Toronto Royal Ontario Museum | ?m | ?s | Daniel Libeskind

I was disappointed with the inclusion of so much metal cladding initially, but this has been common knowledge for well over a year so that's pretty old news. But I guess Rochon is writing to a national audience so most Canadians wouldn't know that.

How the interior was to be broken up always concerned me and I was never convinced that the full use of the space could be used effectively. Sounds like they came up with a reasonable compromise between useful exhibition space and enough openness to show off the architecture.
 
"rages at the world"???? I detect no rage here, in fact I would say it delights in its outrageousness....
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I only experienced joy last night too. Rage wasn't on anyone's radar. In fact, I've never seen our city fall in love with a building like I witnessed last night. The crystal is easily one of the best spaces I've ever set foot in and is made all the more enjoyable by the playfulness of it all. Watching people slide down walls, fit into weird spaces and hang vicariously over slanted railings was all part of the fun that was evident on everyone's faces.

Indeed, there's still a lot of work to be done, but to be able to experience "just the building" and little else (even with the construction dust still fresh) was worth every second of the wait.

Wow, what a structure! Pictures coming real soon!
 
jgreebnerg76 said:
How far we have come... Needless to say, what an improvement!

JG
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So true. Flipping back and forth between these two is startling:

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RE: the "blast proof" doors used to move between galleries, I wonder what ever happened to the doors with the Crystalesque slits in them.
The front entrance features glass doors instead.
 
They may just be temporary until the proper doors are ordered or until the slits are cut. I got the feeling last night that much of what I saw was temporary, but necessary to meet fire code for the open house.
 
I only experienced joy last night too. Rage wasn't on anyone's radar. In fact, I've never seen our city fall in love with a building like I witnessed last night. The crystal is easily one of the best spaces I've ever set foot in and is made all the more enjoyable by the playfulness of it all. Watching people slide down walls, fit into weird spaces and hang vicariously over slanted railings was all part of the fun that was evident on everyone's faces.
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Yeah, I wish Rochon wrote her review after last night. She would have seen something different.

Yes, everyone was having so much fun with going into some of those precariously tight windowsills (and becoming invisible), taking tonnes of pictures, wandering through and certainly not acting like museum patrons (though the staff didn't mind much!) - they were all very excitied and very happy to be there.

Apart from the terrible crowd control and management (until they opened it where the man with the bullhorn was the only one seemingly knowing what to do), I though the night was magical, in the non-cheesy sense. The ROM's idea for the opening night, whule not execured perfectly, was a real party for the masses to spend a night at the museum.

I hope the blast doors are temporary, and almost expect that they are, like the grates. I expect that it will look better once the galleries (especially age of mammals and dinosaurs) are installed and time given to finish the job - the rush to complete was apparent.

Oh, and the whole idea of entering through the new entrance, and leaving via the old Rotunda entrance was interesting - I thought it was a nice touch.
 
Wow - what an amazing building!

Corner after corner reveals yet another surprising angle. Move a few feet and the room seems to change entirely. Head over to a tailored gash in the wall, peer in and find a hidden window 80 feet above a wedged atrium. Lean against a pitched balcony three floors over Bloor and feel the dizziness and vertigo of skewed windows and walls filling your field of vision.

Class trips will never be the same.

In a year from now 3rd-graders will be herded into the ROM to hear a lecture about dinosaurs and some will go home and put a plastic t-rex in one hand and a velociraptor in the other and they'll smash 'em together, but some will head home knowing that they will be an architect some day because their mind just burst open with the possibilities of space.

It won't just be kids, either.

Some people will come just to wonder. The building works, more than anything, as a place to open your mind. Because the spaces are so outside of normal experience, the visitor is challenged to consider new potentialities, to reconsider what the rules are. This is a place that says 'question your expectations' in a profound way, one which could filter deep down into the general outlook of some the people that get enveloped by it all.

Wow - what an amazing building!

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^^I asked two people who said that the blast doors are permanent to seclude each area from eachother in case of fire.

Then again, many of the volunteers were clueless. Some of them didn't even know what was to be displayed in the gallery that they were supervising (even though it was clearly indicated on the map).

I wasn't even sure if I was allowed in some of the doors as they're uninviting and make the stair of wonders feel very much like a fire escape.
 
Spectacular Opening

Well I experienced a very unToronto moment last night.

Never before had I witness thousands of people filling a closed down street in downtown to watch the opening of a new building. Not to mention that the whole event was surprisingly well organized with large video screens, the program having started and staying exactly on time.

The speeches were short and straight to the point. I loved how the crowd gave Michael Lee-Chin a huge ovation.

At first I thought the whole concert was going to be cheesy, especially with the theme of "time", however in the end it all tied into all the acts and they were able to get in a few really good jokes in especially about Britney Spears being in rehab.

I thought it was fab that they showcased an entire range of Canadian music from across the country, my personal favorites being the Canadian tenors (never knew there was such a thing), George and this back up dancers, Deborah Cox and her new jazz edge, and the finale with David Foster, Jann Arden and a children's choir which launched that dramatic grand illumination and official opening with the Governor General was just stunning. The little fireworks at the top was also a really nice touch and surprise.

I understand work has already begun for next year’s LuminaTO festival. Hopefully the AGO will be ready by festival time and we can have another dramatic public opening to another great Toronto institution.

Louroz
 
I hope it's just the "temporaryness" of a rushed final job, but parts of the museum (such as the Stair of Wonders) felt very cold...

... I think the AGO will win on that front with Gehry's use of warm woods.

I guess it is wise though to leave my final grading for October...
 
First of 2 picture threads.

The Concert was really neat, though the "plot" was cheesy, and many of the performances very good, if a bit family-friendly. The politicans droned on, first, Dolton, then Bev Oda and Lee-Chin's "anyone can make it, look at me" speech (though otherwise you can't help but like the guy for putting up the money for it). Thorsell spoke well and to the mood.

Setting up - banks of toilets and wash basins.

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RCM lit for the night.

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G-G

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G-G's own flag flying.

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The masses leave.

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Blury picture of RCM's Philosopher's Walk frontage lit as well!

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Mayor and Toronto Government is a no show

Notably absent from the ROM Opening and all of LuminaTO for that matter is the “Toronto Government†and its fearless leader, David Miller.

The city manages to throw millions around for a new waterfront office building and a soccer stadium that could have easily been built by private corporations, but can’t cough up a few million dollars to contribute to the city’s cultural projects and new arts festival, all the while crying poor.

Thankfully the vision, leadership and money is found elsewhere in this city.

Louroz
 
I was absolutely amazed by the interior spaces inside the new Crystal. Enormous yet intimate, and every time you turn your head to look in another direction you are just blown away by the angles and the ever-changing vistas. Once the permanent exhibits are installed (like the dinosaurs and textiles) the spaces will really shine.

Although other cities like Berlin and Denver have similar buildings by Libeskind, the ROM Crystal truly is a remarkable new addition that incredibly enhances the existing museum and the entire city. Toronto has a new architectural jewel that – at least based on what I saw last night – people have embraced and adore. Bravo!
 
Notably absent from the ROM Opening and all of LuminaTO for that matter is the “Toronto Government” and its fearless leader, David Miller.
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I agree it was a bit surprising not to see the mayor there, but isn't your shot at Miller a bit unfair?

Does the City of Ottawa pay for the national museums it has? Does the City of Washington pay for the National Mall? No.

The ROM is a provincial institution with national significance. So it is no wonder that the province and even the feds helped fund it, along with significant contributions from the public. The city is cash-strapped (largely thanks to the province and the feds), so I don't see anything wrong here.
 
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