With all the megaprojects happening on around Bloor and Avenue � the
renaissance of the Renaissance, the
Bloor-Yorkville street improvement,
Museum House and
155 Cumberland � it would be easy to miss one of the most interesting.
The
Church of the Redeemer, the little church on the northeast corner of Bloor and Avenue that forced the Renaissance Plaza into the shape it's in, is getting a
reno. But it's not the renovation itself that's so fascinating, though it is being done by church architecture specialists, it's the reason for it.
In the 1980s, the Anglican church hived off the upper nave and made it into a community room because they didn't need the seats anymore � the congregation was shrinking. But over the past few years, they've seen it begin to grow again, and realized they needed the space back for all the new bums in pews.
"The ceiling is being raised from approximately 11 feet to approximately 16 feet," says lead architect Elizabeth Davidson of
Davidson Langley Architects, "allowing the full height of the stained glass windows to be visible again and providing better integration of the space with the lower nave, as well as improved acoustics. The second area of renovation is the former chapel, which is being integrated into the main nave to allow for an additional 30 - 40 seats."
In total, about 100 seats are being added.
The work began on June 20 and will be completed by Aug. 20.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Elizabeth Davidson
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