Tartu College is a not for profit student residence on the north side of
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is an east–west arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct, which spans the Don River (Ontario), Don River Valley, westward into Mississauga where it ends at Central Parkway. East ...
West, just east of Madison Avenue, in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada. Most of its residents are students of the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
.
Tartu College was built in 1970, two years after its sister building, the David A. Croll Apartments (originally
Rochdale College
Rochdale College was an experiment in student-run alternative education and housing cooperative, co-operative living in Toronto, Canada from 1968 to 1975. It provided space for 840 residents in a co-operative living space. It was also an inform ...
), was built a block away on the opposite side of the street in 1968. Both buildings were designed by architects
Elmar Tampõld
Elmar Tampõld (August 3, 1920 – March 7, 2013) was an
John Wells (who had earlier constructed the Charles Street apartments at
Bay Street
Bay Street is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District, Toronto, Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Economy of Canada, Canada's financial services indust ...
and Bloor Street). Like the Rochdale building, it is an example of
brutalist
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...
architectural principles, and serves as a nostalgic reminder of the 1960s culture during which both buildings emerged.
It was named after the city of
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...
,
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
, and was originally built as an undergraduate student co-op with a library, archive, and study centre serving the Estonian-Canadian community.
Tartu Institute
Tartu College operates the Tartu Institute, which was established on 9 February 1971. The institute deals mostly with activities related to Estonian diaspora in Canada.