Christened after the Commissioner of Works for Toronto city, the R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is known as much for its marvelous architecture as its functional significance. The plant, with its unusual structure, often assumes a sinister appearance, perhaps primed and further reinforced by its representation in movies. For instance, the imposing building of the plant has featured in the movie In The Mouth of Madness, where it was portrayed as a mental asylum, while the movie Strange Brew portrayed it as a horrific brewery. Besides its Orwellian-inspired demeanor, the R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant still functions today as a sewage treatment plant, where the water from Lake Ontario is purified and supplied to several cities.
A landmark for the 21st Century, the Absolute World complex is an eye-catching addition to Mississauga's skyline. Following an international competition among several design firms, the winning Beijing-based MAD firm won the bid. Known for its unique twisting architecture, the towers spiral from base to top in a dizzying pattern, with the larger tower twisting at 209 degrees from the bottom of the building. Interestingly, the towers have been labeled 'Marilyn Monroe' by locals due to its voluptuous hourglass shape.
With its traditional Neo-Gothic style, exquisite stained glass windows and impressive steeples and spires, St. Michael's Catholic Cathedral resonates as one of Toronto's architectural and spiritual landmarks. St. Michael's Catholic Cathedral is also well-known for its choirs, junior and senior, which perform at various services on Sunday morning. Extremely active in the community, the church has a strong Catholic Women's League and opens its doors for weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Home to the Austin family for more than a century, Spadina House is now operated as a museum by the City of Toronto Cultural Services. Although some restoration has taken place, the original feel of the 55-room mansion has been wonderfully preserved, giving visitors a glimpse into a time when immigration increased and tabloid journalism had its beginnings (1918-1939). Rooms are also available for hire. The tour guides will make sure that the experience is thoroughly informative and educational while still being fun.
Home to the provincial legislative assembly, the Ontario Legislative Building stands as a stunning vision in rose in the heart of Queen's Park. The majestic structure was completed in 1893, its designs reflecting the American architectural ethos of its creator Richard A. Waite. Its asymmetrical and somewhat ornate architecture alludes to the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural narrative, a style found to be more American than Canadian by several natives. The building's rosy facade is the result of the pink sandstone and 10.5 million bricks that were manufactured by Central Prison inmates. The edifice of the building boasts of a staggering variety of carvings, while the east wing is the most dramatic and eye-catching, built with dark wood and lined with rich, white Italian marble. The courtyard that unfolds in front of the building is punctuated with statues of several historic figures, including those of Queen Victoria and John Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister.
At a dizzying height of 553.3 meters (1,815.3 feet), the slender form of the CN Tower rises high above the city skyline. One of the world's tallest towers, unmatched by any freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere, this stunning landmark was built in 1967 by the Canadian National Railway to serve as a communications and observation facility. At that time, this man-made pinnacle was unsurpassed by any other across the world and remained as such until 2007. The Look Out Level of CN Tower grants spectacular view of the city for miles around from a height of 346 meters (1,136 feet), while the SkyPod sits an additional 33 storeys above for a unique perspective of the world. The EdgeWalk, another of the tower's attractions, is the world's highest hands-free walkway. Not for the faint hearted, walking along the open-air walkway is an experience like none other. The EdgeWalk is perched on the roof of the 360 Restaurant where dinner is served in full view of Toronto's twinkling skyline.