Toronto Ryerson Image Centre | ?m | 5s | Ryerson University | Diamond Schmitt

T

Tuscani01

Guest
* * * Please do not reply to this email * * *

I am pleased to share more good news with the community. This week the Board of Governors approved the new Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre, to be built at 122 Bond Street in the School of Image Arts building right at the heart of our campus.

The Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre is an $8-million project that will house our world-renowned Black Star Historical Black & White Photography Collection and the Mira Godard Study Centre. Ryerson is embarking on an ambitious building program to complete the project as quickly as possible. The University will issue an RFP shortly, seeking a multi-disciplinary design team to develop and design the new Centre.

Ryerson's Black Star Historical Black & White Photography Collection is considered the most significant cultural contribution ever made to a Canadian university. The gift was accompanied by a $7-million financial contribution to help support the preservation, research, study and exhibit of the Collection. This funding will be used towards the new Centre.

The Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre will be one of the top facilities in the world for the study, teaching, research and exhibition of photography. The integration of teaching, research, and gallery activities in new and improved facilities, including more study space, provides the optimum environment for our students and supports one of our most important priorities: improving quality and the student experience, both inside and outside the classroom.

The expansion of graduate studies and research is another priority for the University. The Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre will become a focal point for the School of Image Arts' two graduate programs: the existing Photographic Preservation and Collections Management, and a new Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media planned for fall 2007. Graduate students in this new interdisciplinary program will be especially well served by the Centre's new study spaces, new research facilities, and the hiring of more faculty members.

The northwest corner of the School of Image Arts building will be upgraded and converted into the Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre. The new facility will occupy approximately 10,500 square feet and will include several gallery and exhibit spaces, research facilities, storage areas and a lobby area with direct access to the street.

We will hire a professional Director to lead and manage the Centre. The School of Image Arts will continue to exhibit works from Ryerson's Black Star Historical Black & White Photography Collection, through CONTACT and other public exhibits, while the Centre is being developed and built.

The Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre is a wonderful next step in the growth of our photography programs and collections. It will attract students and scholars, Torontonians and visitors from Canada and around the world. We will see increased pride on our campus, in our downtown community and in our city.

I will keep the Ryerson community informed as the project moves forward.


Sheldon Levy
President
 
Re: ..

Not sure if I should be cheering the news - the Image Arts building is quite dumpy inside and out.

AoD
 
..

which is why

"The University will issue an RFP shortly, seeking a multi-disciplinary design team to develop and design the new Centre."
 
Re: ..

I've always thought that they should extend the building a few metres north so it met the sidewalk, could have a new frontage, a new entrance directly onto Gould, new main stairwell that isn't a former narrow and industrial warehouse stairwell, and a start to some new space for the photo gallery. Some windows on the Lake Devo frontage might be nice as well.
 
Re: ..

I agree with Alvin. This news seems like an anticlimax after all the hype Ryerson has developed with its ambitious plans.

A new building in the quad, or on Church Street between the Architecture and Roger buildings, or even an existing building like Torch might be better than this proposal.
 
Re: ...

* * * Please do not reply to this email * * *

I informed the Board of Governors on Monday night, and Academic Council last night, that following a rigorous selection process we have chosen Toronto's Diamond and Schmitt Architects to develop and design the new $8-million Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre.

We announced at the end of October that the gallery and research centre will be located at 122 Bond Street, in the northwest corner of the School of Image Arts building at the heart of our campus. The new facility will house the University's world-renowned Black Star Historical Black & White Photography Collection and the Mira Godard Study Centre. It will occupy approximately 10,500 sq. ft., will be directly accessible from the street and will include several gallery and exhibit spaces, research facilities and storage areas.

I'm confident Diamond and Schmitt Architects understands that teaching, research, study and gallery activities must be seamlessly integrated in the new facility. The Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre will provide an outstanding learning environment for our undergraduate and graduate students, who will be especially well served by the Centre's new study spaces and new research facilities. The gallery and research centre will also be a wonderful addition to our downtown Toronto community.

