A Personal Amateur Photography Blog
The Toronto postings end with a more focused modern architecture tour. With more than 70 new skyscrapers more than 150m (500 feet) high built since 2000 (second in North America to New York), there are plenty to choose from, although a few of the more interesting buildings downtown are not skyscrapers.
Not all of the buildings below were built after 2000, but all have the modern architecture look.
In the 1960s Spencer and Rosa Clark started a collection that required a very large garden – they acquired architectural artifacts from large buildings in downtown Toronto that were being torn down and replaced with even larger ones.
This garden is located in suburban Scarborough, in what is now Guild Park and Gardens.
The archway from a long gone building leads you into the park.
What were once decorative pieces on the Toronto Star newspaper building are now giant building blocks.
Remnants from a Music Hall.
Smaller pieces are integrated directly into the gardens.
While others are added together to make a new sculpture.
Toronto’s second fire hall was located at Richmond and Portland Streets. Dating from 1871 it was torn down in 1968. In the background is a brand new events center.
The Greek Theater (also the featured photo for this posting). What was once the Bank of Toronto Building is now a theater in a park.
The grounds are immaculate, with the artifacts well spaced throughout.
The facing from the Quebec Bank Building has porcelain lions.
Additional random artifacts.
Easily the largest collection is from the former Bank of Montreal Building at King and Bay Streets in downtown Toronto. With this many fantastic items, this must have been an amazing building!
Buenos Aires, Argentina is said to have more live theater than any other city in the world. In my 10 days there I even saw an impromptu performance on a subway, which at first I thought was a real argument.
With all of these theaters it is bound to have one or two that go out of business – like this one.
Ah but Buenos Aires is smart enough not to tear it down. Adolfo de Vincenzi purchased the theater and restored it into a bookstore called the El Ateneo! This translates in English to anthenaeum, which was a school in ancient Rome. The word is commonly used for libraries, etc.
The results were spectacular. Numerous publications, including National Geographic, have named the El Ateneo these most beautiful bookstore in the world. I agree.
In addition to the main level, two of the upper levels have books.
The cafe is located on the stage.
The old lighting controls are also located in the cafe.
No matter the angle of view, it is amazing.
In addition to housing the children’s section, the lower level has a small display detailing the history of the theater.
As with many old theaters, the ceiling has a great mural.
The El Ateneo – a true Buenos Aires treasure.
As noted in the previous posting the architecture of the buildings at CCNY is stunning. The gargoyles/grotesques are amazing, and fit the overall Hogwarts feel of the campus perfectly.
Welcome to CCNY!
City College of New York is located far up in Manhattan, near Harlem. Since the early 1900s their elegant buildings, designed by famed architect George Post, have featured gargoyles. Technically because they do not drain water they are officially known as grotesques, but gargoyles sounds so much better.
Unfortunately by the 1960s many of the gargoyles had fallen into disrepair, at times falling off the buildings. In the 1980s a campaign began to restore the buildings and gargoyles. As part of this the broken ones were taken off, cataloged, and recreated.
The old broken ones then sat in a dumpster for the next 20 years. Eventually they were removed from the dumpsters and placed in the lawn next to the School of Architecture, resulting in a ‘Gargoyle Graveyard’.
Fear not – the new ones and the buildings of CCNY are featured on the next posting.
Featured on a number of postings, the University Circle area of Cleveland is home to Case Western Reserve University, as well as most of the museums for the city.
We were in town on this sunny Saturday for ‘Parade the Circle’ (featured on an upcoming posting), we also wanted to participate in a walking tour of the area lead by the volunteers from ‘Take a Hike Cleveland’, but apparently because of the parade they cancelled. As with other times like this, we made our own tour.
The Cleveland History Center features a carousel from a long lost amusement park – Euclid Beach.
The Cancer Survivors Plaza. A local independent newspaper named this the worst public sculpture in America, with the surreal look of the people seemingly running away from something.
The tower in the background (and on the featured photo for this posting) has unique brickwork.
Just across the street the Museum of Natural History has an excellent welcoming sign.
While the population of Cleveland has dropped precipitously over the last 50 years, there are still some grand old apartment buildings in the city, as evidenced by the Park Lane Villa.
The Maltz Performing Arts Center. Built in 1924 as the Temple Tifereth, it now serves the arts community.
There are statues scattered throughout the area.
A view of University Circle United Methodist Church.
There was once the largest skating rink the world located in here – the Elysian. It is celebrated by art on an electrical box.
Mark Hanna – While William McGinley was officially the president, Mark told him what to do.
A view of the Museum of Art.
Severance Hall – home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
The Kelvin Smith Library at Case Western Reserve.
Case Western Reserve was at one time two separate entities, including the Western Reserve College for Women.
A chapel at Case Western Reserve.
Finally, the best building in the area. It is now home to the Cleveland Institute of Art, but it’s first life was as an assembly plant for making Ford Model T’s!
There are 5 Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, four of which make up the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The fifth is the Alamo.
We were able to visit two of the missions on our day in the city. Up first is the Mission San Jose.
The mission was founded in 1720, with work on the current buildings beginning in 1768 and completing in 1782.
The community’s life was fully supported within the walls of the mission, including this oven.
There are many homes contained along the perimeter walls.
Massive stone arches frame walkways near the church.
Mission San Jose has had more restoration than the others in the area, resulting in a more ornate interior.
The south wall of the church features the ‘Rose Window’. This window is considered one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in North America.
There is evidence of the earlier exteriors on one of the walls.
The main gate to the compound.
The church is holding up remarkably well for being 250 + years old.
Additional views of the Mission San Jose.
Just a few miles away is Mission Concepcion.
This mission dates from essentially the same time as Mission San Jose, however the grounds are much smaller.
Some restoration has occurred here as well.
Mission Concepcion is known for the fresco’s on the interior and exterior of the building.
The interior of the church is not as ornate as Mission San Jose, but elegant in it’s simplicity.
The missions we were able to visit in San Antonio are national treasures. We look forward to a return trip to the area to check out the others we missed.
