{"id":7792,"date":"2025-05-29T06:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T10:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/?p=7792"},"modified":"2025-05-09T07:00:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T11:00:14","slug":"doors-open-hamilton-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/29\/doors-open-hamilton-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Doors Open | Hamilton 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of my favourite events to attend in the GTHA is Hamilton&#8217;s Doors Open event. This was my first experience with architectural tours and has for many years been my birthday present to myself.  My original plan for this year was to hit up locations in Ancaster and Dundas. I wanted to check out some of the historic churches in those communities, but what struck me as interesting is that not a single church was listed as being part of Doors Open Hamilton this year. So I went back with what I knew, downtown Hamilton and the industrial sector. I got in four locations this year, three new and one familiar. I had originally planned to hit up five spots, but one had been dropped from the list. For this I packed along my Nikon F5 the 14mm f\/2.8 lens loaded with Kodak Tri-X which I rated at ASA-1600 and developed in Diafine. Handheld I went with my D750 and used the 14-24mm f\/2.8.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54500759276\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54500759276_743efb93f6_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Oh look an open door!<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>One note on the way the film turned out. I was a little concerned when I pulled the roll out of the tank. The other roll I processed, Ilford FP4+ turned out great, but this roll of Tri-X did not turn out that well. After running through all the possible failure points (my processing, chemistry, and camera) I can only suspect that it was the film. I did get this roll from a source I don&#8217;t normally buy from so I suspect damage. Either way, it gives a nice gritty industrial look.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The first stop on the trip was the Hamilton Craft Studios, this is a new location to me and I love adaptive reuse of old industrial locations. The studios are housed in a former drawn wire factory that was built in 1904 as part of the Frost Wire Fence Company. Frost Wire Fence dates back further and was originally established in Welland, Ontario but relocated to Hamilton in 1904 when a larger manufacturing base was needed. By 1918 the company produced some of the first chain link fences in Canada and in 1937 was bought out by Stelco. The building caught the attention of two Sheridan graduates in 2014 which was the spark needed to start an affordable and fun space for creatives. The Hamilton Craft Studios opened in 2022 and is home to a large number of workshops, equipment, and knowledgeable staff.<\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54501111305\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54501111305_b4cfb5e833_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>You can see the early 20th century industrial design on the exterior.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507538705\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507538705_a59005061e_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"718\" alt=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>You can see that there&#8217;s more than just textiles on the third floor, there&#8217;s also a large selection of ceramic spaces.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54500758341\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54500758341_6e0ca3ded8_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>One thing I noted is that the support columns are squared off instead of rounded like I would expect.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507374089\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507374089_0e7c77020b_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"688\" alt=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Another shot of the woodworking sections.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54500941184\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54500941184_2f4a0d7183_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Modern electrical is key to keeping things running up to snuff.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54506321477\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54506321477_3756bc136d_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"658\" alt=\"Doors Open | Hamilton Craft Studios\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The surviving cargo elevator, I don&#8217;t think this one is functional.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>Opened in 1900, the Imperial Cotton Factory is one of the early examples of textile production that dominated Hamilton in the early 20th century. The factory, the second largest in the city is one of the few examples of surviving cotton mills left in the city. The Imperial mill was known to treat its employees well with a internal publication, large cafeteria and good working conditions. Imperial merged with Cosmos Cotton Mills continued to operate the mill until 1972. Starting in the mid 2010s the former factory was slowly transformed into one of Hamilton&#8217;s earliest Creative hubs, known as the Cotton Mill and continues to serve that purpose today. <\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54501019543\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54501019543_62ea2e5a9f_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The iconic view of the factory, with the tower in full view.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507538720\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507538720_01720e5551_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"661\" alt=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Yeah, there&#8217;s something about these old-school fire doors.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54499890807\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54499890807_e09d8bebc9_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>An old school print shop, mostly printing presses although they do have the space for a Linotype machine.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507538730\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507538730_c3bb657d21_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"671\" alt=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The outdoor area out behind the factory was hopping, there was a DJ, food trucks and lots of interesting outdoor scenes.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54501111520\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54501111520_135663b5a3_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>I enjoyed how they kept some of the original elements in the studio spaces.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507374119\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507374119_1346e1b98a_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" alt=\"Doors Open | The Cotton Factory\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>It was probably out of tune anyways.