“The city isn’t just an artistic element but… it is full of life,” Eberhard Zeidler expressed in a 1998 interview with the Canadian Urban Institute. The architect — who also designed Canadian landmarks such as Vancouver’s Canada Place and Toronto’s Eaton Centre — was sharing his thoughts about Ontario Place, a tourist attraction on Toronto’s waterfront which he helped create. The architect died on January 7, 2022, after a nearly 70-year-long career.
When describing his design process, Zeidler said, “You have to understand [it] before you can work within it.” His approach of trying to fully understand his subject is also one that this article will follow in his honour.
As beneficiaries of his work, we carry on Zeidler’s values and create spaces for diverse groups of people to live and work together in peace. We can wander Ontario Place, the 90-acre tourist attraction found on Toronto’s Lake Ontario shoreline. We can explore the Union Pearson Express Station, which seamlessly links downtown Toronto and Pearson International Airport. We can pass by Ryerson University’s Student Learning Centre, a vibrant hub filled with student activity throughout the day.
As U of T students, we hold a special responsibility to honour Zeidler’s legacy. In the 1960s, Zeidler was appointed as a visiting lecturer at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design before becoming an adjunct professor from 1983 to 1995. Zeidler later helped fund and establish the Eberhard Zeidler Library in the Daniels Building. In 1999, he also invested in the Eberhard Zeidler Scholarship, which is awarded to a student finishing their first year of U of T’s Master of Architecture program.
However, Zeidler’s contributions extend further than just our university. In 1951, he joined the architectural firm William and Craig, which would later be renamed to Zeidler Architecture Inc. Under Zeidler’s direction, the firm grew immensely — today, it has offices located in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Beijing, and Berlin. The firm has been awarded over 200 national and international design awards, including eight Governor General’s Medals for Architecture and five Landmark Awards from the Ontario Association of Architects.
In the era of COVID-19, Zeidler’s efforts have come to life through his progressive, patient-centred approach to hospital design. An example of this work is Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, the largest centre dedicated to improving children’s health in Canada.
“In healthcare, [Zeidler] transformed the notion of the machine hospital into a healing environment,” Zeidler Architecture wrote about the project. “He took labyrinth corridors and transformed them into an open system with natural light, green spaces, and settings for communal gathering.”
Another prominent monument of Zeidler’s is the glass roof of Toronto’s Eaton Centre, which will soon be rebuilt with modern materials and technologies to improve energy efficiency. The $60 million renovation, announced days after Zeidler’s passing, will largely incorporate input from Zeidler Architecture so that his legacy will live under the new look.
It’s evident that Zeidler’s career has made a lasting impact on Canadian soil through each of his innovative projects. The architect has demonstrated a resounding service to the public while lending a tasteful sense of high-tech optimism that is still relevant today.
