Institutional Brutalism at U of T Walking Tour

About the Tour

Walk with celebrated urban photographer Vik Pahwa as we visit institutional buildings at the University of Toronto built in the divisive, widely reviled and under-appreciated style of Brutalism. Discover the merits and limitations of this enduring architectural style, and why it has invoked such strong responses from both the architectural commmunity and the public.

This tour was developed and will be led by Vik Pahwa, an architectural photographer specializing in documenting Toronto’s built environment with an emphasis on mid-century modernism. His photographs appear in the books Remnants of Mid-Century Toronto (with Spacing.ca), Toronto Architecture: A City Guide (with Alex Bozikovic), Modest Hopes, and numerous Spacing magazines. Vik is also a film locations photographer and runs a daily architecture photography blog at vikpahwa.com in its 14th year.

Further Information

This tour runs rain or shine and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and consider bringing sunscreen and water to make your tour as enjoyable as possible.

This tour is approximately 2.0 kilometers in distance and takes place predominantly on paved city sidewalks and streets.

If you have any questions prior to the tour, please contact us at
[email protected]. If you have any issues finding the group on the day of the tour, you can reach staff on-site at (647) 542-3450.

This tour uses individual audio headsets. All registered participants will be provided with an individual headset that will allow you to hear the live tour guide throughout the tour.

If you share our passion for accessible and inclusive heritage programming, we invite you to make a donation while on the tour to help fund one of our next walks. Staff can accept donations via cash, credit, or debit card onsite, and gifts of $20+ will receive a charitable tax receipt.