toronto affirmed Toronto City Hall as the seat of the new municipal government.
Former Toronto City Halls
Over the years, the original City of Toronto had a total of four City Halls.
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From the time of the City's incorporation in 1834 until early in 1845, the Council met in a building in a Market Complex at the intersection of King and Jarvis Streets. It was a plain orange-red brick building in the Georgian style, designed by James Cooper. |
The building was eventually destroyed by fire in 1849. St. Lawrence Hall stands on the site today.
| From 1845 to 1899, the seat of City government was located at Front and Jarvis Streets, in the South St. Lawrence Market. The City's Market Gallery now occupies the 19th century City Council Chamber on the second floor of the Market. |
Toronto City Hall, Front Street, 1899
City of Toronto Archives SC231-98 |
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Toronto's third City Hall, on the northeast corner of Queen and Bay Streets, was officially opened on September 18, 1899, by the mayor of the day, John Shaw. The building contained a Council Chamber, courtrooms and municipal offices. Old City Hall, as it is now usually known, was designed by Toronto architect Edward James Lennox whose later projects included Casa Loma and the King Edward Hotel. When Toronto's fourth City Hall opened across Bay Street in 1965, Old City Hall became a Provincial courthouse. |
The present Toronto City Hall
| In 1957, then Mayor Nathan Phillips convinced City Council to hold an international design competition for a new City Hall on the northwest corner of Queen and Bay. A total of 520 designs were received from 42 different countries.
The winner of the competition was Finnish architect, Viljo Revell. |
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Because Mr. Revell was not registered as an architect in Canada, the Canadian firm John B. Parkin Associates assisted him with the City Hall project. Successors to that company still act as consultants on important architectural issues affecting the building.
Viljo Revell's design was divided into three main parts: the podium, the convex circular council chamber and two office towers of differing heights. The entire City Hall complex had a sculptural quality that would make it a striking landmark and ideal symbol of a growing city.
Construction commenced on November 7, 1961, and the building was opened on September 13, 1965 by Governor General Georges Vanier. The final cost of the new City Hall was approximately $31 million.
Tragically, Viljo Revell died of a heart attack 10 months prior to the opening ceremonies. He was 54.
