Sunday 28 May 2017

Doors Open - Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, ON

It's Doors Open weekend here in Toronto and this afternoon I checked out the Gladstone Hotel (on Queen Street W and Gladstone Avenue), which is in my 'hood.  I've done the Gladstone Hotel tour a view times over the years and think it's a gorgeous hotel.

The 18th annual Doors Open Toronto returns on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28, 2017, offering free and rare access to 150 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the city. 

Doors Open Toronto 2017 is part of TO Canada with Love, the City of Toronto's year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions marking Canada's 150th birthday. Doors Open Toronto is presented by Great Gulf and produced by the City of Toronto in partnership with the Province of Ontario and the broader community.


Year: 1889
Style: Edwardian (1900-1916), Revival (1800 – Early 1900), Victorian (1840-1900), Second Empire (1860-1900), Modernism (1880+)
Original Architect: George Miller

Building Description
A place where ideas are cultivated and magic happens! An accessible space that allows artists, travellers and diners to collide, collaborate, disagree, debate, fall in love, get in trouble and get away with it. Set within the historic walls of Toronto's oldest continually operating hotel, the Gladstone has evolved into a social and cultural house with 37 artist designed hotel rooms, a restaurant, bar and four unique event venues. And the art - it's everywhere. The Gladstone provides access to locally-made works 365 days year. Partnering with community organizations and curators, the Gladstone produces a long list of exhibitions and programs including: That's So Gay, a celebration of Pride; Grow Op, a provocative exploration of landscape and place; Hard Twist, a group fibre show and many more.

Visitor Experience
There are four gallery spaces open from 12 to 5 p.m. for guests to explore, as well as a cafe offering farm fresh menus. Doors Open visitors will be invited into the Melody Bar, a venue that hosts musical performers and activities throughout the year. Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival exhibitions will be on display on the 2nd, 3rd + 4th floor. Hotel tours starting in the second floor gallery space will take place on both Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Several of the artist-designed-rooms will be open for viewing after each tour.

I joined the 3pm tour on the second floor.

Lukas gave us lots of interesting information

Then we went up to the fourth floor.  Our guide was going to show us a designer hotel room but alas, it had been given out just before our tour.

The old floors are uneven

I stopped in on the third floor on the way down.


The restored Victorian elevator is one of the last hand-operated elevators in Toronto, installed when electricity reached Toronto in 1904.  There is a tribute to Cowboy Hank Young (1941-2009) who operated it for many years (he was quite a character!).

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