Known as Wymilwood and completed in 1953, the Victoria University student union is one of the few surviving works of Eric Arthur, the distinguished Toronto architectural educator, author and advocate. Now renovated and expanded as the Goldring Student Centre, the building is once again a vibrant focal point for academic and social life. The new east wing showcases activity inside through a glass-walled entrance lobby and staircase; the scale, setback and planes of Algonquin limestone reflect the rich and varied streetscape of Charles Street. Enclosing the rear courtyard created a lushly-landscaped outdoor living room, a tranquil green space with generous seating areas and pedestrian linkages to adjoining spaces. Restored heritage elements include an atomic-age spiral staircase, exposed interior brick and woodwork and a sawtooth roof of interlocking concrete plates.
