17- Concrete Furniture

17- Concrete Furniture

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The New City Hall, designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell, was the first modern, concrete, civic building in Toronto. When it opened in 1965, it stood out very prominently in the traditional Victorian fabric of the city. The striking concrete design was carried throughout the building and was even incorporated into the office furniture. Desks, coffee tables, cabinets- they all had concrete legs- and nearly everyone hated it. A lot. The public was angry. Controversy ensued. Someone even resigned. But reporter Sean Cole found at least one person, architect Masha Kelmans, who thinks the naysayers were wrong.