Imperial Oil Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Imperial Plaza |
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View of the building in 2007
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| Former names | Imperial Oil Building |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Modernist |
| Address | 111 St. Clair Avenue West |
| Town or city | Toronto |
| Country | Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°41′11″N 79°23′58″W / 43.686448°N 79.399502°W |
| Completed | 1957 |
| Client | Imperial Oil |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 21 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Alvan Mathers |
| Architecture firm | Mathers and Haldenby |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Onespace Unlimited Inc. |
The Imperial Oil Building, now called Imperial Plaza, is a tall building in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 111 St. Clair Avenue West. This 21-story building was finished in 1957. It was first built to be the main office for Imperial Oil, which was Canada's biggest oil company.
Interestingly, the design for this building was first made for a new Toronto City Hall. But it was not chosen for that purpose. After many years as Imperial Oil's main office, the building was sold in 2010. It was then changed into a building with many apartments called condominiums.
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Building Features
The Imperial Oil Building sits on a high hill. This gives it an amazing view towards the south. Before taller buildings were built downtown in the late 1960s, the top floor of this building was the highest point in Toronto. It was almost 800 feet (244 meters) above sea level! On a clear day, visitors could even see the mist from Niagara Falls across Lake Ontario.
Inside the Building
When it was an office building, the inside was designed with a "core" idea. This meant most offices had windows. Things like elevators and meeting rooms were grouped in the middle. The building also had very thick walls and small windows. It even had its own cafeteria. These features were part of a special design. The building was made to be used as a backup hospital in case of a major emergency.
Amazing Art: The Story of Oil Mural
The main lobby on the ground floor has a very famous painting called "The Story of Oil." Artist York Wilson created this huge mural in 1957. It took three years to plan and make! The mural has two large parts, called a diptych. Each part is 25 feet by 32 feet.
The left side of the mural shows how oil was formed long ago, even before dinosaurs. The right side shows how oil is used today and its benefits. The mural is made from a material called vinyl acetate. It is attached to the wall in a special way. This stops building vibrations from cracking the artwork. There is also a system behind the wall to keep moisture away from the mural.
Other Artworks
Another artist, Oscar Cahén, made a three-part mural in 1956. This art was for the staff lounge and dining area on the eighth floor. These paintings were abstract, meaning they used shapes and colors to show ideas. They had bold, bright colors, and one even had a sun shape.
Two parts of Cahén's mural were taken down in 1979. They are now owned by the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario. As of 2014, these parts were waiting to be cleaned and put in a permanent home. Sadly, the third part of the mural was lost.
Building History
The design for this building was first meant for a new Toronto City Hall. But in 1955, Toronto's mayor, Nathan Phillips, did not choose this design. Instead, he held a worldwide contest for the new City Hall. A Finnish architect named Viljo Revell won that contest.
Imperial Oil was looking for a design for their new main office in Toronto. So, they bought the design from the architects, Mathers and Haldenby.
Building Construction
During construction, a special method was used. Instead of the usual noisy riveting, workers used welding. This was done to be quieter for the wealthy people living nearby. When it was finished, the Imperial Oil Building was the largest building in the world made with an all-welded steel frame.
The Woman Who Wouldn't Sell
When Imperial Oil was buying land for the building, one woman refused to sell her house. Her name was Isabel Massie, and she lived at 59 Foxbar Road. Her property was a long, angled lot behind the building site.
She was offered a lot of money for her house, up to $100,000, which was a huge amount back then. But she still said no. Because of this, Imperial Oil had to build their main building closer to St. Clair Avenue than they had planned. Until she passed away in 1964, her house stuck out into the Imperial Oil parking lot. It became a symbol of a regular person standing up to a big company.
After she died, her family sold the house to Imperial Oil for $70,000. Imperial Oil then tore it down to make the parking lot bigger. The last signs of Isabel Massie's house were removed in 2012. This happened when the next owner dug for an underground parking garage.
Changes and New Life
On September 29, 2004, Imperial Oil announced that they would move their main office to Calgary, Alberta. Some of their other offices moved to a different building in Toronto. After this, the Imperial Oil Building was empty for several years.
Before the building was sold, tests found some heating oil in the ground under the parking lot. This oil had leaked from an underground storage tank. The dirty soil was dug up and replaced.
Imperial Oil also told the nearby Deer Park United Church that they would stop providing heat to the church in July 2008. This caused the church's small group of members to leave their building. They started sharing space with another church nearby. The Deer Park United Church building was empty for a long time. But it is now planned to be part of a new apartment building project called "Blue Diamond."
Imperial Plaza Today
In the summer of 2010, a company called Camrost-Felcorp bought the Imperial Oil building. They started changing it into a condominium apartment building. The church building next door was also sold to a company connected to Camrost-Felcorp.
The old Imperial Oil building is now known as "Imperial Plaza." Besides apartments, the building also has a store called LCBO and a fancy grocery store on the main floor.
The developers also got permission from the City of Toronto to build more. They are building a second tall tower near the southeast corner of the site. This tower is planned to be 26 stories tall and will have 229 high-end rental apartments. They also plan a third tower where most of the old Deer Park United Church building was. Plus, there will be 17 townhouses along Foxbar Road. As of February 2017, the second tower is being built.
