National Trade Centre
|
Name: The National Trade Centre |
Address: Canadian National Exhibition |
|
Architects: Dunlop Farrow Aitken / Zeidler Roberts |
City/Province: Toronto, Ontario |
|
Built: 1997 |
|
National Trade Centre
Name: The National Trade Centre
Address: Canadian National Exhibition
Architects: Dunlop Farrow Aitken / Zeidler Roberts
City/Province: Toronto, Ontario
Built: 1997
The National Trade Centre was built in 1997. We include this structure as a warning of things to come. WARNING, don't be fooled by its pretty face. The National Trade Centre is representative of the type of Mega-Structure that will ultimately swallow up the intimate scale of the present structures and park-like setting of the Canadian National Exhibition. To appreciate the size and scale of this monster, you have to see it from the air. The gigantic roof goes on forever. Seagulls love the roof, they think it is an enourmous white beach.
The biggest problem with the building is that it was built in the wrong location. The construction of this monster ate up the sidewalk, it is simply not far back enough, thus eating up Princes' Boulevard that led to The Shell Oil Tower. It also completely ignores the Automotive Building across the street, and swallowed up the intimate Colliseum Buildings that housed the Royal Winter Fair. Its like a giant elephant just decided to park its carcus next to you. Get the picture.
We are alarmed at the current state of Canadian Architecture, especially how architects solve their design dilemmas by housing existing historical buildings inside Atria of new Mega-Structures. The National Trade Centre's interior is unimaginative, with its low ceiling, bad lighting. No where in sight is the romance with structural steel. It's not Gallerie des Machines, or for that matter The Chrystal Palace, a building that was once part of the Canadian National Exhibition's rich architectural history.
Something great, and wonderful could have been built here.For example, why not re-build Chapman and Oxley's, Engineering Building that once stood on the site, or at least pay homage it? Why not reconstruct the twin towers of the Colliseum Building? Its stump twin towers now encased in the Atrium.
The now demolished site of the John Inglis Complex, just one-hundred yards away, would have been a better choice in terms of location and aesthetic ideals of Exhibition Buildings. Inglis had three large factory buildings from the Victorian, Edwardian, and Modern Period. These were Gallerie des Machines in a very real sense. Instead the John Inglis Complex, there for more than 150 years was demolished. A real opportunity, lost.
"these gargantuan projects represent a puzzling trend. Toronto has plenty of empty real estate, and plenty of vacant land (been west of Strachan on King lately? With Inglis and Massey-Ferguson demolished, it looks like Saskatchewan). But apparently it's not the right kind of real estate." Peter Kuintenbrouwer, Eye, 1996
Mega-Structure type projects like The National Trade Centre must not be allowed to be repeated on the Park of the Canadian National Exhibition again. Restore the dignity of The Canadian National Exhibition.It is part of the collective memory of Canada.
Note About the Photograph Above: We were prevented from photographing the front of the National Trade Centre by Security Staff, something about copyright. Please be aware that the National Trade Centre is essentially a Public Building on Public Park Property, and built with Public Funds mostly from the Federal Infra-Structure Programme. And speaking of copyright, has anyone bothered to credit the Italian Futurists?
"Just west of the Prince's Gate at Exhibition Place the roof is up on the $180 million National Trade Centre (NTC), funded with $60 million each from the feds, the province and Metro." Peter Kuintenbrouwer, Eye, 1996
|
Modifications: None |
|
Recomendations: The type of redevelopment that will ultimately destroy the Park. It is too big, too loud, too 1985, simply a White Elephant. Never Again! |
_
Please Help Restore the dignity of The Canadian National Exhibition.These buildings and structures are part of the collective memory of Canada.The demolition of the Grandstand will lead to the demise of the rest of the vintage 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, and 1960's buildings that have been part of the Canadian National Exhibition for so long.Instead of tearing down our glorious past, we should re-build our past for the future.
Contact:
Toronto Councillor, Joe Pantalone
councillor_pantalone@city.toronto.on.ca
URBANISM
Urbanism is dedicated to Canadian Modern Architecture & Design, and to the Preservation of Architecture across the Dominion of Canada. Urbanism was launched in mid-1998 in a campaign to save Toronto's CNE Grandstand Stadium from demolition. Urbanism is a resourse for the public to utilise and act if they so choose. These will include demolition alerts, new construction, databases on Modern Architecture, General Canadian Architecture, Architects, Industry, and Canadian Industrial Design.
Copyright 1998-2004, Art and Industry/20th Century Limited
