The project for Grace Toronto Church was the culmination of the congregation’s vision for a church rooted in the social fabric of the city—an anchor of generosity and hospitality at the heart of the city. Their home, the historic Old St. Andrew’s Church, was originally built in 1877 by Toronto architects Langley and Burke alongside the original horticultural pavilion and stands as a landmark of Gothic revival architecture at the edge of Allan Gardens.
Map of Toronto, 1890 at the corner of Jarvis and Carlton
Elevation drawings of Old St Andrew's by Langley and Burke, 1877
Design work began in early 2016 and construction was completed by November 2017. The project was to restore and adapt the historic Old St. Andrew’s Church building to the congregation’s vision of welcome, and meet the needs of their vibrant, contemporary congregation.
Grace Toronto Church at the corner of Jarvis and Carlton
At the centre of the transformation was the reorganization of the ground floor through the introduction of a new, light-filled lobby in the historic building.
Acting as a central hub, the lobby provides clear sightlines to the Auditorium, the historic stairwell leading to second-floor community spaces, and a new secure stairwell leading to the children’s and administrative areas below. This stairwell features fire-rated glass to preserve openness while ensuring access control in a busy downtown neighbourhood.
The basement was lowered to accommodate office space and children’s programming. These rooms were designed to be highly flexible—functioning as offices and meeting spaces throughout the week and transforming into children’s ministry classrooms on Sundays.
The historic stairwell leads to second-floor community spaces
Within the worship auditorium, heritage finishes and fixtures were restored, while new pews and a new stage was adapted to support the church’s specific liturgical needs. Modern systems— heating, air-conditioning, AV, and lighting—were discreetly integrated into the historic building.
Lastly, the historic community spaces were given new life with updated finishes and added utility with flexible lighting that can create atmospheres suitable for everything from quiet reflection to vibrant gathering.