Sunday, March 6, 2011

Church Lofts


A lot of the old, large churches in the city are facing dwindling congregations and many have been or are being converted to lofts. On a sunny day earlier this week, this one in the middle of its conversion was a real stand-out against that sky. It's unfortunate that the stained glass windows have been removed but those spaces have been turned into great balconies. Love the copper roof on the tower! Friends have bought in here so I will show some interior shots after move-in.

15 comments:

Erica (Irene) said...

Is this a church on Annette St........? We have a home for rental on Runnymede road, I love that area. That is a real nice neighbourhood but I live on The Kingsway.

Geoff Steen said...

I'd love one of those apartments, preferably at the top of the tower. I probably couldn't afford it though! Look forward to seeing the interior.

LĂșcia said...

That's very interesting!
Hope your friends move in very soon. Can wait for the pictures! ;-)

Sharon said...

What an interesting building to convert to lofts. I can't wait to see the inside.

Randy said...

I hope the bell doesn't go off in the middle of the night. Great shot and idea for lofts.

Eyeliquor 2 said...

Great stuff!
Randy's comment about the bell..LOL!
I can't wait for those images Red Pat :)

Leif Hagen said...

It's a magnificent ol' church building - too bad it has to be sold and converted to something else! But, please show us inside!

Jack said...

It is a mixed blessing. A shame that a wonderful building can no longer hold a congregation for services, but a good thing that it is being repurposed for housing units. I look forward to seeing the inside shots.

RedPat said...

Erica - Yes - it is one of the ones on Annette.

A.R. said...

It's a shame that an aspect of the area's culture is being lost--its religious diversity. While the exterior is being preserved, the interior had its artwork stripped and sent to other congregations. Hence, the neighbourhood also loses art.

Halcyon said...

Now that must make for an interesting living space. I'm excited to see the interior views!

Anonymous said...

great photograph, redpat and lovely to see them preserving this great piece of architecture. i want to reassure ar that the main art in this building was the stained glass which has been preserved and will be reinstalled after the inside work is completed. change is always difficult to deal with, but i appreciate the careful work that is happening to many of toronto's old buildings as they get 'recycled'. the work being done inside is quite impressive and i look forward to seeing your photos. you always seem to have a great take on your subjects. thanks redpat.

EG CameraGirl said...

I look forward to seeing what it looks like inside.

Marvin said...

That would certainly be an interesting place to live. Here in the rural southern US Bible Belt, big and old churches are few and far between.

VioletSky said...

I know this place - I used to live around the corner and have been wondering about its conversion. I think it would be so be so neat to live in a church loft!