Cloud Gardens

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy. 

November 2015 - Toronto ON

I mentioned in this post that I would post more photos from the Cloud Gardens tucked away among the skyscrapers and behind the Bay (Hudson's Bay Company).

The Monument to Construction Workers by artist Margaret Priest holds a commanding presence.

Completed in 1994, contributions were made by 25 different trades throughout Toronto in 1m x 1m squares. Contributions include work with concrete, rubble, brickwork, stainless steel, glass and zinc.

It is like a concrete quilt of memories.

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“I wanted the monument to take the mystery out of the construction industry because a lot of it’s hidden,” says Priest in an interview that can be heard at the City of Toronto’s website.

 The descriptive plaque states: “The Monument reflects the contributions, seen and unseen, of construction workers to life in the city. It was created through the unique collaborative process in which the panels were designed by artist Margaret Priest and built by the members of The Building Trades Union.”

The electricals, the pipes, the foundation. So much of what a construction worker does is hidden. I wanted to pull that into a public site and make a museum of it, and the museum is this wall. The unfilled squares in this grid have a very particular place to play. The absence talks of ruin and loss, and it also speaks of the future – of what might be there.”

There is a reason it is called the Cloud Gardens. There is a tropical oasis hidden up this staircase and behind the memorial.

Quelle surprise!! Situated over a parking garage entrance is this mecca of quiet and serenity. I could imagine spending winter lunch hours in here with a book if I worked in the area.

Monday Walks