HISTORY

20 years ...

... of outstanding contemporary art at The Power Plant.

Opened to the public in 1987, The Power Plant made the leap from its previous life in an old trucking garage to its future in a renovated 1920s powerhouse building. The future is now and the gallery celebrates 20 years as Canada's leading public gallery devoted exclusively to the art of our time.

This image is from the exhibition The Architecture of Frank Gehry, curated by Mildred Friedman, which ran from August 26 to October 14, 1987.

The original Power Plant with its companion building The Ice House (today the Enwave Theatre), was constructed in 1926 to house the heating and refrigeration equipment for the massive Toronto Terminal Warehouse (now Queen's Quay Terminal).

Part of the Federal Government's acquisition of a 92-acre lakefront site, The Power Plant was in operation as an actual power plant until 1980, when Harbourfront Corporation, a Federal Crown Corporation, provided the Art Gallery at Harbourfront with the opportunity to renovate the building as its new home. Peter Smith of Lett/Smith Architects was chosen to undertake the renovations, the design of which has taken into consideration both the history of the building and the demands of contemporary art.

Opened to the public on 1 May 1987, The Power Plant today is easily recognized by its smokestack and exterior facade, both of which have been restored to maintain reference to the original industrial use of the building.