Architecture of UC
The main University College building is an architectural masterpiece designed in the 1850s by Frederic Cumberland and William Storm. It reflected a form of Victorian eclecticism that still provides students, faculty, and visitors with a constant variety in windows, columns, doorways, stairs, carvings, and towers.
Here we provide links, first of all, to a series of short video clips that mostly feature Prof. Peter Richardson, Principal of the College from 1977 to 1989. His considerable knowledge of the original conception of the building, and significant changes since the 1850s, was captured on video in 2015. This was before the revitalization project overseen by Principal Donald Ainslie began, which will eventually be the focus of a portion of this section of the web site.
The University College Architectural Heritage Fund has been created to enhance public appreciation of UC’s built heritage and to celebrate its historic position at the centre of the University of Toronto.
Peter Richardson Talks UC Architecture
University College is one of Canada’s great buildings, designed in the 1850s by Frederic Cumberland and William Storm. Significant reconstruction was required after a disastrous 1890 fire, and major restoration was undertaken in the 1970s to restore the building and insert essential modern features. Peter Richardson knows this story well, as Principal of the College from 1977 to 1989, and with a background in architecture.
In 2015, a filming project conceived by David Rayside was begun, with Nick Genova working the cameras, and Frank Scornaienchi of the U of T’s Media Production Unit helping manage the process. Peter was filmed over fifteen two-hour sessions at several locations. Throughout the process, Douglas Richardson’s remarkable book, A Not Unsightly Building: University College and Its History (1990), was an essential guide. This project was supported by a number of donors, and access to architectural drawings was facilitated by the staff of the University of Toronto Archives. Out of this video archive Nick Genova has created a series of “clips,” mostly centred on Peter Richardson’s observations.