An entertainment and educational facility, unique in the city.
DETAILS OF SITE LOCATION: The Cyclorama was built adjoining the Walker House Hotel on the west side, both on the south side of Front Street just west of York Street. Its street address was 123 Front Street West.
Boundary History: The boundaries of the lot were not large, and the building filled most of the lot. A narrow north/south laneway separated the Cyclorama from the Walker House. The large lot south of both the Cyclorama and Walker House was occupied by the old Union Station.
CURRENT USE OF PROPERTY: The property is currently occupied by University Place.
HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION: The Cyclorama was built in 1887 by the Toronto Art Company as a showroom for instructional art of the time. The building opened to the public on September 13, 1887. As its name implies, the Cyclorama was a circular building designed by architects Kennedy and Holland. Inside were panoramic murals on the walls in a continuous band, and these were of a religious nature. In its time, the murals were considered a major attraction. Today, it would be the design of the circular building which would attract attention. With the advent of moving pictures, the Cyclorama became superseded as an attraction. For some years, the building served the Petrie Machinery Company as factory space; then the Elgin Ford Company took over the building as a showroom for automobiles. Its final days were as a parking garage. Although the Cyclorama was listed on the City’s Inventory, it was demolished in 1976 to make way for the construction of University Place.
REFERENCE SOURCES: Goad’s Atlas 1890, 1900, 1910; Maps.
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE: Unique in the city’s entertainment and architectural history, and widely discussed by the public and media in its heyday, the Cyclorama can only be commemorated and its history made available to the public.
PLANNING IMPLICATIONS: Planning implications are few. No archaeology on the site is possible and none was ever done. Apart from publications giving its history, or a possible permanent display inside the present building on the site, all that can be planned is a plaque on the present building.