RC Harris Water Treament Plant

The glass ceiling at the filtering building of the R.C. Harris water treatment plant in Toronto...

The R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is one of Canada's most spectacular public buildings, designed in 1929, built primarily from 1932 to 1937, opened in 1941, and expanded from 1955 to 1958. The plant produces up to 950 million litres of water per day. It is a National Historic Civil Engineering Site and is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act for architectural and historical reasons. Dubbing it "The Palace of Purification," critics attached the plant's appearance as early as 1938. The use of materials like marble and bronze in the interior (plus the extensive limestone carvings on the exterior) is both notable and characteristic of the times. The intent was to create a water "show case" for the public. R.C. Harris is the largest ensemble of Art Deco buildings in Toronto. The plant features stepped or set-back profiles and a wealth of flattened geometric and highly stylized ornament in stone, brick, and metal. The plant is an excellent example of how the Art Deco style could integrate Late Romaneque Revival and Modern Classical forms, which are represented by the round-arched opening in the Filter Building and the simplified pediments and pilasters on the Pumping Station.