The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the National Trust for Canada announce the Toronto Central YMCA as the recipient of the 2018 Prix du XXe siècle, in recognition of enduring excellence and significance to Canada?s architectural legacy.
The Toronto Central YMCA by Diamond Schmitt Architects has been popular from the day it opened in 1984 at 20 Grosvenor Street. A distinguished three-member jury selected it ?not only for its remarkable design qualities but also for its generous stance as a welcoming urban neighbour and humanist intervention in the heart of downtown Toronto.?
Toronto Central YMCA, Grosvenor Street entry court (1984). Photo by Fiona Spalding-Smith.
The jury noted the Toronto Central YMCA (now called Toronto Central Grosvenor Street YMCA Centre), is a seminal building in Diamond Schmitt Architects? work. ?The Toronto YMCA project embraced its somewhat modest materials, such as raw concrete and precast masonry block, and gave them an inherent dignity through simple design gestures and daring interior spaces,? said the jury. ?The building was a strong element in the 1980s revitalizing of downtown Toronto.?
The Grosvenor entry court in 2014, following an addition by Diamond Schmitt. Photo by Lisa Logan.
As well as replacing an inadequate old facility at College and Bay streets, the new building reflected societal change. The YMCA was established at the end of the 19th century to accommodate Christian youth migrating from rural to urban life. B...