Collection by Miyoko Ohtake
Touring Toronto, Part 2
I traveled to Toronto last week to serve on the curatorial committee of Twenty+Change, report a story, and check out the city's current design scene. Having already visited the TIFF Lightbox and having strolled up and down Queen Street West in Part 1, I continue my journey here in Part 2, visiting several new museums and performance centers, shopping in The Junction along Dundas Street West, and meandering through the new Evergreen Brick Works.
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Completed in 2007, the addition sparked heated discussion as soon as its design was chosen in 2002. Critics questioned whether the structure was sensitive to the original building, and others were enraged that the addition was able to extend so far above the existing structure and over the sidewalk since the nearby Bata Shoe Museum by Moriyama & Teshima Architects was restricted to an incredibly tight envelope so as not to disturb the Bloor Street streetscape.
I was lucky enough to catch a performance of Don Quixote starring the incredible Sonia Rodriguez. Before the show there was a "ballet talk" that not only helped explain elements of the ballet but highlighted the wonderful design of the center. Instead of just providing circulation, the network of bridges, stars, and spans in the foyer also take on other functions, such as an auditorium that can be used for purposes such as talks and lectures. It's quite a brilliant use of space.
My last stop before flying back to San Francisco was at the new Evergreen Brick Works. The former Don Valley Brick Works brickyard (which in the 1960s and 70s produced more than 43 million bricks each year) closed in the 1980s and slowly fell apart over the next decade. Today, Canadian nonprofit Evergreen runs the site as a center for sustainable learning and green design. Shown here is the .
Before I boarded my plane out of Toronto's Pearson International Airport, I treated myself to another Canadian favorite: a donut and hot beverage from Tim Hortons, named after the legendary hockey player (and former Toronto Maple Leaf and Buffalo Sabre) Myles Gilbert "Tim" Horton, who cofounded the chain. Be sure to check back for in-depth slideshows of Made design shop and gallery, the Gladstone Hotel, and Evergreen Brick Works soon!