Toronto's Old and New City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square
Toronto City Hall is a striking landmark featuring a modern architectural design which sharply contrasts the Romanesque Architecture of the adjacent Old City Hall
The adjacent new and old Toronto City Halls overlook Nathan Phillips Square, a popular gathering place for locals and visitors alike. The modern design of the New City Hall which opened in 1965, stands in sharp contrast to the 1899 architecture of the adjacent Old City Hall.
The new Toronto City Hall islocated on a large tract of land north of Queen Street West and west of Bay Street, which was the site of Toronto's first Chinatown. Much of Chinatown had to be displaced to the northwest in order to accommodate the new City Hall.
The modern design was created by Finnish architect Viljo Revell along with associates Heikki Castren, Bengt Lundsten, and Seppo Valju who won a contest to come up with the best design. The modern design consists of a rectangular base from which two curved towers rise to different heights. The circular council chambers are constructed on top of the rectangular base in between the two towers. The tallest tower reaches 27 stories (326 feet).
In front of the City Hall is a courtyard called Nathan Phillips Square featuring a reflecting pool which is used as an outdoor skating rink during the winter months, as well as the Peace Garden which serves as a memorial to the bombing of Hiroshima. The square features a weekly farmers' market, the winter festival of lights and is also used for concerts and art displays.
In stark contrast to the new Toronto City Hall and surrounding buildings, the Old City Hall sits next door and features Romanesque Architecture including a 340 foot clock tower complete with gargoyles and the third largest clock in the world. Built in 1899 this historic Toronto Building now serves as the Ontario Court of Justice.
For anyone interested in architecture, both old and new, Toronto's City Halls are a great place to explore.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: No
Address: Toronto, ON, Canada
Phone: (416) 203-2600
Official Website: Toronto City Hall
Directions
| TTC Subway Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yonge-University-Spadina | Osgoode or Queen Station | 3-4 Minutes |
How to get to Toronto City Hall by TTC Subway
No Bus required. From Osgoode Station walk east along Queen Street West or from Queen Station walk west along Queen Street West. Nathan Philips Square and the Toronto City Hall is located on the north side of Queen Street West about half way between these two stations.
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Reviews
Rated out of 5
This place is a epitome of convenience. This is multipurpose venue used for many recreational activities. It is located in heart of Downtown at Bay and Osgoode near to Osgood Hall,City Hall and multiple subway stations at a 5 min walk.I went there for Canada Day,New Year and def other celebrations.There is a always a huge turnout at events and it is quite fun with the iconic colorful Toronto Neon Sign that resides in the middle of Square. The ice skating field is great as well.
Harish Kumar - 3 days ago
This place is a epitome of convenience.
This is multipurpose venue used for many recreational activities.
It is located in heart of Downtown at Bay and Osgoode near to Osgood Hall,City Hall and multiple subway stations at a 5 min walk.I went there for Canada Day,New Year and def other celebrations.There is a always a huge turnout at events and it is quite fun with the iconic colorful Toronto Neon Sign that resides in the middle of Square.
The ice skating field is great as well.
Violetta Henziana - 19 days ago
Mike Eikermann - 24 days ago
It's a cute public square with a good ambiance. I went there during the Christmas events. There were a lot of looks selling drinks, clothes, food, jewelry and many other things, but you can easily see all of them within 30 minutes if you don't have a lot of time. If you do have the time, I wouldn't recommend trying to skate if you want to skate for fun, because when I was there, there were so many people taking up the whole ice ring that most of them couldn't skate without bumping into someone. The line for skate rental was pretty long too. Would recommend for a cute first date!
Agnes Sam - 1 month ago
It's a cute public square with a good ambiance. I went there during the Christmas events. There were a lot of looks selling drinks, clothes, food, jewelry and many other things, but you can easily see all of them within 30 minutes if you don't have a lot of time. If you do have the time, I wouldn't recommend trying to skate if you want to skate for fun, because when I was there, there were so many people taking up the whole ice ring that most of them couldn't skate without bumping into someone. The line for skate rental was pretty long too.
Would recommend for a cute first date!
Hasan Khan - 2 months ago
Video
Photo Gallery
Panoramic view of Nathan Phillips Square showing both the old and new City Hall cc licensed photo by Paolo Costa Baldi 
A view of Nathan Phillips Square with Toronto's Old City Hall in the background cc licensed photo by -Jerome- 
Ice skating at dusk in front of the old City Hall cc licensed photo by Benson Kua 
Toronto City Hall and Fountain at Night cc licensed photo by Benson Kua 
Nathan Phillips Square and the Toronto City Hall at Christmas cc licensed photo by Alex Guibord -
People 0209 - Mayor John Tory cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
Toronto City Hall cc licensed photo by Security_Kr -
Commerce_NOC_0057 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
Commerce_NOC_0058 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 027 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 028 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
People 0210 - Mayor John Tory cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 026 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 029 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
Old City Hall cc licensed photo by Arbron
