Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts, Toronto

The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto is an impressive theater at University Avenue and Queen Street West. It seats 2,071 and is home to the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. Designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects, led by Jack Diamond, it features a unique glass staircase. Completed in 2006.

Back in the 1980s, the Canadian Opera Company, along with Hal Jackman, a financier, and president of the Ballet Opera House Corporation, initiated efforts to advocate for a new structure to replace the aging O'Keefe Centre, which had been the opera company's residence for nearly four decades.

Despite budget constraints, the venue features contrasting materials. The City Room has glass and steel fixtures, offering views of University Avenue and Queen Street. The other sides have dark brick, with north-facing windows revealing Osgoode Hall. The exterior is left unadorned.

The City Room extends westward, adding transparency to the sidewalk. The eastern facade seamlessly integrates with the office building and brick surroundings toward York Street, with only horizontal windows. The southern facade, facing Richmond Street, is made of plain brick with dressing room windows, opposite the Hilton Hotel.

The Four Seasons Centre opened on June 14, 2006, and featured Richard Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" as its inaugural production. Governor General Michaëlle Jean and esteemed Canadians attended the event. Three complete Ring Cycles were performed in September 2006, a significant moment for Canadian arts.