{"id":18093,"date":"2023-06-10T20:23:48","date_gmt":"2023-06-11T03:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/tour-iconic-r-c-harris-water-plant-virtually-with-urbantoronto\/"},"modified":"2023-06-10T20:23:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-11T03:23:50","slug":"tour-iconic-r-c-harris-water-plant-virtually-with-urbantoronto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/tour-iconic-r-c-harris-water-plant-virtually-with-urbantoronto\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour Iconic R.C Harris Water Plant Virtually with UrbanToronto"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/files\/membership-default-internal\/\" class=\"memberhide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/01\/20220718_175041000_iOS.jpg\" alt=\"-\"><\/a><br\/><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article_body\">\n<p>Arguably the most significant piece of Art Deco-style architecture in the City of Toronto, the sprawling R.C Harris Water Treatment plant has gotten used to being the star of the show of the annual Doors Open Toronto programming. This year&#8217;s event took place on May 28th, and invited the public into its historic marble-clad halls. The water management compound captures the hearts of attendees whenever it is on the annual event&#8217;s roster of signature spaces across the city, but what Doors Open doesn\u2019t offer is the chance to see it all from a more elevated perspective as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Putting our phone cameras and video drone to work, we made our way to R.C Harris on Doors Open day to document the iconic plant from inside and above, capturing the full breadth of the bucolic lakeside site and its collection of architectural gems. Check out our video tour below!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"RC Harris Filtration Plant (Doors Open) - Drone + Walkthrough\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WyrrmResikY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>From our aerial vantage point, the astounding scale of the facility is impossible to ignore. The buildings, perched at various levels on the dramatically sloping site, occupy a massive footprint. Looking closer at the main building\u2019s roof, we can see the immense number of skylights that fill the interior spaces with natural light.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also clear from above how the programming of the site overall is its own unique composition. The three buildings make up only a small portion of the total site area, while a network of paths create winding pedestrian routes that celebrate the unrivaled lake views, making the whole site feel almost like a sculpted urban park.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><imgx alt=\"R.C Harris Water Treatment Plant, industrial building in Scarborough Designed by Thomas Canfield Pomphrey for the City of Toronto\" class=\"image-display_default\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"insert-display_default-2bcfe53f-5788-4e2d-9065-12df93e23a22\" data-insert-attach=\"{\" id=\"\" data-insert-class=\"image-display_default\" data-insert-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158862.jpeg\" onclick=\"photo('https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158862.jpeg', true, ''); return false;\" title=\"Looking out at the lake views seen from the site of the plant, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor David Capizzano\"\/><span class=\"image-description\">Looking out at the lake views seen from the site of the plant, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor David Capizzano<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Inside, we were able to catch a glimpse of some of the plant\u2019s signature design features, like the centrepiece clock that is the epitome of Art Deco design, and the lofty stairways and halls decorated with marble and massive windows. Revisiting the archive of images from Open Doors past, photos from a number of UT Forum photographers capture the interiors in vivid detail.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><imgx alt=\"R.C Harris Water Treatment Plant, industrial building in Scarborough Designed by Thomas Canfield Pomphrey for the City of Toronto\" class=\"image-display_default\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"insert-display_default-49210855-83fd-46fa-86d6-74423a47ff3e\" data-insert-attach=\"{\" id=\"\" data-insert-class=\"image-display_default\" data-insert-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158863.jpg\" onclick=\"photo('https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158863.jpg', true, ''); return false;\" title=\"The stylish Art Deco grandfather clock found inside the plant, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy \"\/><span class=\"image-description\">The stylish Art Deco grandfather clock found inside the plant, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Designed by Scottish Architect Thomas Canfield Pomphrey and named after storied Public Works Commissioner Roland Caldwell Harris (responsible for transformative Toronto structures like the Bloor Viaduct), the filtration plant began construction in 1932, and was completed almost a decade later, in 1941. One of four major water treatment plants in Toronto, and the oldest of the lot, R.C Harris provides an average of 400 million litres of clean drinking water to Toronto every day, presiding over about 40% of our water. Enjoying a massive filtration output coupled with its standout design, the plant has come to be known colloquially as the \u2018Palace of Purification\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><imgx alt=\"R.C Harris Water Treatment Plant, industrial building in Scarborough Designed by Thomas Canfield Pomphrey for the City of Toronto\" class=\"image-display_default\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"insert-display_default-64166154-a819-4567-bbf7-fd548ea5c575\" data-insert-attach=\"{\" id=\"\" data-insert-class=\"image-display_default\" data-insert-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158864.jpg\" onclick=\"photo('https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158864.jpg', true, ''); return false;\" title=\"The opulent interior features extensive marble detailing, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy\"\/><span class=\"image-description\">The opulent interior features extensive marble detailing, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The last two decades have seen a number of large-scale revitalization works undertaken to preserve both the architectural elements as well as the updating of the filtration systems. A 19-year conservation effort was completed in 2013, which saw the rehabilitation of the building envelope, while more recently, the water basins were rehabilitated by the City in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><imgx alt=\"R.C Harris Water Treatment Plant, industrial building in Scarborough Designed by Thomas Canfield Pomphrey for the City of Toronto\" class=\"image-display_default\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"insert-display_default-8626587a-148b-420b-b7b2-5f4cab29c281\" data-insert-attach=\"{\" id=\"\" data-insert-class=\"image-display_default\" data-insert-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158861.jpg\" onclick=\"photo('https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/articles\/2023\/06\/52839\/52839-158861.jpg', true, ''); return false;\" title=\"R.C Harris Water Treatment Plant, one of Toronto's iconic Art Deco buildings, image by Randy Hoffman\"\/><span class=\"image-description\">R.C Harris Water Treatment Plant, one of Toronto&#8217;s iconic Art Deco buildings, image by Randy Hoffman<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you missed your chance to walk these historic Art Deco halls at this year\u2019s Doors Open, don\u2019t worry, R.C Harris should open up for the event again next spring! The grounds are also free to enjoy any day of the week, year round.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">* * *<\/p>\n<p>UrbanToronto has a research service,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/urbantoronto.ca\/Pro\/\" target=\"_blank\">UrbanToronto Pro<\/a>, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area\u2014from proposal through to completion. We also offer\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/urbantoronto.ca\/reports\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instant\u00a0Reports<\/a>, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/urbantoronto.ca\/NDI\/\" target=\"_blank\">New Development Insider<\/a>, that tracks projects from initial application.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\nn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\ndocument,'script','\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\nfbq('init', '1760257484204295');\nfbq('track', \"PageView\");<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5143531171910809\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- News - Bottom -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5143531171910809\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8320848692\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/urbantoronto.ca\/news\/2023\/06\/tour-iconic-rc-harris-water-plant-virtually-urbantoronto.52839\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arguably the most significant piece of Art Deco-style architecture in the City of Toronto, the sprawling R.C Harris Water Treatment &#8230; <a title=\"Tour Iconic R.C Harris Water Plant Virtually with UrbanToronto\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/tour-iconic-r-c-harris-water-plant-virtually-with-urbantoronto\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Tour Iconic R.C Harris Water Plant Virtually with UrbanToronto\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1088],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-urban-toronto","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18093\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}