partisans + storefront invite architects to write letters to toronto's mayor and developers

for the inaugural edition of EDIT — a ten-day festival dedicated to design, innovation and technology — partisans teamed up with storefront for art and architecture to introduce ‘letters to the mayor/developer’ toronto. one hundred architects were invited to write a letter to toronto mayor john tory or a developer of their choice who is shaping the future of the city. the exhibition invites local and global creatives to address their thoughts and ideas about development and contemporary cities directly to the desks of elected officials.

one hundred architects were invited to write a letter to toronto mayor john tory or a developer of their choice

‘the sun is shining on toronto right now,’ says alex josephson, cofounder of partisans. ‘it’s our moment to be courageous and outspoken about what we want our city to become. toronto should be a city defined by its imagination as much as its economy. the letters project is a watershed opportunity to bring everyone together—architects, developers, city officials, and the public—to reflect on what this city has accomplished and where we want to go.’

the project is presented as part of the inaugural edition of EDIT — a ten-day festival in toronto
photo by sebastián L.C.

‘letters to the mayor/developer: toronto’, locally curated and designed by partisans and in collaboration with artist gary taxali, features a typologically new mayoral desk and architect’s table that snakes around the vast former factory funnel room. the ribbon-like surface becomes a stage for the architects’ letters, with ideas and reflections travelling a mock assembly line. the papers eventually feed into the room’s 20-foot funnel, out of which a condominium tower design emerges, as though extruded from the funnel itself. a speculative wallpaper designed by taxali seeks to reflect the current and future possibilities for design and development in toronto.

the exhibition invites local and global creatives to address their thoughts about development to elected officials

‘presented in a moment in time when the city is experiencing a rapid transformation, the toronto edition of letters to the mayor and letters to the developer contribute to a better understanding of contemporary urban politics and development practices in a ‘booming’ context,’ says eva franch, storefront for art and architecture executive director and chief curator. ‘the ways in which politicians, developers, and the public embrace the expertise of the architecture profession in the production of strategic and civic discourse will be of paramount importance for the success of the city’s initiatives and their impact on its inhabitants. we look forward to a productive debate about city making, and to the future that awaits toronto.’

letters to the mayor / developer: toronto is locally curated and designed by partisans

‘letters to the mayor’ and ‘letters to the developer’ are a series of international exhibitions by storefront for art and architecture that seeks to bring visions of the city closer to the decision-makers and the public. while iterations have been presented in athens, bogotá, buenos aires, madrid, mexico city, and taipei — among others — the presentation in toronto for EDIT is the first that combines correspondences to the mayor and to individual developers.

the scheme features a typologically new mayoral desk and architect’s table that snakes around the room

the ribbon-like surface becomes a stage for the architects’ letters

ideas and reflections travel a mock assembly line across the ‘factory floor’

letters eventually feed into the room’s 20-foot funnel

a speculative wallpaper seeks to reflect the current and future possibilities for design and development in toronto
photo by sebastián L.C.

letters are presented to toronto mayor john tory

EDIT is a 150,000-square-foot immersive experience that envisions a world transformed by unparalleled design, innovation and technology solutions. produced by design exchange, in partnership with the united nations development programme (UNDP), the inaugural festival will ignite conversations through an array of curated exhibits, compelling talks, and inspiring installations. inviting some 100,000 visitors to east harbour (formerly unilever soap factory) in toronto’s port lands, EDIT challenges visitors and participants to consider how we can make the world a better place.