The entrance
Oh boy, I loved this space when I toured it.
Refreshingly sparse, the Artscape Wychwood Barns’ exposed brick and cement block walls; trussed, vaulted ceiling and cement floor is a great mix of visual history and industrial cool. Characteristically undecorated, save for a series of large but unobtrusive images that visually link the space to its 110 year history. This is a space that can be transformed into a multitude of creative visions, lavish or minimal.
Sitting in a city park and contained within five original buildings the ‘barns’ named for their original purpose as the hub and maintenance centre for Toronto’s transit system are now a centre for the local community and artists that includes a greenhouse, offices, artist residences and studios. Barn no. two is entirely dedicated to event space and created from a refurbished streetcar maintenance area.
Inside Barn No. 2
As Canada’s first heritage building to achive LEED Gold certification, an event at the barns demands some extra consideration. For example, caterers not on the suggested list of suppliers will be evaluated for their recycling and food sourcing practices, all suppliers are required to very carefully sort their garbage (or be subject to a $250/hr bill for waste disposal and sorting by the staff at the barns), caterers must also be willing to source locally grown produce over imported veg.
Being LEED certified at the Gold level means that less than 15 percent of the waste created from the renovation of the five barns went to landfill, many of the old materials were re-incorporated into the design making it visually eclectic and highly ecologically sound – the fantastic new greenhouses are entirely watered by collected rainwater which is also used to flush all the toilets in the facility!
The barns’ good neighbour policy, which stipulates a 10pm cutoff for excessive sound, will also require some creative thinking if late night dancing is on your list of priorities.
A 1920s themed party utilized the high ceilings for full voltage drama
Venue Snapshot:
Numbers: up to 950 for cocktails/food stations
Prices: Starts at $2500.00 to rent the indoor space
Services: The set up is pretty basic, rentals, catering, flowers, event coordination, etc. is at the discretion of the host. The barns are in the midst of creating a prep kitchen and can provide space for a tent, provided a city permit is obtained.
Architectural and design features: Like looking at the Earth’s strata, the barns’ very tall walls contain a patchwork of bricks re-distributed from the original buildings alongside newer materials. Vaulted ceilings with exposed metal beams and a cement floor balance the heritage look of the walls and the overall impression is a wonderful blend of new and old.
Note: The doors of barn no. two were unfortunately not structurally sound enough to save during the renovation. An innocuous metal and glass combination has replaced them but a life-sized projection of the refurbished doors from another barn was created to disguise the modern replacement for a recent party. If you are interested, that image may be available for use at future events through the Artscape.
Major Intersection: St Clair and Christie (Map)
Parking: On-street
Great spot for a portrait: Barn no. 5, too damaged to properly repair, it is now a hundred year old folly of crumbling walls, it provides a unique architectural background for groups of any size.
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