Toronto might turn Old City Hall into huge museum

Toronto's Old City Hall is undeniably beautiful. The Romanesque Revival building at Queen and Bay currently houses the Ontario Court of Justice and City of Toronto Court Services. But the city's looking to repurpose it.

A report titled A New Life for Old City Hall, from the City Building Institute (CBI) at Ryerson University, argues that it should be open to public, private and civic uses.

This report examines future possibilities for this historical building by exploring case studies from both Toronto and around the world.

"A New Life for Old City Hall, does not put forth recommendations, but intends to spark creative thinking and inspire a public discussion around future uses for Old City Hall by presenting inspiring case studies, found locally and across the globe," reads the report.

Some have suggested turning Old City Hall into a city museum, so the report looks at spaces like the Museum of the City in New York City as well as how the Design Exchange uses the old Stock Exchange building to house its collection.

The report also shows how other urban centres have creatively transformed historic buildings. Some of these examples include the MoMA PS1 art gallery in Long Island City and the Royal Conservatory of Music (the revamped Toronto Baptist College building) right here in Toronto.

The City of Toronto is starting its public consultations today about the future of Old City Hall. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Metro Hall, 55 John St.

Photo by twurdemann in the blogTO Flickr pool.