Category Archives: Toronto
Gehry makes Toronto shine
I head back to Toronto next week for a series of meetings, so thought I’d write a post about my increasing appreciation for Canada’s largest city. (And no, it’s not just because Toronto is home to some amazing chocolate personalities!) I’d read a terrific post last week on the architectural achievements of Canadian architect, Frank Gehry, who was born in Toronto and has contributed to the list of the some of the world’s most stunning modern architectural achievements. I’ve previously written about several of them, including the amazing Marques de Riscal in Elciego, Spain. But Gehry’s Canadian achievements are high on my mind these days, as not only did he design a space-age ice shack at The Forks in Winnipeg this year, he oversaw a major overall of the Art Gallery of Ontario several years ago. Having visited some of the finest galleries of the world including the Guggenheim in Bilbao (also designed by Gehry), the Louvre in Paris, the Prado Museum of Fine Art in Madrid, the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and Canada’s own National Gallery in Ottawa, I was amazed that it took Frank Gehry to finally get me through the doors of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). I’ve been coming to Toronto several times a year for meetings since 1999 and had visited many of the city’s fine cultural offerings. But for some reason, it had not occurred to me to venture forth and spend time at the AGO. That is, until legendary Canadian-born architect, Frank O. Gehry put his mark on the facility with a major $276 million expansion unveiled in 2008. The Gehry-infused transformation of the AGO was six years in the making and multi-faceted in scope. In my opinion, it has been a successful effort to interconnect the …
