Views of
the Downsview Roof - 1984
| In
1984, the Zephyr editors
decided to publish an
article describing what was on the roof of 4905 Dufferin Street.
This is because most employees working in the
building had no access to the roof. 22 photos were taken and all
but three have been found and are seen here as uncropped
versions. Photos are numbered in left to right order as they
appeared in the Zephyr
article. The
complete article may be seen at this
link. Original Zephyr Cover  |
Note:
Text under each photo as published in Zephyr is in
italics. This text, the complete
article and
photos are credited to Gordon Black * * * Other comments, IDs etc, are in regular script. Zephyr cover photo (uncropped)  This Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder stands on top of a penthouse roof. Its resemblance to a crystal ball makes it one of the curiosities of an AES Downsview building rooftop tour. It is located at one of the best look-out spots. |
Photo 1 This is a general view of the south-facing Observatory terrace with its array of solar radiation and ozone monitoring equipment. |
Photo 2 (from Zephyr, not original print) Outside the Observatory penthouse you could see several AES-made Sunphotometers linked up to a Suntracker (right), a device used for pointing instruments at the sun. The Sunphotometer was used in October (1984) by Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau aboard the U.S. Space shuttle. |
Photo 3 Also displayed is the AES-designed Brewer spectrophotometer, one of the world's major ozone detecting devices. Technologist Archie Asbridge stands by. On the left is Jim Kerr (with face shaded). |
Photo 4 This pyrheliometer measures direct radiations from the sun and is also mounted on a Suntracker. |
Photo 5 The penthouse contains monitoring equipment for all Atmospheric Observatory instruments. It houses the roof's only "permanent" inhabitants - a group of four or five AES technicians who need to stay close to the action. Note the "astrodome" on the roof which will soon house AES's spanking new computer-controlled telescope, able to take pollution readings from the moon, planets and stars. With nearly a quarter of a million dollars worth of equipment in the Observatory, it deserves three stars in the Michelin Guide. |
Photo 6 In the south west corner sits a pyranometer, mounted - you guessed it - on a Suntracker. The ground-based "weather monster" on the right does a mocking dance. |
Photo 6 crop Roger Van Cauwenberghe & ? |
Photo 7 (from Zephyr,
not original print) Here's a close up of a sunshine sensor near the Observatory. |
Photo 8 (from Zephyr,
not original print) Move east now to penthouse #1. An awkward iron ladder is worth climbing because of the unexpected "crystal ball" on top. It's an older type sunshine recorder and a back-up for the sun sensing experiment (see below, Photo 12). Electronics technician Fred Koster is seen here consulting his "oracle". |
Photo 9 Climbing this high gives you some good general views of the roof. This radome-penthouse combination has an exotic Arabian Knights look. |
Photo 10 The entire roof is strewn with pebbles. (Goodness knows how many millions!) Engineer Thomson says the gravel forms an "inverted roof" and that they cover a layer of styroform underneath. Avoid the pebbles by using the concrete stepping stones. Two main north-south paths flank the east-west sides of the building. |
Photo 11 Moving north to penthouse #3 gives you a close-up of a radome. This one is a standard upper air dome used here for aerological research. If you entered the penthouse, you would find it noisy but cool and airy. The dials and ventilator pipes are all connected to the cafeteria. |
Photo 12 (from Zephyr,
not original print) On the north side, see the roof's tallest structure, a massive 25-metre tower, currently used by Data Acquisition Branch to perform an international sun sensing experiment. Four sunshine sensors span the tower which also acts as a test antenna for upper air signals from the neighbouring radome and as a lightning rod. |
Photo 13 A little north of here, stare down into the courtyard with its charming fountains, shrubs and tabled patios. |
Photo 14 Another radome sits atop the nearby penthouse #5. As indicated, approach with caution because the fibreglass dome contains a fast moving polar satellite tracking antenna. |
Photo 15 Just down the steps are loud whirring machines that resemble large kitchen stoves. They are cooling units for the computer on the floor below. |
Photo 16 The radome's base contains one of the roof's strangest.objects - an ugly brown container resembling a dinosaur's drinking cup. It's used as a spare exhaust for the boiler room. |
Photo 17 Also near the radome's base is this standard metal hoist. Would you believe, the gadget hasn't been used since the building opened! It's easier to lift objects straight from the street. |
Photo 18 Ensconced in the north east corner is this huge 45 metre chimney acting as the main exhaust for the hailer room. Its principal charm is the creeper plant winding its way up the side. Behind the chimney, we also have a good view of the parking lot. We can also see the cars whose drivers who have less ability to park in a marked space. Soon this lot would become pay parking. |
Photo 19 Ignoring the north west penthouse, head south along the Dufferin Street stepping stones to one of the roof's most awe inspiring sights: 90 solar panels all sloping south to ohtain maximum sunshine and resembling music stands for a giants' symphony orchestra. On a sunny day, the panels supply up to a quarter of the building's hot water. Note the thickly wapped pipes ensuring an even flow of glycol. |
Photo 20 The solar panels are flanked by instruments such as this "airplane" anemometer to obtain optimal weather parameters for the project which is a good example of practical DPW and AES research co-operation. |
Photo 21 Advancing southwards you pass a penthouse with fans, pipes and dials all hooked up to ventilate the auditorium below. The theatre even has its own TV antenna, shown here. |