Self-Guided Walking Tours
AASL Annual Conference 2015 Pinterest Site for information about all-things-Toronto.
Programmed Tours
These tours are listed in alphabetical order. See the Program & Regisration page for information about when tours will take place.
Recently opened in fall 2014, the breathtaking Aga Khan Museum, designed by Fumihiko Maki and with local involvement by Moriyama & Teshima Architects, is home to the permanent collection of His Highness the Aga Khan. The Museum showcases art/objects of art from Islamic civilizations across the centuries and features travelling exhibits and innovative programming that reflect the museum’s mission. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the museum and gift shop, followed by dinner with AASL members at the beautifully appointed Diwan Restaurant.
Strategically positioned as the northern gateway into the University of Toronto, The Bata Shoe Museum, designed by Raymond Moriyama on a small parcel of land in mid-town Toronto, houses the exquisite shoe collection of Sonja Bata and tells the story of humankind through indigenous footwear gathered from around the world.
Toronto Reference Library & Digital Innovation Hub
A landmark building designed by Raymond Moriyama, the Toronto Reference Library opened its doors in 1977 and has been well-loved by Torontonians ever since. This dramatic, five-story building with a curving atrium, is centrally located on Yonge Street, one block north of Bloor Street. Toronto Public Library’s Phillis Jacklin and Ab Velasco will lead our tour. They will speak to the mission of the Library, the recently completed space renovations in which Moriyama & Teshima Architects played the leading role, and will showcase the Digital Innovative Hub.
Optional Tours (March 19)
2-3 pm: Toronto City Hall (10 participant minimum)
In 1957, then Mayor Nathan Phillips convinced City Council to hold an international design competition for a new City Hall on the northwest corner of Queen and Bay. A total of 520 designs were received from 42 different countries. The winner of the competition was Finnish architect, Viljo Revell. The tour guide will explain the history of Toronto and the construction of city hall.
3:30-4:30 pm: Ryerson Student Learning Centre
The new Ryerson Student Learning Centre is situated at the corner of Yonge and Gould Streets in Toronto and will give the Ryerson community an environment in which to study, collaborate, and share ideas. The SLC was designed through a partnership between two renowned architectural firms: Snøhetta and Zeidler Partnership Architects. Projects and Facilities Manager Bob Jackson will lead the tour.
4:45 - 6:00 pm: Ryerson Image Centre
Designed by Diamond Schmitt, Ryerson Image Centre is an international centre of excellence at Ryerson University, dedicated to the public exhibition, research, study and teaching of photography and related disciplines, including new media, installation art and film.
Exhibitions on display during the conference:
Burn With Desire: Photography and Glamour
From Edward Steichen’s iconic portrait of silent film star Gloria Swanson (1924) to Annie Leibovitz’s influential gatefold covers for Vanity Fair’s annual Hollywood issue (1995-2014), this multimedia exhibition offers a sweeping, yet considered view of photography’s role in defining glamour since the 1920s.
Anti-Glamour: Portraits of Women
Anti-Glamour: Portraits of Women presents photographic and video portraits by artists who address issues of female representation. Works by Marie Le Mounier, Katherine Lannin, Rebecca Belmore, Ange Leccia, Gunilla Josephson, Jo Spence and Leila Zahiri challenge stereotypes while claiming an alternative presence for women in the public sphere.