When the Eaton Centre opened in downtown Toronto in 1977, there was nothing like it in Canada. A large urban mall stretching over two blocks in the centre of the city, the project was modeled after Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
The centre’s architect, Eb Zeidler, created the retail portion of the complex to feature a four-level shopping centre with a glass-domed galleria running the length of the building.
The planning began in the 1960s, when Eaton’s partnered with Fairview and TD Bank. Originally designed to be a perfect rectangle, the centre had to work around Old City Hall and the Church of the Holy Trinity to satisfy city officials.
Today’s centre was built in stages, with the southern portion debuting in 1979 and expansions opening in 1990 and 1999. It’s not just a shopping mall – the site includes three office towers as well.
It’s still considered one of the country’s marquee downtown shopping centres, but its owners decided a renovation was needed to ensure it maintains its standing.
“Every concierge in the city still sends their guests here,” said director of architecture Ian Ross. “We just need to modernize to ensure they keep coming.”
The renovation
While storefronts have been renovated over the years, the centre itself has never had a major facelift. Owner Cadillac Fairview Corp. began planning the $120-million “rejuvenation” as long as 10 years ago, and the two-year project finally started on July 1.
While smaller undertakings had been approved over the past decade, the company put off big disruptions until a major renovation could be done.
“We kept getting requests to do some projects and we would do the occasional small fix,” said Mr. Ross. “But this is the first time where we are going in and completely renovating what is a very, very unique space.”
There is no set formula to determine when to renovate, said Wayne Barwise, the senior vice-president of development for Cadillac Fairview.
“After 33 years, it's naturally time for an upgrade,” he said. “It's also important that we maintain a best-in-class position across all aspects of our operations, and in so doing, Toronto Eaton Centre will continue to retain its value and annual financial contribution to the Cadillac Fairview portfolio.”
Food Court at Eaton Centre.
Food courts
The single most noticeable difference will be in the centre’s food-service areas. Until now, shoppers had two main eating areas to choose from – one in the south end and one in the north. Now, Cadillac Fairview wants to drive them all to the north.
It is moving dozens of retailers to make room for a dining area that Mr. Ross says will offer a more upscale take on shopping mall dining. The food court was previously 15,000 square feet with 400 seats; after the renovation it will be 98,000 square feet with 936 seats.
“The idea is to feel like you’re not in a cafeteria despite the size,” he said. “This is more like a loft.”
The chairs won’t be anchored to the floor, restaurants will adhere to strict design principles, and food will be served on reusable plates. Employees will clear tables and bring the dishes to a central dishwashing room, from which clean plates will be redistributed to the restaurants.
The food court at the south end of the mall will be razed and replaced with a large restaurant.
Perhaps most importantly, the bathrooms will be torn out and replaced with more modern amenities. “We hear a lot about washrooms,” Mr. Ross said.
Toronto Eaton Centre elevator exterior.
Elevators
When Eaton Centre was built, architects revelled in showing the industrial side of their buildings. Shoppers riding elevators have long been able to look at the dusty gears that take them from floor to floor. But no longer.
