City Hall Library is that rare branch that can pull off coziness and decorum at the same time. Its size (5,074 square feet) makes it seem approachable, but a lofty ceiling and serious grey walls show the appropriate level of dignity required for co-residency with Toronto’s municipal government offices.
In addition to being cozy and important, City Hall is also decidedly groovy. In fact, grooviness prevents City Hall from taking itself too seriously, as evidenced by the funky carpet in the children’s section, a triangles-on-acid painting, and the lively view of Nathan Phillips Square available from the south-facing windows.
On City Hall visit in 2011, I was in good company when it came to enjoying the chairs at the south windows, for I noticed piles of magazines left behind by previous afternoon readers. (A staff member told me that there are lines out the door during lunch hour). Stacked at random on a long stone bench were slightly rumpled editions of People, Hello, Popular Science, Spiderman, and Vogue.
One weighty tome stood tall among the fluffier reading fare on the bench: Canada: An Illustrated History. And I personally added several more books to the piles of reading material: Let It Shine, Besa, and Twilight in Chinese.
In spite of City Hall’s businesslike vibe, it contained lot of interesting nooks and angles that offered respite from the brisk pace of metropolitan life. For example, the children’s section was tucked away in the corner where two curved walls met. There, disc-shaped cushions silently invited readers to settle more comfortably into a beam of sunlight.
Most quirky and mysterious of all was a partially hidden staircase which led nowhere, Escher-style. As I was taking pictures on the 2011 trip, I noticed a man in a suit walk down the top steps and then disappear behind the walls that hid the bottom half of the stairs. He quickly reappeared at the top, looking confused.
When I asked a staff member about the steps, she explained that the library used to occupy more space (11,000 square feet) in the larger City Hall building. In 1996, a substantial part the library’s collection was transferred to Urban Affairs. That’s when the stairs were walled off from the current library space.
I hope the discombobulated man eventually found the exit he sought. And may multitudes of patrons continue to find their way to this groovy place of relaxation in the heart of the city!