The Power Plant

Toronto is a cultural hub deeply immersed in its iconic history. While constantly changing, the city maintains a balance between old and new narratives. One of the greatest examples of this dynamic is evident in how heritage buildings in Toronto are used as cultural platforms for hosting contemporary art. While these historic spaces celebrate the city’s history, they also welcome new ideas and introduce audiences to critical conversations.

Keep reading for a brief introduction to the heritage buildings that house some of Toronto’s most prominent contemporary art galleries!

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery

The Power Plant’s building was constructed in 1926 to house heating and refrigeration equipment for the massive Toronto Terminal Warehouse (now Queen’s Quay Terminal) and its companion building, The Ice House (today the Harbourfront Centre Theatre). The building was first transformed into an exhibition space in 1976 as the Art Gallery at Harbourfront in the Bill Boyle Artport. In 1980, Harbourfront Corporation provided the Art Gallery at Harbourfront with the opportunity to renovate the 1920s powerhouse 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 its new role as an art gallery. Opened to the public in 1987, The Power Plant is still recognizable by its iconic smokestack. Since its opening, The Power Plant has stayed true to its commitment to exhibit artists from diverse backgrounds, draw attention to pressing issues, and connect with communities from Canada and around the world through contemporary art.

Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA)

Constructed in 1919 by the Northern Aluminum Company, Auto BLDG., the building that is home to today’s Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, is an essential piece of the city’s architectural and industrial heritage. When first opened over one hundred years ago, the structure was considered innovative due to its omission of beams for support. The ten-storey designated heritage building was initially used as an aluminum foundry and manufacturing plant until production ended in 2006. The exterior of the Auto BLDG. is an early example of a high-rise industrial building with exposed concrete structural framing. At one time, the Auto BLDG. was the tallest building in Toronto and one of the first to have an elevator. Today, MOCA is an inclusive cultural hub that provokes ideas and discussion while challenging the current cultural moment.

401 Richmond

Constructed in five stages between 1899 and 1923, the several connected buildings known as 401 Richmond were commissioned by the Macdonald Manufacturing Company. The building once housed an immense factory that, for seventy years, made tin containers. By the 1970s, due to large-scale industries moving out of downtown Toronto, it was suggested the factory should be torn down and the site turned into a parking lot. In 1994 the complex was rescued, and the restoration began, converting it into one of Toronto’s most frequented arts and culture hubs. Today, 401 Richmond is home to twelve art galleries and artist-run centres.

Thompson Landry Gallery Cooperage Space

The Cooperage Space is a gallery and event space housed in the iconic 4300-square-foot original building in the heart of Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Constructed in the 1800s by Gooderham and Worts distillery, this group of buildings, now known as the Cooperage Group, included six buildings that served different purposes over their working lives. Located on the main street of the Distillery District, the central room is now a gallery space, presenting a rotating display of contemporary Quebecois paintings and sculptures that complement the space’s original architecture.

Market Gallery

The Market Gallery is an intimate exhibition space in the historic St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. It is home to the original ten blocks of the Town of York, established in 1793. After St. Lawrence Market’s renovation in the 1970s and the discovery of its second floor, Toronto City Council decided to convert it into a display space to feature art and artifacts from Toronto’s collection. The main display area of the Market Gallery is now located on the second floor of Toronto’s original nineteenth-century City Hall that stood on this site on Front Street East. Initially Toronto’s first purpose-built City Council Chambers, today the space hosts many exhibits that dive deep into the city’s history and showcase the evolution of Toronto’s ever-changing identity.

Bibliography

Cass, Nick, Gill Park, and Anna Powell, eds. Contemporary Art in Heritage Spaces. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. February 1, 2022.