Pecaut Square
Encyclopedia
Pecaut Square is a large concrete-and granite-clad plaza located in front of Metro Hall
in Toronto
, Canada
. The square supports the PATH network
connection between Metro Hall and nearby buildings such as Metro Centre. Glass pavilions provide access to the PATH network.
Metro Hall project, meant to house the government of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, which existed from 1954 to 1998. The agreement to build Metro Hall was signed in 1988, and the project was completed in 1992.
It was formerly known as Metro Square but was renamed in April 2011 by a unanimous Toronto City Council
vote to honour the late civic leader David Pecaut
.
, who stayed for a brief time in a house that was demolished for the construction of Metro Hall at the southeast corner of King and John Streets. The fever hospital refers to one of Toronto's first hospitals, which stood at the northeast corner of King and John Streets from 1829 to 1856. Sheltered by a large granite wall, four bronze boxes evoking television monitors stacked nearly 5 metres high form a fountain. The water flows into a marble basin and into the reflecting pool. The boxes are framed with a semi-circular steel beam, perforated with small holes and mounted at a gentle tilt. The reflecting pool also has an eternal flame fueled by natural gas, unveiled in 1996. The Eternal Flame of Hope is inspired by the perseverance of disabled people, and burns as a reminder that society must be all-inclusive.
Also located at the southwestern part of the square is Jaan Poldaas' Surface Design for Tampered Windscreens (1992), a sculpture composed of tempered glass screens which functions as a windbreak. The screens are etched with vertical and horizontal lines to create different relationships, and are arranged so that people can walk between them. Cynthia Short's Remembered Sustenance (1992) is piece composed of 19 small and generic bronze animals on the grass just off the sidewalk on Wellington Street West. Half the animals appear to be headed for a bronze feeding dish while the other half seem to be walking away.
Pecaut Square also has a lawn and trees along its outer edges. The public space allows for unique views of Metro Hall, Roy Thomson Hall
and the Royal Alexandra Theatre
. It is frequently used for free concerts, film screenings, and other events; for the state funeral
of Jack Layton
on August 27, 2011, the square was used to accommodate a screening for overflow crowds not able to be seated inside Roy Thomson Hall.
Metro Hall
Metro Hall is a 27-storey Postmodern office tower at the corner of Wellington and John Streets in Toronto, Canada. It looks out onto Pecaut Square. Part of the three-tower Metro Centre complex, the building was completed in 1992 to house the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and its employees...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The square supports the PATH network
PATH (Toronto)
PATH is a network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. According to Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world with 371,600 m² PATH is a network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of Downtown...
connection between Metro Hall and nearby buildings such as Metro Centre. Glass pavilions provide access to the PATH network.
History
Pecaut Square was built as part of Toronto's PostmodernPostmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
Metro Hall project, meant to house the government of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, which existed from 1954 to 1998. The agreement to build Metro Hall was signed in 1988, and the project was completed in 1992.
It was formerly known as Metro Square but was renamed in April 2011 by a unanimous Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
vote to honour the late civic leader David Pecaut
David Pecaut
David Kent Pecaut, was an American-born Canadian civic leader, city builder and a strategist. He was known for his visionary initiatives, and solutions-based approach to social issues. He was able to convene different stakeholders, and implement holistic solutions. He was instrumental in...
.
Culture and amenities
The public space features Canadian sculptor Bernie Miller's The Poet, The Fever Hospital, a 1992 piece made up of galvanized steel, bronze, granite, and marble. The sculpture incorporates a fountain and reflecting pool. The title refers to the poet Isabella Valancy CrawfordIsabella Valancy Crawford
Isabella Valancy Crawford was an Irish-born Canadian writer and poet. She was one of the first Canadians to make a living as a freelance writer....
, who stayed for a brief time in a house that was demolished for the construction of Metro Hall at the southeast corner of King and John Streets. The fever hospital refers to one of Toronto's first hospitals, which stood at the northeast corner of King and John Streets from 1829 to 1856. Sheltered by a large granite wall, four bronze boxes evoking television monitors stacked nearly 5 metres high form a fountain. The water flows into a marble basin and into the reflecting pool. The boxes are framed with a semi-circular steel beam, perforated with small holes and mounted at a gentle tilt. The reflecting pool also has an eternal flame fueled by natural gas, unveiled in 1996. The Eternal Flame of Hope is inspired by the perseverance of disabled people, and burns as a reminder that society must be all-inclusive.
Also located at the southwestern part of the square is Jaan Poldaas' Surface Design for Tampered Windscreens (1992), a sculpture composed of tempered glass screens which functions as a windbreak. The screens are etched with vertical and horizontal lines to create different relationships, and are arranged so that people can walk between them. Cynthia Short's Remembered Sustenance (1992) is piece composed of 19 small and generic bronze animals on the grass just off the sidewalk on Wellington Street West. Half the animals appear to be headed for a bronze feeding dish while the other half seem to be walking away.
Pecaut Square also has a lawn and trees along its outer edges. The public space allows for unique views of Metro Hall, Roy Thomson Hall
Roy Thomson Hall
Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall located at 60 Simcoe Street in Toronto, Ontario. It is the home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Opened in 1982, its circular architectural design exhibits a sloping and curvilinear glass exterior. It was designed by Canadian...
and the Royal Alexandra Theatre
Royal Alexandra Theatre
The Royal Alexandra Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada located near King and Simcoe Streets. Built in 1907, the Royal Alex is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in North America.-History:...
. It is frequently used for free concerts, film screenings, and other events; for the state funeral
Death and state funeral of Jack Layton
On August 22, 2011, Canadian New Democratic Party leader and Leader of the Opposition Jack Layton died after a bout from an unspecified, newly diagnosed cancer. Prior to his recent diagnosis, Layton led his party to gain a historic rise in seats during the 2011 federal election...
of Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
on August 27, 2011, the square was used to accommodate a screening for overflow crowds not able to be seated inside Roy Thomson Hall.