Overlooking this very spot the story of James A. Murray unfolds. This plaque commemorates James A. Murray. He was a leading modernist architect in Toronto. James Albert Murray was born in Toronto on July 2 1919.
James A. Murray studied architecture at the University of Toronto. He excelled achieving top marks in his class. Murray even impressed the entire faculty of 180 students. In 1942 he received a medal from the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
He graduated from the School of Architecture at the Univ. of Toronto in 1943. James A. Murray received the Gold Medal Student Award from the R.A.I.C. in April of that year.
In 1945 James A. Murray opened an office in Toronto. He partnered with Robert C. Fairfield. The following year Kenneth Cameron joined them. The firm became Cameron Murray & Fairfield. By 1948 it was renamed Murray & Fairfield. Both partners started independent practice in late 1950.
Initially James A. Murray’s projects were under his name. He often collaborated with Henry Fliess. They worked on large-scale multiple housing projects. One notable project was the South Hill Village Complex in Don Mills. It received a Silver Massey Medal in 1958. James A. Murray also received awards from the Canadian Housing Design Council. The Council published his illustrated essay. It was titled “The Architecture of Housing” in 1962. This was based on a lecture he gave at the National Gallery in Ottawa on November 29 1962.
James A. Murray designed residential buildings. His best-known commercial project was the Anglo-Canada Insurance Co. building. It stood on St. Clair Avenue West at Deer Park Crescent in Toronto. It was built 1953-54 and demolished in 1999.
Murray helped found The Canadian Architect. This monthly journal of architecture first published in November 1955. It is still in print. He served as editor for nearly 30 years. Murray also participated on the Jury of the annual Design Awards. He was nominated as a Fellow of the R.A.I.C. in 1961. James A. Murray died in Toronto in March 2008.
James A. Murray also designed motor hotels. In the early 1960s motor hotels became popular. These hotels combined convenience with luxury. One example is the Canadiana Motor Hotel. James A. Murray and Henry Fliess designed it. It opened in 1962 overlooking Highway 401. The hotel’s signature element was the circular dining pavilion. It resembled a space-age flying saucer. It sat on the lawn next to an amoeba-shaped swimming pool. The main building had a sundeck for each of the 95 rooms. It also had lounge and conference facilities. The Canadiana Motor Hotel’s guestroom block still exists today. It is now part of the Delta Toronto East.
James A. Murray left his mark on Toronto’s architectural landscape. He helped shape the city with his innovative designs. This plaque serves as a reminder of his contributions. His legacy lives on in the buildings he created and the journal he helped establish.