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Cdn Arch/JBM on Four Seasons Centre

For me, the interior spaces work as foils for the various activities that take place there.

The City Room is neutral in colour and angular, but has a Piranesian quality - you look up, you look down, you look across at people on five levels, you see shadows of people passing behind the huge slatted wooden screen and footsteps moving on the glass staircase. We're all "on stage", people-watching before the show and at intermission, and watching a great panorama of cars and people outside too.

The "egg in a nest" hall is a definite contrast to the City Room, and a transition takes place - you move into a softer environment, with rippling balcony fronts, balconies that undulate ( raised in the centre ) at different levels. The colours are deeper because the lights will be dimmed and bright coloured walls would distract. You're seated. Your expectations change. There is a buzz of conversation. And a further transition takes place when the house lights dim and the balcony-front lights give off a romantic glow for a few seconds before the performance begins.
 
I agree with interchange about the trend to dressing up. Get a tux and the world is your oyster - saunter into the fancy lounge with a drink in hand and nobody dares call your bluff. Also, the City Room is a magical kingdom where, if you're alone, permission to chatter to complete strangers is automatically bestowed. There is a carefree sense of delight about the place.
 
Unfortunately the south exterior of the building in particular does the opposite of the lobby facade- it turns its back on everything. Not sure how diamond would justify this side of the buidling other than financial.
Click to expand...
I think Dimaond even admitted at one point that he wanted some glass overhang above the south side's sidewalk, but it was cut due to budget constraints.

If owned the Hilton chain, I might be tempted to make a quick donation!
 
I don't think they'll need to; business in their bars and restaurant has been very good since the FSCPA opened, according to the barman I spoke to.
 
Rooftop Garden

I saw an opera recently at an opera house that had a balcony over the entrance just off the main salon and it was phenomenal being outside in the twilight with the beautiful people between acts. Is the Four Seasons still planning on adding a rooftop garden? The facility has been open for a year now so maybe a little discreet fundraising can be done. Is Janet Rosenburg an opera fan?
 
If they get someone willing to cough up five ( ten? I forget ... ) million bucks the building can accommodate a rooftop patio, so I assume they'd still do it.

What opera did you see? Where?
 
I saw Turandot at the State Opera House in Prague. The three ministers were in wheelchairs covered in wicker to resemble rickshaws being pushed around by shirtless Slavs.
 
The aptly named Christopher Body was wasted dancing Sancho in Don Quixote last night, all costumed in a fat suit. Good production, though I thought it was dumb that they had a huge cast (they supplemented with two dancers from Opera Atelier and many students) and then didn't let the corps (which was very good last night) take a bow.
 
I don't subscribe to the ballet, just go occasionally. You'll must post reviews, here in our little ghetto thread, from time to time. I hear the National aren't selling anywhere near the number of tickets the COC are, though.

Slim pickings next season on the COC's website - I think they'll be close to sold out even before tickets go on sale to the general public. I'm worried - I have to change my Figaro because I'll be in England, and I think I'll end up with nothing.

Later: Ooops! This isn't our ghetto thread, just feels like it ...
 
Opera seems to be "hotter" these days. The eighties were big for dance. These things seen to go in cycles. Also, the ballet's season runs later into the summer because they're a tenant and get less priority. But the COC will be missing out on additional revenue and exposure to new and growing audiences if they can't expand the number of performances significantly in the 08/09 season, if this trend continues. Running in rep with the National would be one solution, but there may be some sort of contractual reason why they can't do that.
 
Seperate Ballet Facility

Does anyone see the possibility of a seperate National Ballet facility in the future?
 
They had the opportunity to build the Four Seasons Centre in full partnership with the COC but they declined, so why would they want to go it alone now?
 
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