KPMB Architects has completed an extensive renovation and modernization of one of Canada’s most celebrated cultural landmarks, Massey Hall, in collaboration with heritage restoration consulting and heritage impact assessment by GBCA Architects.

The design scheme for the new Massey Hall honours the building’s 127-year history while providing Toronto and Canada with a state-of-the-art performance venue for the future.

The renovation retains and enhances the Hall’s signature intimacy and acoustics while adding new amenities and creating more functional, accessible, and inviting spaces.

KPMB’s design for the striking exterior passageways transforms the Massey Hall visitor experience. Cantilevered over the sidewalks and supported by a concealed structural steel truss in the attic, the passageways provide direct links to new amenities, performance spaces, washroom facilities and more, while providing barrier-free access to the previously inaccessible balcony and gallery levels of the Hall.

The interior of the hall underwent meticulous renovation, with special care taken to retain the building’s character-defining features, including the original ceiling, cast-iron columns, and wood-panelled balcony balusters.

The Centuries bar has been reimagined as a warm and inviting bar and lounge area, featuring state-of-the-art lighting and audio systems that can host intimate performances and post-show gatherings.

While parts of the hall were transformed, KPMB’s approach allowed key heritage features to be restored and revealed during the construction process, such as the ornate plaster ceilings, wood choir loft panelling, original lighting, and previously boarded-up stained glass windows.

The interior material palette, a blend of the original Moorish style and a Deco overlay, has been carefully recalibrated to accommodate the reintroduction of the original stained-glass windows into the Hall.