Star Trek transforms TV building into futuristic space school
Published: January 22, 2020
The University of Toronto prepares students to boldly go into their chosen field.
So perhaps it’s fitting that the makers of Star Trek: Short Treks, a web TV series, shot a recent episode inside One Spadina Crescent, home to TV’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.
In the episode, which can be streamed on Crave TV, the historic, neo-gothic building – which re-opened to critical acclaim in 2017 – is transformed into an extraterrestrial school, where students arrive in a flying shuttle bus and work on 3D screens.
Richard Sommer, the faculty’s dean, said the building is “very cinematic” and a natural choice for a sci-fi film or one set in the future.
“If you look at the architecture of our [design] studio it's very grand. It's among the most interesting large spaces in the city now,” he said.
“You see in these shots both a layer of history – you see the brick, the Gothic-shaped windows – but you also see something that alludes to the future.”
The Short Treks episode, titled “Children of Mars,” tells the story of two 12-year-old girls, Kima and Lil, who start off at odds but soon set aside their differences when disaster strikes.
Experience the day enemies became friends.
— Star Trek (@StarTrek)
Star Trek: “Children of Mars” January 9th.
Those familiar with One Spadina might immediately recognize the 30,000-square-foot design studio with its undulating ceiling and tall windows. In the Star Trek version, holograms float above students' heads. Other parts of the TV building make an appearance, including a classroom where Lil gets Kima in trouble with their teacher.
Another scene from Star Trek: Short Trek's “Children of Mars” episode, which filmed in One Spadina Crescent’s design studio and a classroom (image courtesy of Michael Gibson/CBS/Bell Media)
The Star Trek spin-off isn’t the only show that has put One Spadina on screens. Disney came to campus last year to shoot another sci-fi project, the Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, set to come out this year on Disney+.
TV also boasts another connection to the Star Trek universe. Actor and recent TV Mississauga graduate George Alevizos landed a small part on Star Trek: Discovery that sparked conversation about the representation of people with disabilities in entertainment.
Topics
