6/4/2010 8:11:29 PM

June 3, 2010

22,000 visited City Hall and its new Podium Green Roof at Doors Open Toronto

Toronto City Hall and its new City Hall Podium Green Roof welcomed more than 22,000 people to Toronto’s newest urban green space as well as to the Mayor’s Office, the Council Chamber and the East Observation Deck on May 29 and 30 as part of the 11th annual Doors Open Toronto.

More than 200,000 visitors of all ages explored nearly 150 Toronto venues in total over the Doors Open Toronto weekend. The kickoff event at the Royal Ontario Museum on May 28 entertained more than 5,100 attendees with live music, comedy from Second City and a panel discussion about architecture.

Additional building highlights included the opening of the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre and Roundhouse Park (17,622 visitors); Steam Whistle Brewing (7,500); Le Méridien King Edward hotel (5,140); Evergreen Brick Works (5,000); and the Trillium side-wheeler paddle steamer (2,660). Two of the most popular architectural firms visited were Diamond & Schmitt (935) and Stantec (700).

Returning favourites included Old City Hall (12,136), Osgoode Hall (8,502), Black Creek Pioneer Village (7,640), Canada Life (6,200), Distillery Historic District (6,200), Ontario Legislature - Queen’s Park (4,056), Campbell House Museum (3,775), Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre (3,282), St. James Cathedral (3,133), Gooderham Flatiron Building (2,700), Redpath Sugar Refinery (2,586), Fort York (2,500) and Exhibition Place's Horse Palace - Mounted Unit (2,400).

Doors Open Toronto is a popular annual citywide celebration featuring free access to Toronto venues of architectural, historic and cultural significance. In its eleventh year the event recognized the heightened public awareness of architecture and the architects who have shaped this city with programs, events, walks and talks providing unique insight and access into Toronto’s architectural diversity.

Next year’s Doors Open Toronto weekend will be held May 28 and May 29. There will be a special focus on photography and architecture.

Doors Open Toronto has attracted more than 1.7 million visitors since it began. Toronto was the first North American city to launch a Doors Open event and has advised similar programs like Doors Open Ontario and Open House New York.

Doors Open Toronto recently received two national awards: the City Soul Award from the Canadian Urban Institute's Urban Leadership Awards and the Award of Outstanding Achievement in Marketing from the Canadian Museums Association. In 2010 Doors Open Toronto received the first-ever City Manager's Award for Toronto Public Service Excellence from the City of Toronto.

Doors Open Toronto is produced by the City of Toronto and sponsored by the Toronto Star. Media sponsor: Citytv. Program Sponsor: Woodcliffe. Program Partners: Indigo Books and Music Inc. and Toronto Society of Architects. For more information, please visit http://www.toronto.ca/doorsopen.

Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents. For information about non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.