DESIGNorDIY

whyilovetoronto:

Why I Love Toronto Reason #106

The Design Exchange/  Former Toronto Stock Exchange Building

This building is really cool its old exterior is surrounded by this new modern building which to me is absolutely breathtaking. The current Design Exchange and former Toronto Stock Exchange is located in In the heart of the financial district, and was designed by George and Moorehouse (who also built Trinity College at U of T). The building was completed in 1937. The building contains elements of streamlined moderne (which is the dominant style), art deco, and stripped classism. It has a beautiful grand staircase leading to a 10,000 square foot trading floor. The trading floor is absolutely beautiful, I’ve run around on it during doors open and I almost fell asleep on it at2am during Nuit Blanche looking at large disco ball like figures. It also has some amazing murals on both the east and west wall. The east wall represents, oil, mining, smelting and refining while the west wall depicts images of transportation, engineering and agriculture as well as pulp and paper to illustrate the Canadian industry. In 1983 the Toronto Stock Exchange moved to its new location at King and York and the building was restored, to showcase all its magnificent features.

The Design Exchange is actually an organization that was formed in 1988 to provide support to the design community. It opened in the former stock exchange in 1994. The building from what I have been seen and experience has three floors, you have the main floor and third floor which are galleries and the second floor is usually empty so you can just ooo and ahh at the fact that important poepl where running around on that floor with talking about stocks and about oil going down and our loonie being at parody (I think I spelt that wrong, I sounded it out and it sounded right - but i think i spelt thing that people do to make fun of things - i am so bad at spelling and ending rants), but sometimes you have markets on the trading floor.  

I personally love this building because it has so much history to it. The murals, the floors, the staircase the windows, the exterior integrated with the new building around it. It is just an amazing fusion of old and new.

I highly recommend you check out the design exchange not only for the art and the galleries, but for the amazing architecture.

That Is Why I Love Toronto  

http://www.dx.org/index.cfm?pagepath=ABOUT_US/Our_History/History_of_the_Building&id=22958

http://www.blogto.com/city/2007/05/the_design_exchange_-_neat_design_in_a_cool_old_building/