roy-thomson-hall: Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Designed 1976, with Mathers and Haldenby
The oval shaped auditorium and its square base are connected and enclosed by a draped, net-like structural canopy, sheathed in glass. The translucent qualities of this material not only lighten the building mass but also allow lobby activities to be visible from the exterior. As a result, the glass canopy appears as a constantly shifting myriad of gem-like facets, either reflecting or transparent, depending on the angle of light and changing in appearance with the season, weather and time of day. Through the canopy, the mirror-clad walls of the auditorium itself reflect the audience to the outside. The patrons are the spectacle as they move up the escalators or down the tiered stages of the lobbies to the main floor. At night Roy Thomson Hall reveals a warm sparkle from the lobby areas which, combined with the movement of the audience, seems to radiate and anticipate the excitement of the performance within.
The original roof design called for the glass canopy to slope from an oval slanted top to a square base, with no mullions showing on the exterior. However this irregular shape was too costly for the local glass industry to produce in those days.
Photo of top floor lobby by Steven Zhen Wang
See more Roy Thomson Hall photos in "interiors" section
