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| All systems nominal. Prepare for HYPERSPACE LAUNCH! |
Yorkdale is the subway station analogue of that woman: Glorious. Exuberant! And guaranteed to generate a reaction. Designed by Arthur Erickson, Yorkdale masterfully commands our attention from within, and without. Visually, the station is without peer in the TTC network; the structure was awarded a 1982 Governor General’s Medal for Architecture.
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| Southbound Toronto Rocket at Yorkdale’s sunny platform |
Back in the 1960s, while Toronto built the pragmatic, utilitarian boxes of the Bloor-Danforth subway, Montreal under mayor Jean Drapeau began construction of the Métro system, notable for its modernist flourishes and extensive public art installations. The contrast in flair aroused what might be described as petulant civic envy, here in Hogtown. When the Spadina line was approved, the TTC felt compelled to keep up with appearances, hiring external architects to strive for unique station designs with stylistic ambitions.
Et voilà, Yorkdale.
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| The pedestrian walkway to the mall: beloved by Instagrammers; despised by stroller-pushing parents and accessibility activists |
Ascending from street level to the platform, beneath the glazed apse at either end, feels like entering a transit cathedral with a 600-foot vaulted glass ceiling. The pre-cut concrete walls feature rounded portals set at train-window height, giving spaceship glimpses of the outer world. Even the handrails are lit from below—you’ve got to be a barbarian, not to admire the clever attention to detail.
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| Lissome grace and effortless class |
Speaking of details, it would be uncouth not to mention Michael Hayden’s absent Arc En Ciel, the kinetic light-sculpture originally integrated into the length of the structural ribbing that holds up the glass station roof. Neon tubes were programmed to react to the movement of the subway trains below, lighting up across the entire spectrum of colours.
Alas, a constantly leaky roof, and a less-than-robust electrical setup proved a fatal combination. The mesmerizing installation malfunctioned all too frequently. A parsimonious TTC allowed the work to fall into increasing disrepair; it was eventually removed altogether, though (as with Rita Letendre’s Joy at Glencairn) dreams for a revamp using modern technology have occasionally been bruited. Funding, as ever, stands as the prime obstacle. Keep your fingers crossed!
I contacted Mr. Hayden to inquire if he had any depictions of Arc en Ciel in operation; he generously provided several superb images which are reproduced in the gallery for your viewing pleasure. His images are accompanied by several from Simon Scott, the architectural photographer for Arthur Erickson, who was also gracious in usage consent.
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| Even without Arc en Ciel, Yorkdale’s ceiling delights. Are you looking up at the clouds, or down at them? |
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| Spaceship portal views |
Opened on January 28, 1978, Yorkdale station provides a stair-filled direct connection to the adjacent mega-shopping centre that gives the stop its name. I looked around and found this video which contains some brief old footage of Arc en ciel in operation.
Highly recommended. Except during winter, when you’ll freeze your ass off waiting for the next train.
Update: Looking back on this entry years later, I realize that I neglected to mention three artworks external to Yorkdale. Although none of them are technically TTC-sanctioned, these pieces are inescapable if you use the station entrances—and in that sense merit at least a cursory mention as part of the visual experience. (For comparison, other TTC art located outside stations include The Guardians, & Snowy Owl at Wilson, Dodecadandy, & Boney Bus at Sheppard West, Pods Through Time at Coxwell, Northern Dancer at Don Mills, Resurge: First Timeline at Old Mill, etc.).
For various reasons, all three works are currently incomplete.
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| Knowledge Is Power, a 2010 graffiti transformation project at the north entrance now partly obscured by subsequent accessibility ramp and entrance renovations |
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| Love or Love, a 2012 community mural at the Ranee entrance. 2 of its 4 panels have since been partly cut off |
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| Chroma-Key, a (2024ish) lenticular video wall sculpture in the Ranee underpass beside the station entrance. This piece is still theoretically in progress and thus unfinished. |
Why did I snub these works, consciously or otherwise? Subjectively speaking, none of them piqued my interest aesthetically. Which is kind of unfair.
Please see the archival section of the photo gallery for additional photos and contextual information about each of these works.
Photo Gallery
Tour the station, and view captioned historical images from its past:(hint: turn on the captions)
Transfer:
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| Yorkdale station transfer |
More about Yorkdale
TTC Station info | Map | Wikipedia: YorkdaleMy next stop: Victoria Park
Previous station: Sheppard-Yonge
Alphabetical Station Selector