The design consists of four elements -
1. THE CIVIC SQUARE
The southern half of the site is devoted to the Civic Square. A pool is placed in the Square on the axis of the existing City Hall to reflect both the old and new city halls. From the square there are two main entrances to the Hall, one, the public entrance into a large round room where public business is transacted, and two, the ceremonial entrance to the council chamber, via a ramp.
2. PODIUM
A three-storey podium covers the northern half of the site. It contains the area generally used by the public, viz: - tax payment, city and county registry, land titles office, libraries, etc. The roof of this podium forms an upper plaza overlooking the square.
3. COUNCIL CHAMBER
A council chamber unit, "a structure whose upper surface is a low, broad dome, and whose under surface is an inverted reflection of the upper side" is poised over the podium and contains the council chamber, mayor's office, committee rooms and other executive offices. This unit has a gallery running around its perimeter from which a good view of the square and the surrounding buildings can be obtained.
4. OFFICE TOWERS
Two curved towers accommodating the various City and Metropolitan Departments rise from the Podium, enclosing the Council Chamber unit. The west tower consists of 21 floors, height 290 feet, and the east tower 27 floors, height 356 feet.
(From competition's documentation)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WINNING DESIGN
The winning design is a most imaginative and original concept. The southern part of the site is devoted to the Square and north of this is the building group composed of three main elements: a broad, low horizontal building above which rises a pair of tall curved towers and, nestled between the towers and immediately above the horizontal building, a structure whose upper surface is a low, broad dome and whose under surface is an inverted reflection of the upper side.
The total composition clearly and dramatically expresses the major functions of civic government. Opening directly from the Square, the low building contains all those activities in which members of the public are likely to be interested. The tall towers contain office space, repeated floor by floor. They are carefully placed and curved so that they focus inwards upon the domed structure. This structure rests at the evident centre of the composition and contains the centre of government, the Council Chamber and executive suites.
Viewed from close at hand the building stands out as a symbol in the urban landscape, clear in all its parts. From the distance the curving forms of the towers would constitute a feature of the Toronto skyline, clearly different from all other buildings.
The roof of the horizontal building constitutes an upper plaza, the inner part contained within the curved towers, the outer part overlooking the Square. The diagonally curved southern wall of this building forcefully defines the Square at ground level. At the western end the sweep of the wall carries on to the site of the proposed Court House. At the eastern end it leads to the present City Hall, throwing this fine building into relief. Reflecting the curve there is an emphasis on the continuity of space on the south side of the Square and in front of Osgoode Hall, calling for a fine facade on the south side of Queen Street.
COMMENT ON THE WINNING SCHEME
The majority is convinced that the basic concept of the winning design has great strength. Certain features, it is felt, could be modified with advantage and comments on these, as well as many fine features, are made in this section in the hope that they may be of value to the winner, and the City, in developing the final design. The majority feels certain that because of the strength and soundness of the proposal such modifications could be readily accommodated without detracting from its excellence. A great deal of detail remains to be worked out after consultations in Toronto and this should afford the opportunity to consider the various points raised.
The Civic Square has been carefully shaped in its broad lines and is enhanced by the enclosing arcade, which both helps give it definition and provides shelter to the pedestrian. The pool has been well placed on the axis of the present City Hall. However, a great deal of the landscaping, trees and surface features detail must be worked out to provide the necessary human interest, and it is rather unfortunate that the winner has developed this aspect so little at this stage.
The main public hall, which the citizen enters whenever he goes to City Hall, is a magnificent round room with a great circular rotunda cutting upwards through three floors to a skylight above. Around this room stretches a long counter where all business can be transacted, a very efficient arrangement within a handsome room.
Above this main floor is a mezzanine devoted to traffic circulation and above this again is a second mezzanine with government areas, which have to be close to the Council Chamber, This achieves a very satisfactory relationship between the different areas. Generally this space is efficiently used, a most important consideration in view of there being almost half the total floor area in this horizontal part of the building. However, there appears to be a surplus of vertical circulation facilities and this should be re-considered.
The Council Chamber and Related executive offices are well located in the centre of the building, but the arrangement o f the offices could well be re-studied after consultation with those familiar with their operation. They have the potential of a very interesting series of rooms.
