This is actually the fourth city hall in Toronto's history. The first was destroyed by fire. The second was temporary. The third, the city outgrew. This fourth one is the result of an international design competition. The fact that it was held in 1957 is partially the reason it is evocative of the United Nations building in New York. The difference, however is that while the UN is an ugly slab with a conference room attached, Toronto's city hall is sleek, modern, and impressive decades after it was conceived. This is what the United Nations building could have been. Specifically, Toronto city hall was thoughtfully planned out. It was envisioned as an "eye" with two semi-circular buildings representing the upper and lower eyelids, and the great meeting hall in the center as the pupil. While "pupil" never caught on as an adjective for this part of the complex, words like "UFO," "flying saucer," and "burrito" did. For Torontonians these epithets are meant affectionately, and not in jest. They are proud of their seat of government, and rightly so. The building, itself is on Nathan Phillips Square, named after (appropriately enough) a former mayor of Toronto.

• There is a time capsule in the Hall of Memory with artifacts from the 1960's.
• There is a book of rememberence in the Hall of Memory honoring Toronto's war dead. This is much like the one in Canada's Parliament building in Ottawa.
• The summer-time water fountain is used for ice skating when the weather turns cold.

Photo courtesy of Tourism Toronto

Photograph courtesy of Colin Kent