August 2025.
The headquarters of Victoria University, part of the larger University of Toronto, is a bold Richardsonian Romanesque design nicknamed “Old Vic.” University of Toronto has that weird English setup like Oxford and Cambridge where it is split into several individual colleges, each of which have their own names.
Union Station is located at 91 Charles Street West in the University District neighborhood of Toronto, Ontario. It is bordered by the Bader Theatre to the north, Northrop Frye Hall to the south, Burwash Hall to the east, and Emmanuel College Library to the west.
History
Original Greek Revival building in Cobourg. (Victoria University Archives)
Victoria University was established in 1831 as the Upper Canada Academy by the Methodist church. It was first located in Cobourg, east of Toronto. The college was chartered by English king William IV in 1836 as the first non-Church of England institution. It opened in October 1836, and in 1841, the college was renamed to Victoria College and received a charter from the Canadian legislature.
Historic postcard of Old Vic. (Victorian Web)
Victoria University was formed from the merger of Victoria College and Albert College in 1884. However, by 1890, the college was struggling financially, and it was federated as part of the University of Toronto. Victoria University’s main building, nicknamed Old Vic, was completed in 1891 as the first building on campus. It was designed by William George Storm in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and originally housed all offices and classes of the college.
Today, Old Vic still houses classrooms and offices, including the office of the principal.
Photos
I didn’t get very many “overall” photos of the exterior, mostly details. If I recall correctly, the boxed-in nature of campus made it difficult to get far away.
Unlike the more rational and symmetrical Richardsonian Romanesque buildings I covered in Toronto (Old City Hall and the Ontario Legislative Building), Old Vic is highly uneven:
Tons of projecting bay windows, gables, pinnacles, and towers. This is very much leaning into the picturesque and romantic attitude of the style.
Southwest end--love the giant corbels supporting the third floor:
Detail of the top floor and gable:
The entrance and its arch are still placed centrally:
I like the inset carving above the arch, as well as the comically tiny piers supporting the arch from below.
Detail of the ornate carved stone:
Note the “little green man” hidden in the leaves of the pilaster capital.
This tower is very visually busy with all of the differently shaped columns, windows, and projecting bays.
It is also rather out of scale compared to the rest of the building, but in a whimsical way. It’s as if you sheared the top off of Old City Hall’s tower and slammed it down here.
Southeast bay, with a large bay window and pointed gable:
The landscaping is pretty here, too.
Southeast corner:
East facade (with tower truncated):
The fenestration is much more regular here, but the tower and entrance doors on this side are off-center.
A better look at the tower here:
Detail of the arcade on the rounded base:
The columns have red shafts, possibly granite, while everything else is in the common dark brown stone of the style.
I get why some of Richardson’s architecture influenced Modernism, in particular his palazzo-like Marshall Field Warehouse, but you can’t tell me with a straight face that designs like this were considered innovative and modern for the period by tacking on towers and spandrels with dragons carved onto them. (Now, those features are cool as hell, but that’s neither here nor there.)
Rounded apse on the north end of the building:
Looks like there’s some original art glass on the first floor and stained glass on the second. I like the checkerboard pattern in the spandrels of the second floor arches, too.
Sunny west facade:
I think it’s a mirror image of the east facade aside from the bay window instead of a large tower.
This has to be one of the more wonky Richardsonian Romanesque buildings I’ve covered so far. Definitely a more picturesque interpretation of the style.
Sources:
https://vic.utoronto.ca/future-students/visit-our-campus
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