The Toronto Courthouse is a major

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada, located behind Osgoode Hall at 361 University Avenue, north of Queen Street West. It is a branch of the

Ontario Superior Court of Justice The Superior Court of Justice (French: ''Cour supérieure de justice'') is a superior court in Ontario. The Court sits in 52 locations across the province, including 17 Family Court locations, and consists of over 300 federally appointed judges. ...

and is used for criminal trials.

History

The site of the Toronto Courthouse was previously occupied by

Thomas Fuller Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...

's Romanesque Revival style

Toronto Armories The Toronto Armories, also known as the University Avenue Armories and the Toronto Drill Hall, was an 1894 armoury building in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was located on University Avenue, just north of Osgoode Hall. It was the largest ...

, demolished in 1963. The new courthouse was built in 1967 as the Metropolitan Toronto Courthouse.As indicated by markings and plaques on the building. It served as a courthouse for York County, which formerly included the City of Metropolitan Toronto. After 1980, it served solely as a courthouse for Toronto.

Architecture

The building was designed by architect Ronald A. Dick, who described its form as one of "dignity and convenience."361 University Avenue, Toronto Courthouse (former Metropolitan Toronto Courthouse)
Toronto.ca The imposing structure features fin walls (walls strengthened by equally-spaced piers), a 12-sided form and an open passageway of the adjoining South Wing (completed in 1985). There is a tunnel connecting the building to nearby Osgoode Hall. Two additional stories were added in 1987. It was one of the last large complexes in Ontario created with local Queenston

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

References

* {{coord, 43, 39, 10, N, 79, 23, 11, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Toronto Courthouses in Canada Modernist architecture in Canada Government buildings completed in 1967 1967 establishments in Ontario