Victoria Hospital for Sick Children

For other hospitals with the same name (see list), see Victoria Hospital.

Victoria Hospital for Sick Children is a building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building served as a hospital until 1951 and currently serves as a blood centre. The building has received a Commendation of Adaptive Re-use from the Toronto Historical Board.

Victoria Hospital for Sick Children
The Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in 2005
General information
Type	Institutional
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
Location	67 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Current tenants	Canadian Blood Services (Regional Centre)
Completed	May 1892
Technical details
Floor count	Four storeys
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Darling and Curry

History

The hospital was built in 1892 by the architectural firm of Darling and Curry and served as the hospital that is now called Hospital for Sick Children (or "Sick Kids") until 1951. The construction of the five-storey building was a very important step in the history of the hospital since it was previously located in a small downtown house which was rented for sixteen years by Elizabeth McMaster, the founder of the hospital, with support from a group of Toronto women (Toronto Archives). The invention of pablum, the introduction of incorporated X-rays in 1896, and the origins of the battle for compulsory milk pasteurization in 1908 occurred in this building (Adams 206).

Since 1993, it has been home to Canadian Red Cross Regional Blood Centre and later the Canadian Blood Services Regional Blood Centre. It is located at the corner of College and Elizabeth Streets, near the Toronto General Hospital.

Architecture

The building, which is made of sandstone, is rendered in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, then a trend in the design of buildings. Thick masonry walls are used as structure, with heavily rusticated stone used at the base. There is a cavernous door opening and windows are set deeply in reveals. The roof is steeply pitched, proving ventilation to the building (Adams 206).

Awards

The building was awarded with Commendation of Adaptive Reuse by the Toronto Historical Board after it was reconstructed in 1993 by Parkin Architects (Official Parkin).

See also

• List of oldest buildings and structures in Toronto

References

• Adams, Annmarie. Medicine by Design: the Architect and the Modern Hospital, 1893-1943. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2008. Print.
• Crossman, Kelly. Architecture in Transition: from Art to Practice, 1885-1906. Kingston [Ont.: McGill-Queens UP, 1987. Print.
• The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). "About Sick Kids." SickKids. The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Web. 15 Oct. 2010. [1].
• Parkin Architects. "Canadian Blood Services Renovation." Parkin Architects Limited. Parkin Architects Limited. Web. 16 Oct. 2010. [2].
• Toronto Archives. "1892, Opening of the Hospital for Sick Children." Toronto. City of Toronto. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. [3].
• Canadian Red Cross Regional Blood Centre
• Lost Rivers - Hospitals for Sick Children
• SickKids History
• Victoria Hospital for Sick Children