Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named after Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square was designed by the City Hall's architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong. It opened in 1965. The square is the site of concerts, art displays, a weekly farmers' market, the winter festival of lights, and other public events, including demonstrations. During the winter months, the reflecting pool is converted into an ice rink for ice skating. The square attracts an estimated 1.5 million visitors yearly. With an area of 4.85 hectares, it is Canada's largest city square.
View of square from southwest
An elevated walkway extends around the square's perimeter.
The Peace Garden at night
The future site of Nathan Phillips Square in 1918.
The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965. The building is located adjacent to Nathan Phillips Square, a public square at the northwest intersection of Bay Street and Queen Street, that was designed and officially opened alongside Toronto City Hall.
Exterior of Toronto City Hall from the southeast, 2017
A Heritage Toronto plaque commemorating the Toronto's first Chinatown. Most of the area was expropriated in the 1950s to make way for Toronto's new city hall.
Official opening of City Hall in 1965.
The building complex is made up a rectangular base and two curved towers. The outer surface of the towers is clad with concrete, while the inner surface includes concrete and glass.