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>The King John Buildings is a pair of 1850s commercial buildings that were recently saved from demolition, rather than restore each individually they were combined to form a single building in order to meet with current code and safety standards. It&#8217;s awesome see that these buildings are now being saved rather than turning them into parking lot like so many others in Hamilton. While there isn&#8217;t much history in these structures working in the smaller areas allowed my ultra-wides to shine!<\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54500942454\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54500942454_ee6e09c9e2_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>It&#8217;s been a slow go getting some of the old commercial buildings on King Street back up and occupied.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507374049\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507374049_77afb22bb6_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"706\" alt=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The couch room.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54501110495\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54501110495_f1d98d770a_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"522\" alt=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>They had a lot of these open spaces with a single couch. Made for good photos.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507457983\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507457983_52eb5a6161_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"690\" alt=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>The view from the balcony of the downtown and Gore Park was awesome. Would have been nicer if it was warmer.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54501021143\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54501021143_e2b243d657_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><a href=\"https:\/\/encorebridalstudio.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Encore<\/a> is one of the building tenants, they sell Wedding gowns on consignment, and the owner was happy to let me go in and take photos.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507457978\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507457978_84dba65956_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"663\" alt=\"Doors Open | King John Building\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>I was rather happy with the darker spaces.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>Built as St. Mark&#8217;s Anglican Church, the congregation was founded in 1877 and began work on building their church right away, the sanctuary opened in 1888 and served the local Anglican community for over a century before the doors closed in 1989. I seem to remember this church being on the Hamilton UE community list of places but I never got in while I was an active member of that community (and a quick glance at UER has no entry in the UEDB but it could be hidden to full members only). Restoration work began in 2022 into a community arts and event space known as Magnolia Hall.<\/p>\n<p><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54501110950\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54501110950_f1674c3052_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>I remember walking past this church when it was boarded up. Never got in as an explorer.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507458018\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507458018_6d617ef2ed_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"666\" alt=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Looking up into the space where the alter once stood.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54500940719\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54500940719_87266b82b5_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" alt=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Looking out along the main hall.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507374059\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507374059_dcf6edfaca_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"691\" alt=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Looking into the hall from the front.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54500757896\/in\/album-72177720325913901\" title=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54500757896_799e91ca40_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" alt=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>Thankfully most of the memorial stained glass windows survived. Some are missing panels, but this is the most complete in the hall.<br \/>\nNikon D750 &#8211; AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/54507458003\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54507458003_73d620d662_b.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"668\" alt=\"Doors Open | Magnolia Hall\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>And finally from the back of the former sanctuary.<br \/>\nNikon F5 &#8211; AF Nikkor 14mm 1:2.8D &#8211; Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-1600 &#8211; Diafine (Stock) 3:00 + 3:00 @ 20C<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>Doors Open events are a fantastic way to explore the local area and see spaces you don&#8217;t usually have access to. As someone who is naturally curious and always has the itch to see what is behind a door marked &#8220;Authorised Persons Only&#8221; or &#8220;Employees Only,&#8221; these events are perfect. I&#8217;ve been to many here in Ontario over the years; Hamilton and Toronto remain my favourites. However, I plan to get to some outside those two cities this year. Maybe St. Mary&#8217;s in August and hopefully Niagara-On-The-Lake in October. My fingers are crossed that in NoTL, some churches I&#8217;ve always wanted to see in the interiors are on the list. Until then, you can check out my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/axle81401\/albums\/72177720325913901\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">album on Flickr<\/a> to see all my images from Doors Open Hamilton this year. If you&#8217;re interested in seeing if there&#8217;s an event happening near you, you can visit the <a href=\"http:\/\/doorsopenontario.on.ca\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Doors Open Ontario website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of my favourite events to attend in the GTHA is Hamilton&#8217;s Doors Open event. This was my first experience with architectural tours and has for many years been my birthday present to myself. My original plan for this year was to hit up locations in Ancaster and Dundas. I wanted to check out some of the historic churches in those communities, but what struck me as interesting is that not a single church was listed as being part of Doors Open Hamilton this year. So I went back with what I knew, downtown Hamilton and the industrial sector. I got in four locations this<a class=\"more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/29\/doors-open-hamilton-2025\/\"><span>Read More &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[664,22,1707,860,616,615,28,147,111,82,29],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7792"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7792"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7792\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8197,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7792\/revisions\/8197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alexluyckx.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}