Automotive Building
| Automotive Building, Beanfield Centre |
|
|---|---|
Main Entrance, 1929
|
|
| Former names | Automotive Building, Allstream Centre |
| General information | |
| Type | Exhibition building |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Exhibition Place |
| Address | 105 Princes' Blvd |
| Coordinates | 43°38′02″N 79°24′38″W / 43.63381°N 79.41057°W |
| Groundbreaking | April 1929 |
| Construction started | April 1929 |
| Opened | August 26, 1929 |
| Cost | $1,000,299.26 |
| Renovation cost | $47,000,000 |
| Owner | Canadian National Exhibition |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel Truss |
| Floor count | 1 and mezzanine |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | D. E. Kertland |
| Main contractor | Jackson, Lewis Company |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | David Clusaiu, Principal architect |
| Renovating firm | NORR Limited, Architects & Engineers |
The Automotive Building, which houses the Beanfield Centre, is a heritage building at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, containing event and conference space. As a result of burgeoning interest in automobiles, additional exhibition space for automotive exhibits during the annual Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) was needed. A design competition was held, the winning design submitted by Toronto architect Douglas Kertland. The building opened in 1929 and the "National Motor Show" exhibit of automobiles was held in the building until 1967. It was also used for trade shows. When it opened, it was claimed to be "the largest structure in North America designed exclusively to display passenger vehicles".
After the ending of automotive exhibits at the CNE, the building was used for other CNE exhibits and continued to be used for trade shows. In the 2000s, the City of Toronto decided to turn over management of the building to a private company which renovated the building, building a ballroom in the main exhibit hall and conference rooms on the mezzanine level. The ballroom is considered the largest in Toronto. No longer used by the CNE or trade shows, the building is used year-round for various public and private events and conferences.
The Automotive Building was constructed in 1929, designed by local architect Douglas Kertland in the Art Deco style. It is a two-storey building, 160,000 square feet (15,000 m2) in size. The internal plan is a large open space with a mezzanine on the second floor surrounding the main floor.
The structure's base is stone from a quarry near Queenston Heights, Ontario with "artificial stone" up top. Sticking to all Canadian material and workmanship added to the cost: using Indiana stone would have cost $989,299. The architect and general contractors noted that, while Queenston stone could be used throughout for an additional cost of $35,000, it would take too long for the shops to prepare the stone. The tender required the winner to pay "a minimum of 50 cents an hour for all men employed on the building."
It now houses the Beanfield Centre conference centre and is connected underground to the underground parking garage of the Enercare Centre. The open floor was converted to a 43,900 square feet (4,080 m2) ballroom, claimed to be largest in Toronto, which can be sub-divided in two. The original glass roof over the open floor was replaced with a new ceiling. The second floor mezzanine saw the addition of 20 meeting rooms.
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