The projects included in this book are some of the very best examples that our post-war architects, designers and artists have given [to] Toronto. This book is a celebration of their work, their vision and their energy.
From the Preface:
The two world wars had a tremendous impact on transforming Canada into a confident and robust industrial nation. With that came a building boom and an artistic explosion that gave young entrepreneurs, designers, artists and architects opportunities to dream big, bold and modern.
Mean City celebrates this great boom in architecture and industrial design from 1945 to 1975.
With the tremendous opportunities available because of a raging economy, architects and designers built and dreamed like never before. Young architects were given the opportunity to execute fantastic and futuristic buildings that defied convention.
Mean City captures Toronto at a moment in a great architectural boom, along with the individuals who were inspired to create this city's great architectural heritage. The book is also a lament to those great modernist buildings that have already been lost, and those that may also meet the same fate in the future.
Praise for Mean City: "Martins-Manteiga is piecing together a part of Toronto's history"
--National Post, "Ones to Watch 2007"

Urbanist, historian, filmmaker, writer JOHN MARTINS-MANTEIGA has advocated for the protection of historical buildings, and specialises in Canada`s twentieth-century architecture and industrial legacy. His books include Clearcut and Architecture in Film. He is at work on several books, including Endangered Species, Peter Dickinson Architect and Dominion Modern.]]>

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