Spencer R. Higgins, Architect Incorporated
Practice
Projects
arconTEST
Expertise
Contacts

         
         
Former Canadian Sports Hall of Fame Building  
Heritage Impact Assessment and Conservation Plan  
   

The former International Hockey Hall of Fame and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame building was constructed in 1961, to designs by the Toronto architectural firm of Allward and Gouinlock. Its walls and entrance canopy had a distinctive, modernist, folded-plate, saw-tooth design.

Our firm was commissioned to prepare an Heritage Impact Assessment and a Conservation Plan for the retention of specific elements of the building. The entrance vestibule was retained and incorporated into the new Toronto Soccer Stadium at Exhibition Place.

Our report included record photography and a description of the principle components of the building.

We prepared a conservation strategy for the retention of the entrance vestibule, a feature we felt was representative of key heritage aspects: a saw-tooth, concrete canopy, a defining design motif carried throughout the original structure; rich decorative tiling; and an impressive mural by Canadian artist Ron Satok that depicts hockey players engaged in a game of hockey. All these elements were preserved within the new soccer stadium. The stadium opened in 2007 for the FIFA world junior soccer tournament and is now the home of Toronto F.C. MLS soccer team.

 

 

 


Former Canadian Sports Hall of Fame Building, Entrance Vestibule - 2006
Now the BMO / Toronto F.C. Soccer Stadium West Entrance

Former Canadian Sports Hall of Fame Building - 2006
Saw-tooth design motif