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Don Valley Brickworks Restoration

Posted by Jerrold Litwinenko / December 21, 2006

5 Comments

20061221_bw_billyd2.jpgDon Valley Brickworks photo by billyd2

Incredible textures, colourful decay, striking beams of light, and the sense of adventure that comes with being an urban explorer (foraging into off-limits and abandoned parts of the city) have drawn hundreds of shutterbugs to the Don Valley Brickworks. They are some of the most photographed buildings in Toronto.

But come 2008, visitors will no longer have to hop fences or crawl through holes in the walls to visit the complex.

The federal government announced yesterday that they would be contributing $20million to the restoration and redevelopment of the historical site.

20061221_bw_thumbs.jpg

Evergreen will be converting the site into a model of sustainability and urban innovation with plans to showcase green design technologies and related community programming. Some of the features they hope will attract tourists and Torontonians alike include a farmers' market, restaurants, educational programs, a theatre, gardens and a nursery, as well as hiking and nature trails. I can hardly wait!

Check out some of the many Brickworks photos by blogTo Flickr Pool contributors (click to view larger):

20061221_bw_atillasoylu.jpgby AtillaSoylu

20061221_bw_photosapience.jpgby Photosapience

20061221_bw_metrix.jpgby Metrix*

20061221_bw_gordon_jennings.jpgby Gordon Jennings

20061221_bw_trevor_haldenby.jpgTrevor Haldenby

20061221_bw_spotmaticfanatic.jpgby spotmaticfanatic

20061221_bw_metrix2.jpgby Metrix*

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Ryan C. / December 21, 2006 at 02:40 pm
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Nice frackin' shots people!
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A.R. / December 21, 2006 at 08:07 pm
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It's great that in Toronto we've managed to create such beautiful art not only on the walls of these decaying buildings, but with our lenses.
As an explorer I don't like to see the graffiti and vandalism, but despite this and the raves that were once held here, the Brickworks is still beautiful (a rare thing to be said in the hobby). I'm glad they're not going to knock it down or merely "yuppie" it up. Excess decay is ugly and degrading to the citizens of any town, but we should keep the most significant elements of our industrial heritage standing.

I'm saddened and happy at the same time.
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earnest / December 22, 2006 at 10:18 pm
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Distillery District Part Deux?
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FutureTorontonian / February 1, 2007 at 12:00 am
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That sounsd like an amazing project -- the Distillery District is a jewel. If this is anything similar, it will be yet another amazing site for Torontonians and tourists. (Like all the Montrealers coming to visit me after I move.)

I Google mapped it, but was a bit lost. How does one get to the Brickworks stuff by pubilc transit?
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D L / April 6, 2007 at 12:56 am
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Projects like this one and the Distillery District make me so proud to be a Torontonian!

I can't wait until this is finished!!!

Most of my Canadian friends who moved to Manhattan 6 or 7 years ago are now all moving back to Toronto. What an amazingly different place it is from Toronto in the mid-nineties!

This city has become an amazing place to live, work and dream for the future!!
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