The starchitects have come to town. (dial-up warning)

[JeffR]

So-called "wow-factor" buildings have been slow to materialize in Toronto, but at last, they're beginning to appear. Here are three.

The Art Gallery of Toronto just re-opened a few days ago after extensive renovation and expansion by Frank Gehry. This is Gehry's first Toronto project (he was born and raised here, and actually grew up near the gallery). These were taken on a rainy afternoon, the day before the gallery opened.

The old boxy front elevation has now been crowned with a huge, curving canopy. The coolest thing about this is that the streetcar wires along Dundas Street have actually been attached to the building, which entailed months of negotiations with the local transit commission.









At the back overlooking Grange Park, Gehry's added a blue-tinted titanium-clad addition with an amazing stairwell that projects 30 or so feet from the façade. The Georgian mansion in front of it is The Grange (circa 1817), which is operated as a museum by the gallery.







On the east side of Grange Park is British architect Will Alsop's Sharp Centre for Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design, the "flying tabletop". This was completed a couple of years ago.







Finally, Daniel Libeskind's controversial addition to the Royal Ontario Museum. (The protesters in this photo are demonstrating against the occupation of Iraq, not the building.)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear JeffR!

Oh, these are wonderful!

Your camera angles are so good. Not the usual straight from the front that so many folks do...

And the buildings are wonderful in their own right; the way you photograph them just illuminates their beauty.

Thank you!

:hi:

[JeffR]

11. Thank you, Peggy.

The perspective distortion of the 12-24mm seems suited to these kinds of buildings. I did a 3-year project on local architecture where I didn't dare to shoot like this.

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Love Gehry's Deconstructionist architecture!

When going through Interior Design school, he was always my favorite architect!

Astounding artist!

Thanks for posting, JeffR!


here's a site that shows many of his designs in architecture and more:
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/gehry_frank.html

[JeffR]

10. Thanks for the link.

He's always struck me as an artist dabbling in architecture. Surprisingly humble man, too, compared to at least one of the architects above.

[Eurobabe]

3. I better stay outta this

:puke: :eyes: :rofl:

[NashVegas]

4. self-delete

[JeffR]

9. I thought you'd be interested!

:rofl:

Seriously, though, the Alsop is fun.

[NashVegas]

5. I'm So Sorry

I think Gehry is the single most over-rated, inexplicably hyped architect I've ever heard of.

I guess either you love his stuff or you think it's the Emperor's new clothes. To be nicer about it: as an architect, he's a great sculptor.

I'd like the Grange piece if it was a standalone; as it is with the original mansion, the fault lies with whomever thought it would be a great idea to completely dwarf the park's namesake.

The "Flying Tabletop" has great elements, but looks like there was too much compromise for anyone to win. Undecided on the Libeskind. I love the frivolity, but will it hold up to the elements?

[JeffR]

6. I'd agree about Gehry

though he may actually be Libeskind's runner-up for that title. In fairness to Gehry, he was working with a complete dog of a building. Apparently the new gallery spaces inside are excellent (haven't seen them myself yet). I'm looking forward to getting some shots from that extruded stairway. The view from that vantage is supposed to be very good.

Your guess about the Libeskind is well-founded. There have already been problems with ice forming on the facets of the building and sliding off in sheets. Some of the exhibition spaces inside are not very practical either.

The Alsop is marred by the corrugated cladding, but it's a fun building, even sitting on top of a dreary Depression Moderne box. The sheer bulk of it sitting on its stilts is like a conjurer's trick. It's very hard to convey in photos.

[alfredo]

7. How well will the Gehry facade handle hurricane force winds?

[JeffR]

8. I wouldn't want to be hanging around to find out

though I can picture Anderson Cooper, microphone in hand, documenting the event.
:scared:

[alfredo]

12. Ha! Much later G Rivera will make a dramatic entrance.

[NashVegas]

13. Maybe But He Won't Look As Good In a All-Weather Coat

Flapping away.

[alfredo]

15. It's Fox so authenticity or real courage doesn't matter.

[NashVegas]

14. What I Like About the Libeskind

Is that it looks like someone crumpled up a piece of aluminum foil, made an airplane out of it, threw it into the original building and split it, and it stuck. FUN! Too bad about the ice.

Gehry got sued by MIT a year ago, no idea what's going on with that now. Will look forward to your interior shots.