Provincial government office block, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Macdonald Block Complex is a set of office buildings in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that houses 12 cabinet ministers, 15 Ontario government ministries (as of 2016) and the largest concentration of Ontario public servants.[1] Its address is 900 Bay Street, and is located just east of
Queen's Park.
Layout
The complex consists of four towers:
The Ferguson Block: A 14-storey building that was completed in 1969, designed in the
International Style by Shore Tilbe Henschel Irwin Architects and Engineers (now
Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners). The building is named for former
PremierGeorge H. Ferguson, and is located at 77 Wellesley Street West.
The Hearst Block is home to Ontario's provincial
Ministry of Energy,
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. The building is named for former Premier
William Howard Hearst. It is ten storeys high. Designed by same firm as the Ferguson Block.
The Mowat Block is 24 storeys high and is named after the third Premier of Ontario,
Sir Oliver Mowat. Designed by same firm as the Ferguson Block in 1969.
The Macdonald Block is named after the first Premier of Ontario, Sir
John Sandfield Macdonald. It was completed in 1968 (along with the Hepburn Block), and is located at 900 Bay Street. This block is a podium that connects the four towers along the first two storeys of each and has a bridge to the first floor of
Whitney Block from its second storey. It is designed by the same firm as the Ferguson Block.
History
The massive construction site for the MacDonald Block was the filming location for
Buster Keaton's last film, "The Reporter", an industrial safety short that was released under the title The Scribe.
In July 2016, the
Government of Ontario announced an eight-year reconstruction project of the entire complex.[1]