Diamond and Schmitt Architects brings vision, design excellence and impeccable credentials to the project. Donald Schmitt will be principal-in-charge. The firm was established in 1975 and has received over 100 regional, national and international awards for design, including six Governor General's Awards for architecture.

Past projects by Diamond and Schmitt Architects include the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (the new home of the Canadian Opera Company) in Toronto; the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen's University, Kingston; the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall; The Esplanade: Arts and Heritage Centre, Medicine Hat, Alberta; and the Weston Family Innovation Centre at the Ontario Science Centre.

I will report back to the community regularly as the project moves forward.


Sheldon Levy
President
 
Ryerson Photography Centre

G&M 1 Feb 2006

Ryerson picks architect for photography centre
VAL ROSS


Toronto-based Diamond and Schmitt Architects, creators of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, has been chosen to design the Ryerson Photography Gallery and Research Centre.

The estimated $8-million facility will be located in the School of Image Arts building at 122 Bond Street in the university's campus, just east of Yonge Street. It will include galleries and exhibition spaces directly accessible from the street, as well as the Mira Godard Study Centre and storage for the university's collection of 291,000 historic photographs.

When it was anonymously donated in 2005, the gift came with $7-million in cash, which will largely fund the new facility.
 
RU

Another Diamond/Schmitt special. Diamond's very well connected locally. It's hard to imagine that he goes by his recent architectural record in this city to get his designs accepted by new clients.
 
Re: ...

A relatively small $8 Million budget won't leave a lot for exterior enhancements of the very ugly building that this gallery and research centre is going into. I'll assume that there will be a number of holes cut into the massive brick wall to be filled with glass, steel, maybe some concrete accents. I look forward to the changes, and like everything else, they can't come fast enough.

Meanwhile...

any Rye High students got a moment to get some morning-light pictures of Lake Devo with Metropolis looming over it? That would be the time of day to get a shot of the square and the back wall of Metropolis with some light on it. Let's see how it's coming along...

curious 42
 
Re: ...

interchange:

Ask and you shall receive - I will see what I can do.

AoD
 
RU

They also had a small budget for the Varsity Centre at U of T, Diamond/Shmitt that is and we can plainly see the results. This is Ryerson's first effort at improving its campus design. You'd think they could have made a more thoughtful choice for their first project.
 
Re: RU

any Rye High students got a moment to get some morning-light pictures of Lake Devo with Metropolis looming over it?

You should have asked earlier. I was invited back to Ryerson yesterday by people in my old student groups for a few events.

Even though I graduated last year, I was mildly surprised to find that I could still log into the computers at the Ryerson Library. Now I know where to check up on the forum when I'm in that part of downtown.
 
Re: RU

If its not a D&S building it would be KPMB, sad as it is. Its as though they are the only two players when it comes to cultural architecture in this city. Come to think of it, many people complain about the monotonous landscape of cookie-cutter houses and condos which go up across this fair city. Well, I know its a little different because there aren't quite so many of them, but having 2/3 of our cultural buildings designed by the same architects can't exactly be defined as a plethora of variety.

D&S, while probably very well connected, like urbanvillageboy states, is the safe choice. They will build a nice safe box for you- on time, on budget and so forth.

I would like to know who else was involved in the selection process? What is the point of keeping all of these decisions secret or behind closed doors- everyone knows who is going to be picked anyways...

p5
 
Re: RU

Remember: the existing "very ugly" facility is an ex-brewery, and built brewing-vat heavy-duty to boot (think of the drawn-out Molson demolition on Fleet St, and you'll know what I mean). And all things considered, the Brutalist touches added when it became university space are only ultra-ugly to those who blanket-condemn Brutalism as ugly. For its time, it was a good, clever, stylish adaptation for the purpose at hand (euphemistic as that may sound today--or not).

Not that I'm not welcoming the present plans; but if they go less far than some may wish, maybe it can be understood...
 

Back
Top