"The problem will be the emulators."

In a very recent post on that silly OCAD building in Toronto -- I know I shouldn't say "silly" as I haven't actually been there, but recently I have been spending a lot of time with a 4 year old and that sort of building reminds me of her refrain as she stands on the 4th stair step, about to jump and yells "Look at me!" Of course what is fine in a 4 year old is not fine in adults.

Anyway, Chris Burd made the remark that "My position on this sort of building is that every city is allowed *one*... The problem will be the emulators."

He is absolutely correct. I phrase it as allowing only "a few raisins in the oatmeal." Once you add too many raisins you've ruined the basic dish.

Moreover, you've created a model for impressionable and ambitious young architects: the way to get advance their careers is to do something weird.

Comments

[Hans in Toronto]

Thought I would reply here rather than in the original thread.

Heh. OCAD. I go by this building every day on the streetcar.

Some points:
- This building was done on an extremely tight budget. About $15 million US.
- It's clad in aluminium siding. Seriously.
- The interior of the building shows the tight budget. That is to say, there is nothing of note about the interior. Maybe other than the washrooms, which play tricks with gender roles by having the men's washroom red and the women's blue. Pointless detail, I know.
- The insides of the window frames are painted fluorescent colours. At night this creates an effect that even detractors of the building usually like.
- The ground level is an embarrassment. Pure concrete park. It was supposed to be joined to Grange Park behind, but there is a narrow, fenced parking lot separating the two.
- It's created a great bit of debate in the city about architecture, as has the mess of steel girders that is the Liebskind ROM construction site. These mega projects, combined with the efforts of Mayor David Miller, Christopher Hume in the Toronto Star, and a number of other individuals have been working successfully to try and increase public discussion about design and architecture. The suburbs may still not care, but it is to note that the local community surrounding a condo project on King St W (part of "the Kings", which you have written about before, David) allowed for a height INCREASE in exchange for better design and massing.
- OCAD is an art school. That simple factor seems to make people accept this building much more as it seems appropriate.

The Gehry AGO makeover is still on. They have already closed sections of the gallery. That plan makes me nervous because it calls for what looks like a long wall along Dundas St with an overhang. Not very welcoming if you ask me. The Liebskind ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) plan works much better because it will be poking out between two heritage wings of the building, and the frontage will be much shorter and more visually interesting than with the AGO. Unfortunately, what does have me concerned is the change in materials to aluminium, which I fear will look cheap. The Foster building at UofT is turning a few heads as well, even though it is basically a box.

Any other questions?