Here we are at Tom Davies Square, the heart of city government and a true masterpiece of modern design. Picture this spot back in the late 1970s. Instead of these bold glass walls and striking angles, city officials were crammed like sardines into different buildings all over downtown. Imagine a city council meeting squeezed into the library auditorium, officials running papers through downtown like an Olympic relay team!
Sudbury wanted a fresh start and a fresh look, so architects Arthur Townend and John Stefura dreamed up something spectacular. See the main building ahead? That’s no accident; it’s a triangle, with its right angle aimed right at the corner of Brady and Paris Streets like it’s the arrow pointing you downtown. Its longest glass wall stretches toward the open plaza, bathing the inside in sunlight-ideal for both council meetings and impromptu sunbathing, if you ask me.
Look west, and you’ll see a diamond-shaped building. It started as the home for the Sudbury Public School Board and library archives, but now it’s the headquarters for the police. Another building, taller and tucked at 199 Larch, joined the square later, and houses provincial offices. As if Sudbury didn’t have enough shapes, Bell Canada’s offices are in a big rectangle with a breezy modern colonnade.
This wasn’t just an architecture project-it was a bold vision for Sudbury’s future, all dreamed up by a local team wanting to impress. In 1997, to top it off, the complex got its current name, honoring Tom Davies, the retiring regional chairman.
Now, Sudbury loves to keep things interesting. In 2019, after tense budget battles, the city finally finished redeveloping the plaza. Even more recently, in 2023, there was talk of turning the main council building into a giant arts and library hub, helped along by a $25 million boost-nothing like a little drama to spice up city life!
