Learning Unlimited

Toronto’s Architectural History: Great Toronto Architects

WednesdayS January 08 to March 12 10:00 am to 12 noon

ZOOM Session

Presenter: Marta O'Brien

Course Overview: Join Marta to examine the buildings and lives of remarkable architects who have designed buildings since the 1840s. Through archival and recent images, we’ll see how the work of these architects reflected their times.

January 8: William Thomas - After success in England, Thomas became our city’s leading architect. His best works are still Toronto landmarks, including St. Lawrence Hall and St. Michael’s Cathedral.

January 15: Henry Langley - Toronto-born Langley became known as a church architect, although he also designed striking houses, financial buildings, banks, and factories.

January 22: Cumberland & Storm - These partners became the most important architectural firm in Victorian Toronto. Beautiful Osgoode Hall was their design, as well as University College at U of T.

January 29: E. J. Lennox - One of our most versatile architects, Lennox designed every type of building – including factories, banks, shops, houses, and government buildings – in every then-current style.

February 5: Frank Darling - Most Torontonians have admired buildings by the prolific and creative Darling and his partners. The original Royal Ontario Museum and many university buildings are best known.

February 12: Alfred Chapman - Chapman's early designs used ancient architectural elements on grand new buildings. He applied his skill to 1920s skyscrapers and CNE buildings, plus fine houses and theatres.

February 19: Parkin Associates and Peter Dickinson - Beginning in the late 1940s these two separate firms were most responsible for bringing Modernism to Toronto. Their perfect proportions and clean lines had great influence.

February 26: Eberhard Zeidler - Eb Zeidler was a humanist architect who always strove to design buildings and spaces that would be pleasant. Light, greenery, and colour were among his favourite elements.

March 5: Diamond Schmitt - Headed by Jack Diamond and Donald Schmitt, this firm has designed many remarkable academic and cultural buildings, and a landmark downtown YMCA.

March 12: KPMB (Kuwabara Payne McKenna Bloomberg) - One of the top firms in Toronto since 1990, KPMB has designed innovative academic, cultural, commercial, and residential buildings.

Committee Contact: Judy McCormick

Marta O'Brien has been an architectural historian for over 30 years. She earned her architecture degree with honours, and her master’s degree researching the urban environment. Through her company, Citywalks, she presents tours, illustrated talks and courses for historical societies, seniors’ learning organizations and others. She has taught architectural history courses at the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) George Brown College and the Art Gallery of Toronto. In 2021, she was elected an Honorary Member of the Ontario Association of Architects.