The two office towers are superb aesthetically, their carefully shaped and related curves achieving a balance and total effect of strength and dignity. They also offer many fine views from the inner walls. Undoubtedly these advantages have been achieved at some expense and it is hoped that the Architect will do whatever he can to reduce costs. It is suggested that both space and structural economies be sought. The Architect is to be commended for the substantial saving in space already made between the preliminary and final competitions. Further analysis of plans might produce additional savings. Structurally the greatest economy, which, it appears, could readily be pursued, would be in devising ways of reducing the size of the cantilever at present shown. In reviewing plans for the towers the placing of departments to ensure their most efficient relationship might also be reviewed.
The Architect has switched the positions of the two office towers between the preliminary and final competitions, possibly influenced by certain remarks of the Jury following the preliminary competition. There are, however, other factors to be considered and the majority has some reservations about this change. Not only did the earlier arrangement offer a simpler and more economical air conditioning problem but a wider knowledge of development of the district around the Square also indicates some advantage in the earlier proposal.
Any adjustments in these regards should leave the basic concept strong and clear and it is the majority's view that this would be possible. The City Hall and Square should retain all the visual significance of this important public space and building.
MINORITY REPORT
The Jury were unanimous in regarding the winning design as the most original in conception of any of those submitted.
They were less unanimous about the suitability of this monumental design to the site prepared for it, and as an answer to the requirements of the administrative programme. On this there were strong differences of opinion -- as there are likely to be in any democratic assembly.
As a minority we were highly critical of some aspects of this design. We were also conscious of the carefully drawn conditions, the cost of the project in the minds of the Council and the public, and the need for a building which is efficient and workable, and flexible enough to meet the requirements of growth and change.
In this dilemma the easiest but less constructive course for the minority would have been withdrawal from the Jury, with whom however we have been in agreement over all decisions in the preliminary stage and over many in the final. Instead we have written this minority report containing our reservations. This will of necessity expose the degree of disagreement or doubt held by the minority, and the reason why these diagree-ments could not be resolved, as is usual, within the Jury itself. But since no worthwhile judgement is entirely uncritical, the reservations may also be useful to strengthen or modify the design of the City Hall and the City Square as it is finally executed.
RESERVATIONS CONCERNING THE WINNING DESIGN
Relation to the City
1. On the east and north sides, and to some degree to the west as seen from University Avenue, the winning design shuts out the city around it, presenting blank concrete walls (356 feet and 290 feet in height) to surrounding streets and buildings. This might have an adverse effect on the future redevelopment of these sectors; whereas the new City Hall could otherwise be expected to spark off a number of surrounding projects, eventually leading to a really significant renewal of this part of the City. Much could be done to reduce this adverse effect.
2. The City Square, which in our opinion should hope to attract citizens of all ages in a rich and varied way, still appears in the final stage of the competition as a somewhat stark design. It could be given greater landscape interest and amenity, and a more human scale.
The Buildings as a Working Proposition
3. The four main elements in the scheme -- the Civic Square, the four-level base or podium (which covers nearly half the site), the two office towers, and the Council and Executive suite -- are connected to each other by an external ramp, by escalators, by a large number of elevators in ten different places, as well as by emergency stairs. Internal circulation within the building is complicated, as it involve 8 movement from one office tower to another or to the 3ouncil suite; and the onesided office towers have longer horizontal lines of communication than are found in two-sided arrangements of offices.
4. The Council Chamber and suite, although placed in the very focus of the design, have defects as working accommodation, and a poor outlook.
Structure and Cost
5. The form of construction proposed for the office towers?is probably the most expensive which could be devised for vertical slabs. The huge cross-buttressed reinforced-concrete walls support floors which are, in effect, trays cantilevered in one direction. The open ends of the trays are covered by a glazed curtain wall. It is doubtful whether the cantilevers would register in the mind of an external observer, and it seems reasonable to suggest that the form of construction could be modified and reduced in cost.
6. Because of the variety of unusual structural forms, and?the considerable space demanded for circulation, the design as presented would, in our estimate, cost much?more than the figure, which the Council had in mind. By considerable revision, economies in space and structure could be made without changing the main effect of the?composition.
(From competition's documentation)
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