Sep 24-26: Four Events on Our Social Calendar

Above: Álvaro Siza’s Iberê Camargo Museum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Photo by Felipe Neves.

CONTEST:
Score two tickets to the King East Design District Life Style Fair’s opening party on Friday night by signing up for our newsletter or tweeting a link to this post! A randomly-selected winner will be notified on Friday morning.

Thu Sep 24 – NXT City Night
$25, 6:30pm, 56 Maud St
Each year, the NXT City Prize invites visionary urbanites to reimagine Toronto’s public spaces. In 2014, Richard Valenzona’s scheme for a greener, more pedestrian-friendly Yonge Street (shown above) took home the top honour. This year’s winner will be announced Thursday night during a party held at St. Andrew’s Market Hall, a turn-of-the-century warehouse. Finalists include The Urban Dock, which imagines new access points to Lake Ontario, and Median Flow, which calls for improved medians along University Avenue. The evening will also include art installations, beats by Jesse Futerman, and food from Oyster Boy, Kan Pai Snack Bar and Thoroughbred.

Fri Sep 25 – Álvaro Siza, Porto Lecture
Free, 6-7:30pm, 31 Kings College Cir
Montreal’s Canadian Centre for Architecture joins forces with U of T’s Daniels Faculty to present this lecture by Álvaro Siza. Known for his whitewashed concrete designs, the acclaimed Portuguese architect’s distinctive style has been termed “poetic modernism” because many of his building’s exhibit both clean geometry and an expressive, sculptural quality. Here, the Pritzker winnner will reflect on his exciting career. While tickets sold out quickly, a rush line may grant a few last-minute admissions.

Fri Sep 25 – The Wood Shop Bash
Free, 7pm-Late, 225 Sterling Rd, Unit #200C
Coolican and Company’s handmade-in-Toronto designs, which include an elegant, Scandinavian-esque bar stool in maple or walnut and a tripod-shaped, gypsum-shaded lamp, are the product of some serious woodworking chops. Ring in the studio’s new wood shop with jams, beer from Junction Craft Brewing and 20% off all products and orders. In the meantime, Instagram a photo with the hashtag #woodshopbash for a chance to win a Wallace lamp!

Sat Sep 26 – King East Design District Life Style Fair
Free, 10am-5pm, King Street from Church to Parliament
Home to many of the city’s most impressive furniture and appliance showrooms, King East is Toronto’s de facto destination for contemporary design. Now in its second year, this annual neighbourhood festival fêtes the east-end district in style. Stores will display one-day-only art installations done by such top local artists as Gary Taxali and Justin Broadbent, while an al fresco dining area set up along Ontario Street will offer a spot to enjoy fare from Mangia e Bevi and Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company. Entrance is free, with all proceeds raised from donations going to support Habitat for Humanity.