Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf announced its lineup of buildings, city-wide walking tours and special programs for Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26. The weekend celebration of architecture features more than 150 building participants, including 55 new sites, a speaker series, walking tours and more. Details are now available at http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen.
This year’s theme, 20 Something, focuses on the event’s past and future, celebrating the first 20 years of Doors Open Toronto while looking forward to the next 20 years.
Toronto’s Indigenous past, present and future will be interwoven through Doors Open’s locations with panels, films and programs taking place throughout the weekend.
The weekend activities kickoff on Friday, May 24 at 6 p.m. at Royal Ontario Museum with an opening night panel discussion UNCEDED: Voices of the Land, the first Canadian entry to the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, presented in its entirety for the first time in North America. Lead by Elder Douglas Cardinal, world renowned World Master of Contemporary Architecture, UNCEDED showcases the works and voice of prominent Indigenous architects and designers from across Turtle Island who share an Indigenous vision for the future. More information is available at https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto/openinsights/.
This year, visitors to the Toronto City Hall Hub, sponsored by Schlage Locks Canada, will gain rare access to the Mayor’s Office and the 27th floor observation deck. Activities will include:
• Rooted in the realm of Indigenous futurism, Biidaaban: First Light, presented in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada, is an interactive virtual reality time-jump into a highly realistic and radically different Toronto of tomorrow.
• Sovereign Bodies, Healthy Nations, a collection of six short films about Indigenous youth exploring self-discovery, community building, seed rematriation, personal healing and cultural values, presented in partnership with ImagineNATIVE.
• Indigenous People’s Atlas of Canada (Giant Walk-on-Floor Map), a project focused on how Indigenous Peoples gave shape and meaning to this land for thousands of years before European contact.
• Virtual Doors Open 2019-2039, a virtual reality experience of current and future Doors Open Toronto sites re-envisioned through Yulio technology and Ryerson University students’ imaginations.
• The Unity Bracelet – Community Arts Workshop, a hands-on way for children of all ages to learn about Indigenous culture by making their own unity bracelet using deer hide lacing, glass, bone and brass beads.
• A screening of the documentary film, Finn with an Oyster: The Story behind Toronto’s New City Hall, an extraordinary film showcasing the history of planning and building of City Hall and its impact on Toronto.
Ten free walking tours will occur throughout the weekend, delving deep into the history and architecture of a variety of neighbourhoods. Registration is mandatory as space is limited. Registration and tour descriptions are available at https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto/doors-open-walking-tours/.
Other Doors Open Toronto weekend events will include:
• Access to 20 architects’ studios for an inside-look at how buildings are designed during the Open Studio Tour, presented in partnership with Toronto Society of Architects (TSA).
• Turning Point, a partnership between UrbanArts, Metrolinx and Crosslinx Transit Solutions, presenting performances that explore turning points in a young person’s life. Turning Point pays homage to the Mount Dennis community, marking its re-development into a major transit hub in the city of Toronto.
• Toronto’s Future Architects – The Ryerson University Architecture Building will feature an exhibition of the work of Ryerson students in the Department of Architecture Science. Visitors can experience the nature of architectural education, see the creative work done in the department and interact with students.
The Doors Open Toronto program, including a full list of buildings, is available at http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen.
High resolution images are available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityoftoronto/albums/72157695383003544.
Quotes
“For two decades, the city’s buildings have come alive during Doors Open Toronto weekend, giving the public a truly unique behind-the-scenes experience to discover and explore unique buildings and vibrant neighborhoods. I encourage everyone to visit the event’s many destinations, including City Hall.”
– Toronto Mayor John Tory
“As one of the city’s most popular events, Doors Open Toronto 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” said. The 20th anniversary edition builds on the event’s tradition of using open doors to open eyes and minds to new possibilities.”
– Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 21 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the City’s Economic and Community Development Committee
“We are delighted to return as presenting sponsor of the 20th anniversary of Doors Open Toronto and invite everyone to join us as we explore and celebrate the rich history of Toronto’s most interesting buildings that are socially significant through architectural design. This incredible event, attracting millions of Torontonians, will provide a snapshot of where the next 20 years will take us.”
Madeline Zito, Great Gulf Vice President of Public Relations
Since its inception in 2000, Doors Open Toronto has attracted more than two million visits to 800 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 celebrating built heritage, architecture and design. It is presented by Great Gulf and produced by the City of Toronto in partnership with the broader community. More information and updates will be available at http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/doorsopenTO, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/@doors_openTO and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/doors_opento/. The event hashtag is #DOT19.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 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. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.