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 architects Arthur Erickson and Mathers and Haldenby. The hall seats 2630 and features a pipe organ built by Canadian organ builders Gabriel Kney of London, Ontario.
The hall was formerly known as New Massey Hall. It acquired its current name from the family of Roy Thomson (first Lord Thomson of Fleet and founder of the publishing empire Thomson Corporation) who had donated $4.5 million (Canadian dollars) to complete the fund-raising efforts for the new hall. The hall was renovated over a period of six months in 2002, after years of complaints from musicians about the quality of its acoustics.
The hall is one of the main venues used by the Toronto International Film Festival, with many gala screenings held there each year. The concert hall was used in scenes of the film X-Men.
Filmmaker Jeffery Klassen's 2005 film, Toronto Architecture, interviews Arthur Erickson about the structure. Erickson talks of the point of the grey structure being that of a container which people were to fill up with their own decorations. The pond was originally designed to be used as a skating rink in the winter. The building was influenced by Erickson's journeys in Japan and his relationship with the North American Aboriginals.
The hall was the venue of the state funeral of federal Leader of the Official Opposition and NDP leader Jack Layton on August 27, 2011.
Famous quotes containing the words thomson and/or hall:
“And all sad scenes and thoughts and feelings vanish
In that sweet sleep no power can ever banish,
That one best sleep which never wakes again.”
—James Thomson (1834–1882)
“This is a Senate of equals, of men of individual honor and personal character, and of absolute independence. We know no masters, we acknowledge no dictators. This is a hall for mutual consultation and discussion; not an arena for the exhibition of champions.”
—Daniel Webster (1782–1852)