The RC Harris Water Treatment Plant will open its doors to the public for the first time since 2001. (Photo: City of Toronto)
ctvtoronto.ca
Date: Friday May. 27, 2011 2:16 PM ET
After a 10 year hiatus, the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant will be returning to Doors Open Toronto.
The landmark joins over 150 buildings slated to open their doors for the free two-day event, which pledges to be exciting for even the most knowledgeable Torontonian.
Scheduled to take place the weekend of May 28 and 29, the 11th annual architectural affair lets visitors peruse the hollows of usually off-limit buildings.
Favourites likes Toronto City Hall, where visitors can take a gander inside Rob Ford's office; and the TTC's Lower Bay station, will be back
Visitors will also get a chance to take a peek inside 38 new sites like the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant.
Dubbed "The Palace of Purification," the plant was once on the Doors Open roster but was taken off after 9/11 due to security concerns.
Built with materials like marble and bronze, the building is one of Toronto's most celebrated examples of Art Deco architecture.
Doors Open spokesperson Shane Gerard said he expects the water facility to be very popular.
"People are always interested in public buildings," he said.
Other new sites include:
TTC Roncesvalles Carhouse/Division, 20 Queensway
Built in 1895, the Roncesvalles carhouse holds 130 streetcars and serves as a work location for 105 employees. Today, the TTC building is the older of two carhouses. Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the building and see equipment used for regular maintenance.
Open: Saturday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance 4:30 p.m.
Fire Station 227, 1904 Queen St. E.
Built in 1905, this fire station's soaring clock tower is a landmark in the Beach community. Although it has undergone significant renovations over the years, many original Arts and Crafts architectural details, such as the building's Romanesque Revival arches, remain.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance 4:30 p.m.
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, 30 College St., 416-969-8510With striking features such as a "green" roof planted with traditional medicines such as cedar, sweet grass and sage, this four-storey office building pays tribute to many traditional aboriginal Anishnaabe elements.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance 4:30 p.m.
Canadian Turkish Islamic Heritage Association Inc., 336 Pape Ave., 416-469-2610Located at the corner of Pape and Gerrard Avenues, this mosque first opened its doors to Toronto's Muslim community in the early 1980s. Also known as "Pape Cami" or ‘"Pape Mosque", it is one of the city's first mosques.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance: 4:30 p.m.
Corus Quay, 25 Dockside Dr., 416-479-7000Designed by world-renowned architect Jack Diamond of Diamond and Schmitt Architects, the state-of-the art media production and broadcast facility features street-level radio studios and a performance space that looks out onto Sugar Beach.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., last admittance 3 p.m.
To find your way around the city during the two-day event, visitors can download one of four Doors Open mobile apps. They list useful information like opening hours, phone numbers and transportation options.
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