Clark Centre for the Arts

Additions to a Toronto Landmark

Property Owner: City of Toronto

Project Date of Completion: April 20, 2022

The project undertook the adaptive reuse of a designated building, known as the 191 Building, notable for its architectural qualities. In 1963 J. H. W. Bradfield was commissioned by the Clarks to design the 191 Building, a simple light industrial structure for storage and curation of a collection of architectural artifacts rescued from the City. It was constructed in 1964.

General neglect of the building and the surrounding area over the decades negatively affected the condition of the building. The project to revitalize the building as the Clark Centre for the Arts is best understood as a relationship between the original building and the addition. The simple volume of the original building was responded to by introducing an independent structure which interacted with the properties of the historic building to create a dynamic new arts and culture centre.  The historic building most clearly represents a high degree of craftsmanship in the context of the conservation works that were applied to it for masonry, stucco, glass, concrete, and wood.