Meridian Hall (Toronto)
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Former names | O'Keefe Centre (1960–1996) Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts (1996–2007) Sony Centre for the Performing Arts (2007–2019) |
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Address | 1 Front Street East Toronto, Ontario M5E 1B2 |
Coordinates | 43°38′48″N 79°22′34″W / 43.6466°N 79.3761°W |
Public transit | King
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Owner | City of Toronto government |
Type | Performing arts venue |
Capacity | 3,191 |
Construction | |
Opened | October 1, 1960 |
Reopened | October 1, 2010 |
Rebuilt | 2008–2010 |
Years active | 1960–2008; 2010–present |
Architect | Peter Dickinson |
Website | |
www |
Meridian Hall is a
In 2008, the City of Toronto designated the theatre a heritage building.[6] That year, it also underwent renovations to restore features such as the marquee canopy and York Wilson's lobby mural, The Seven Lively Arts. Restoration of the wood, brass and marble was undertaken, along with audience seating, flooring upgrades, new washrooms and reconfigured lobby spaces. Following two years of renovations and restoration work, the building reopened on October 1, 2010, fifty years to the date of the first opening night performance.
History
The Centre was built on land formerly occupied by a series of commercial buildings, including the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Company, and previously it was the site of the Great Western Railway Terminal (later the Toronto Wholesale Fruit Market).[7]
The idea for a performing arts centre that could serve the needs of an increasingly dynamic city predates the building's opening by almost 20 years. In the mid-1940s,
The O'Keefe Centre opened on October 1, 1960, with a
Popular music artists including Bob Dylan, Janet Jackson, Elton John, Steve Earle, Leonard Cohen, Elvis Costello (November 1978), David Bowie (June 1974), Lou Reed (June 2000), and bands such as The Grateful Dead,[9] The Who, Jefferson Airplane (August 1967), Led Zeppelin (November 1969), Radiohead (June 2006), The Carpenters, The Clash (September 1979) and Beastie Boys (September 2007) played concerts at the performing arts venue.[10]
Other artists who have performed on the arts venue's stage in a range of solo shows, revues and jazz spectaculars include:
Like The National Ballet, The Canadian Opera Company made the Centre its home stage, from as early as 1961 to 2006. Many[who?] of Canada's greatest singers, as well as many international opera stars, have performed for Centre audiences in COC productions. In addition, although touring opera is now rare, in earlier days the performing arts venue played host to The Met and to such well-known performers as Birgit Nilsson, Plácido Domingo and Renata Scotto.
In early February 1996, the facility was renamed the Hummingbird Centre in recognition of a major gift from a Canadian software company,
In 2006, the performing arts venue received approval from the City of Toronto for the development of a
In June 2012, the Sony Centre hosted the Canadian premiere of the Philip Glass and Robert Wilson opera Einstein on the Beach.[15]
On 21 January 2019, the City of Toronto announced a C$30.75 million 15-year partnership with
Architecture
Designed by Peter Dickinson, the performing arts venue is an example of a mid-twentieth century modern performing arts venue. It is four stories high and is broken up into three main forms: the entrance block, auditorium and fly tower. The central form of the building is highly symmetrical with an open floor plan. Structurally, the performing arts venue uses steel trusses and concrete to hold the majority of the building together. In addition to the structure, the performing arts venue's auditorium houses an acoustic system, which gives the audience the sense that the sound is surrounding them.[19]
When it comes to materiality, the majority of the original materials are still in the building today. Materials used include: Alabama
The interior also features a grand double-height foyer with coffered ceilings, a 30 metres (98 ft) wide mural by the famous Toronto-born artist York Wilson, cantilevered stairs, polished bronze auditorium doors, and a fan-shaped auditorium with a curving balcony.[citation needed]
See also
Other performing arts venues in the city include:
References
- ^ "TOLive Portal". tolive.com. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ^ "TO Live". City of Toronto. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "3 Venues. 1 Community. Countless Experiences". TO Live. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ a b Renzetti, Elizabeth (3 February 1996). "Say good-bye to the O'Keefe Centre". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. pp. A10.
- ^ a b "Hummingbird Centre now Sony Centre". Toronto Star. 7 September 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ "Watkiss, Ulli S., comp. O'Keefe Centre. Rep. Toronto, 2008. 1 Front Street East O'Keefe Centre. City of Toronto, 25 June 2008". Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- ^ "Toronto's amazing intersection at Yonge and Front Streets". Historic Toronto. 25 March 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-7710-7709-8.
- ^ "Grateful Dead Live at O'Keefe Centre on 1967-08-04". 4 August 1967. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
- ^ "The history of the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto when it was the place to play". TO Blog. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ Knelman, Martin (5 October 2010). "Baryshnikov's defection is one for the books". Toronto Star.
- ^ "Hummingbird to sing a new tune". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 18 March 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
The O'Keefe became the Hummingbird when the head of Toronto-based Hummingbird Ltd., Fred Sorkin, pledged $5-million to help cover the costs of some badly needed renovations to the centre.
- ^ "Open Text Acquires Hummingbird" (Press release). OpenText. 2 October 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ Cullman, Roger (28 September 2010). "Sony Centre For The Performing Arts reopens". Blog TO. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Philip Glass brings Einstein on the Beach to Toronto". CBC News. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Sony Centre for the Performing Arts to become Meridian Hall in September". To Do Canada. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts will be become Meridian Hall and Toronto Centre for the Arts in North York, Meridian Arts Centre from September 15, 2019.
- ^ Lozowska, Marianna (January 21, 2019). "Sony Centre will be renamed Meridian Hall". NOW Magazine. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
On January 21, Mayor John Tory announced that arts organization Civic Theatres Toronto has struck a $30.75 million, 15-year partnership with Ontario's largest credit union that will result in Sony Centre for the Performing Arts rebranded as Meridian Hall and the Toronto Centre for the Arts renamed Meridian Arts Centre. The name changes will take effect on September 15.
- ^ Mudhar, Raju (January 21, 2019). "Meridian Credit Union buys naming rights for Sony Centre and Toronto Centre for the Arts". Toronto Star. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
Beginning in September, the Sony Centre will be renamed Meridian Hall and the Toronto Centre for the Arts in North York will become the Meridian Arts Centre as part of a $30.75-million deal with the city.
- ^ (Canadian Architect 18)[full citation needed]
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-7710-7709-2.
Further reading
- O'Keefe, John. "Sound Strategies." Canadian Architect 43.3 (March 1998): 18-19
- "The O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto." Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 37 (Nov 1960): 461-488