Toronto is in the midst of a huge expansion in cultural buildings – Royal Ontario Museum, National Ballet School, Lulus Music Centre, Art Gallery of Ontario, Gardiner Museum of Ceramics, Four Season Opera and Ballet House – you get the picture. Such prolific building inevitably leads to controversy but nowhere is catechism more warranted than in the atrocious design of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Profoundly ugly from the exterior, the building inside is a disaster for visitors and museum staff alike. How the ROM ever got an occupancy permit from the city for a stutter which is as hazardous as it is ugly is a wonder. Imagine a museum which is mandated to be “accessible“ with no level floors or vertical walls. Imagine the funny house at the circus midway and you have the same thing. I have a relatively good sense of balance but was nauseous within moments of entering as a result of the absence of any horizon.
A new book in coming out in a few weeks which exposes such senseless architecture. John Silber’s Architecture of the Absurd, previewed in the National Post this weekend exposes not just the ROM but similarly mal-designed structures around the world. Silber comes down hard of the architects, like the ROM’s Libeskind, who collect huge fees on projects that defy budgets while totally ignoring the needs of their users and neighbours. ”Absurdism in buildings represents a blatant disregard for the needs of the building“ states a preview for the book.
That Silber knows what he is writing about is evidenced for his positive comments about Toronto’s new opera-ballet house in contrast to his condemnation of the ROM. The opera house project was completed on-time and on-budget, is functionally very attractive and serves its occupants and visitors well.
While we wait to see how the new Art Gallery of Ontario by Frank Gehry will turn out (and ere relieved that the final design was constrained by budget and community opposition), it encouraging that bad architecture is getting the attention an disdain it deserves. We hope the AGO is morel like the opera house than the museum.
A new book in coming out in a few weeks which exposes such senseless architecture. John Silber’s Architecture of the Absurd, previewed in the National Post this weekend exposes not just the ROM but similarly mal-designed structures around the world. Silber comes down hard of the architects, like the ROM’s Libeskind, who collect huge fees on projects that defy budgets while totally ignoring the needs of their users and neighbours. ”Absurdism in buildings represents a blatant disregard for the needs of the building“ states a preview for the book.
That Silber knows what he is writing about is evidenced for his positive comments about Toronto’s new opera-ballet house in contrast to his condemnation of the ROM. The opera house project was completed on-time and on-budget, is functionally very attractive and serves its occupants and visitors well.
While we wait to see how the new Art Gallery of Ontario by Frank Gehry will turn out (and ere relieved that the final design was constrained by budget and community opposition), it encouraging that bad architecture is getting the attention an disdain it deserves. We hope the AGO is morel like the opera house than the museum.
