Doors Open

Posted on May 25, 2008 by appsscraps

Yesterday Blee and I did a whirlwind tour of a couple buildings on this year’s Toronto Doors Open program – the new George Brown College Chef School; Commerce Court North and the Cathedral Church of St. James, which is today Canada’s highest spired church, and was first established in what was then York (now Toronto) way back in 1797.

Doors Open is now a national phenomenon which allows citizens free access to a bevy of buildings of every ilk in major Canadian cities (often including buildings that normally do not permit public access – our visit to the TTC Ghost Station last year during Nuit Blanche, for example).

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1) George Brown Chef School: the new restaurant on the ground floor, a training ground for up-and-coming chefs to replace Seigfried’s; 2) a classroom upstairs in the renovated 1914 former paint factory

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3) the spire of St. James, complete with interfering streetcar wires; 4) the Chancel and High Altar

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5) part of the organ and its 5000 pipes; 6) some of the exquisite stained glass windows

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7 & 8) the gorgeous interior of Commerce Court North with its wonderful ceiling

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9) the ceiling reminds me of the interior of The Dome of the Rock (Quabbat as-Sakhrah) in Jerusalem

As a quick aside here, I spoke some time ago about my stint with Harvard University digging at the archaeological site of Tel-beth Shemesh back in 1993 (see: 8 May 2006 post). I often headed into Jerusalem on weekends and visited the Temple Mount (Haram es-Sharif). To this day I will never forget first entering The Dome of Rock and literally being overcome by its staggering beauty. So much so that I in fact cried when I entered and saw not only the famous rock it houses (reputedly where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac and where Mohammed ascended to heaven on his winged horse with the Angel Gabriel at his side) but its magnificent ceiling. It actually took my breath away. Should you ever have the opportunity to visit, take that chance.

Blee and I also visited St. Lawrence Market and lunched al fresco in the park to the west of the north market. Heading down to St. James we came across the latest – strangest – art installation going into the wee art park at King/Church … this gigantic mushroom.

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10 & 11) the gigantic mushroom begins to take shape, previously it was a crazy spider’s web

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12) inside the North Market yesterday; 13) a perfect day for lunch in the park

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