Love-it-or-hate-it Crystal opens June 2
The Crystal at the ROM opens its doors in less than a week. There has been a good deal of criticism and disdain of this new addition to Toronto's architecture - "" because of it, says one writer.
But another columnist Christopher Hume writes, however, that all that is no indication of how the latest Toronto landmark will be perceived in the future. Some of the most celebrated buildings in history, from the Parthenon of Athens to Paris's Eiffel Tower and New York's Rockefeller Center, got scathing reviews at the time they were created, he notes. The same is true for other buildings in Toronto itself, including the City Hall which everyone today recognizes as an iconic feature of our city. Further, Hume says, the best thing about the new ROM may be its inner spaces, rather than how it looks on the outside. We'll have to wait and see.
The new ROM opens Saturday, June 2 with a free concert. More details at the ROM web site.
2 comments:
I read Mr. Hume's article, and found it amusing how the French did not like the Eiffel tower because it did not suit French taste ... lol. I wonder what Canadians like, in a country where the majority of the people have roots elsewhere in the world.
Interestingly enough, there was talk that the Sam the Record in location Toronto that is closing should somehow be preserved, umm, why?
Sam the Record Man was the music store for Toronto, they're supposed to be pioneers for the record industry. The Yonge St store has this iconic value for Toronto's culture and music scene. I guess that's why maybe some people want to preserve the site. Don't think that will happen though.
I think Canadians don't like, or aren't used to, anything too bold or groundbreaking. Everyone's happy with their buildings and spaces being regular and functional - nothing too grandiose or proud. I guess that's a result of being under the shadow first of Britain and then the United States - both vastly superior to Canada in different ways.
Canadian cities are still growing though. There's room and time to make cities like Toronto and Ottawa truly world class while still retaining the down-to-earth, friendly feel. We've just got to get a little out of the timid, modest mindset (and spend some money for a change!). Yeah, that's my "expert" opinion, for what it's worth.
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