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Peter Dickinson

by ERA Architects


The O’Keefe Centre for Performing Arts, 1960.

In the vein of raising awareness for Toronto’s modernist legacy, BlogTO has a good little feature on Peter Dickinson (1925-1961) inspired by the recent monograph authoured by John Martins-Manteiga and published by Dominion Modern.  Born in England and educated at the AA, Dickinson immigrated to Canada in 1950.  He immediately began working with Page & Steele Architects, and after only three years was promoted to partner-in-charge of design.  “Dickinson was like an atomic bomb”, fellow architect and former associate Rob Robbie later recalled.  In 1958 Dickinson left Page & Steele to establish his own firm, and enjoyed an incredibly prodigious output before succumbing to cancer at the young age of 35.  Check out the article for some great images, and pick up the book to learn more about just how influential Dickinson was in shaping our modern city.

Spread from ‘Peter Dickinson‘, published by Dominion Modern, showing the lobby of the O’Keefe Centre and a number of Dickinson’s early sketches from 1957.

Top photograph from the City of Toronto Archives.
Fonds 1257, f1257_s1057_it0815.

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