Toronto St Michael's Hospital Emergency Department Redevelopment | ?m | 2s | Unity Health Toronto | NORR

[DSC]

It is interesting to see that as they demolish the modern section on Shuter Street, the north wall of the original building (also being demolished) is starting to be exposed - for first time in 50 or 60 years.

 

[DSC]

It is interesting to see that as they demolish the modern section on Shuter Street, the north wall of the original building (also being demolished) is starting to be exposed - for first time in 50 or 60 years.

View attachment 470977

Though I stand to be corrected (again!), I THINK the building we are seeing partly exposed is the section on the right in the photo (from TPL) below.

I THINK this Streetview confirms this but ..

 

[Northern Light]

Though I stand to be corrected (again!), I THINK the building we are seeing partly exposed is the section on the right in the photo (from TPL) below.

View attachment 470983

That was a handsome building/complex. And a hospital that came with good sized balconies too!

 

[DSC]

That was a handsome building/complex. And a hospital that came with good sized balconies too!

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century there was a strong movement to expose hospital patients to 'fresh air'. Many hospitals built at that time had huge balconies onto which patients were wheeled each morning! Here is the Royal Victoria in Montreal from about the same time:

 

[thecharioteer]

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century there was a strong movement to expose hospital patients to 'fresh air'. Many hospitals built at that time had huge balconies onto which patients were wheeled each morning! Here is the Royal Victoria in Montreal from about the same time:

View attachment 470985

Same at the TGH:

 

[Red Mars]

Apr 27, 2023

 

[enter username]

 

[xy3]

Barbaric

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

I hope they have a good reason for nuking history here.

 

[DSC]

I hope they have a good reason for nuking history here.

It w as really not suitable for a modern hospital. The best that could have happened would have been a facadectomy of the Bond Street wall.

 

[Northern Light]

It w as really not suitable for a modern hospital. The best that could have happened would have been a facadectomy of the Bond Street wall.

That would likely have been preferable. But there were alternative options when the entire masterplan for the site was being looked at.

The Bond wing(s) could have been converted to offices in many cases; but the decision was made to do that instead to much of the Queen Street building as patient services moved north along Victoria.

I, for one, would have shed no tears had the Queen St. building been lost to demolition.

But, water under the proverbial bridge.

 

[ShonTron]

The only part of the historical hospital complex worth preserving, really, is the 1930s Bond Street wing. It’s a beautiful entrance.

The northeast side of the hospital (what used to be known as the Shuter Wing) was a jumble of rooms, with sections haphazardly put together between the 1910s and 1950s. We had bigger hospital losses, like several sections of TGH and Women’s College, and soon-to-disappear TEGH.

 

[Northern Light]

We had bigger hospital losses, like several sections of TGH

Agreed

Women’s College,

The loss of that gorgeous staircase/entry way was a shame, most of the rest, not as much, but for being replaced by a steaming pile...... never mind.... LOL

and soon-to-disappear TEGH.

My local site, I have to say, I don't see this as such a huge loss, I would hope they would save some of the stone in the lobby, but I've always found the inside and outside of TEGH, and I've spent too much time there as both patient and caregiver, to be depressing as all get out.

They are saving one of the original wings and restoring it as offices, so that's a nice bonus.

As with Women's College the most unfortunate thing, to me, is not so much what's lost as that the gain wasn't a bit better both from an aesthetic and a functional perspective.

Though, it is is a giant leap forward for TEGH in the latter respect, but it has still come up a bit short in spots (I've been in the new wing on the ground floor and some of the designs misses are quickly apparent). Sigh.

 

[AlexBozikovic]

This is a loss of very significant built heritage IMO.

On a private res or office project, there’s no chance Heritage Planning would have signed off on this. There’s a very clear pattern in which they give an easier ride to public sector applications. And while we can debate the merits of that approach, it means many small mediocre buildings get retention while institutional buildings don’t.

 

[saynotofaux]

This is a loss of very significant built heritage IMO.

On a private res or office project, there’s no chance Heritage Planning would have signed off on this. There’s a very clear pattern in which they give an easier ride to public sector applications. And while we can debate the merits of that approach, it means many small mediocre buildings get retention while institutional buildings don’t.

Not to excuse them of their track record, but Heritage Planning is jurisdictionally limited in its ability to regulate and enforce conservation on Provincial ministries or prescribed public bodies.