Thanks for that Ziggy. Very entertaining.
Adam Vaughn hits the nail on the head regarding the finishings and workmanship of the ROM Crystal.
Now that it's been completed and open for a year now, the ROM has no excuse for its many misgivings:
1 - Stair of Wonders - It's a
wonder how empty and desolate this place is. This is supposed to be the grand stair, the major vertical link between the galleries. Yet, it is reminiscent of a utility stair.
The the aluminum siding was poorly assembled – misaligned, scraped instead of polished – and even the rivets are broken and crushed. The trail on each side of each stair is usually full of dirt and is truly an eyesore. Its an embarassment for a building costing that much.
2 - Exterior - No matter how William Thorsell tries to spin it, the barn siding didn't work out as intended. The slats are mismatched in a manner obvious to having been screwed up rather than being an artful intention.
From the minute I saw one side clad in that "extruded brushed aluminum", I knew that it was a mistake. I still think that it should have been clad in 100% glass, using opaque glass where the metal slats are. I understand that the building needs to function as a museum space to light sensitive artifacts, and I do understand that the building needs to be realistic in a way that deflects rain, ice and snow.
Hey, if glass isn't impressive enough, tint it red:
While I don't think this building will be "torn down in 20 years" like Lisa Rochon says, at some point after the entire museum's "Renaissance" is complete, they should go back to the Crystal and
edit some of the problem areas.