Toronto Eaton Centre, Retail complex in downtown Toronto, Canada.
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a retail and office complex in downtown Toronto, Canada, that stretches across several city blocks. More than 230 stores occupy four levels beneath a continuous glass ceiling that runs the full length of the gallery.
The complex opened in 1977 on the former site of an Eaton's department store, which had grown into Canada's largest retail chain by the early 1900s. The original building gave way to this modern shopping center, which has since been expanded and renovated several times.
Michael Snow's 'Flight Stop' installation features 60 fiberglass Canada geese that hang from the ceiling across the main atrium. The sculpture has become a local landmark that both residents and travelers stop beneath as they pass through the central hall.
The shopping center sits above two subway stations and forms part of the PATH system, an underground pedestrian network across downtown. Weekdays see the heaviest traffic around lunchtime and after office hours, while weekends draw crowds throughout the day.
The glass-vaulted ceiling takes inspiration from Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and allows daylight to pour through the entire length of the shopping center. This design creates an open, sunlit interior that differs from the typical enclosed mall layout.
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