urbandreamer
recession proof
^Yeah, I am surprised no one got your reference. 4$eason's centre looks like a car dealership, and sounds like a skating rink.
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Jack Diamond to Design Montreal Concert Hall
- Thread starter AlvinofDiaspar
- Start date
syn
Senior Member
I wonder, what does this say about Montreal, going after the popular concert/performance hall architect of the moment? What about their local architects and design culture? I guess this is a creative and moral failure before it even begins!
urbandreamer
recession proof
^J.D. is a montrealer. What does it say about Montreal's cultural elite? I'd say it's divided....
syn
Senior Member
I'm pretty sure he was both in South Africa. He started working at UofT when he came to Canada. I'm not really sure how long he lived in Montreal, but I'd say it's kind of like calling Gehry a Torontonian.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
RRR/urbandreamer:
Actually JD is South African by birth and had been based in Toronto since the 60s.
syn:
That they went for someone with a proven history of building acoustically top notch halls? You can't fault them for that.
AoD
Actually JD is South African by birth and had been based in Toronto since the 60s.
syn:
That they went for someone with a proven history of building acoustically top notch halls? You can't fault them for that.
AoD
syn
Senior Member
No. But I'm sure a local architect could've done the same. I'm really just questioning the entire local vs starchitect dichotomy US is so fond of pushing. Montreal has just chosen a mini-starchitect for their performance hall and it's all good...
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Oh he's nowhere near a starchitect. And I'm delighted with how my old alma mater, OCAD, turned out ... and the ROM, and the AGO.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
syn:
I wouldn't assume that - architects are notorious of putting architecture first. Certainly we in Toronto learned that lesson well...
AoD
I wouldn't assume that - architects are notorious of putting architecture first. Certainly we in Toronto learned that lesson well...
AoD
nfitz
Superstar
Surely the issue for a concert hall should be the acoustics and interior - not the exterior. The Toronto Hall seems to be a major success from these fronts! It's a shame the ROM didn't apply this approach, and while the new extension there is at least visually interesting form the outside, the interior space is very disappointing, with the actual usable floorspace coming from the extension being minimal.
Heck, any time I've been at Place-des-Arts for a performance - I don't think I've ever even set foot outside, as it is well connected to the underground city.
Heck, any time I've been at Place-des-Arts for a performance - I don't think I've ever even set foot outside, as it is well connected to the underground city.
adma
Superstar
nfitz
Superstar
Good grief - is that Westmount Square? I always thought it was sinfully ugly when I lived in Montreal! And the interior mall always seemed to be ... missing something. Is this supposed to be an example of good architecture?
MartinMtl
New Member
The Westmount Square ugly? First time I hear that. True, the interior mall isn't anything special, but the the three towers are just as elegant and refined as anything else done by Mies. Why ugly???
As for the new concert hall, Diamond was choosen after a competition. I was hoping that Saucier + Perotte would win that one... I guess we'll have to wait to see the rendering before knowing if they choose the best design. When they release it, I hope we'll be able to compare Diamond's design with the others... I suspect that this firm's success with the Toronto Opera house was critical for them to win the contest.
nfitz
Superstar
That was always what I thought - never discussed it with anyone. Just seems very cold, very stark - can't say I've even seen it in 15 years ... I had no idea that it had any reputation - nor do I think most that ever past it.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
D+S's track record of designing performing arts centres in various countries would automatically place them in the front rank of any such competition, anywhere.
adma
Superstar
Being so accustomed to TD, the most disconcerting thing I find about Westmount Square is how stubby it looks: Mies at a "Hayden Panettiere" scale, I suppose...