Top 10 Toronto Architects

[thecharioteer]

From Toronto No Mean City (contains a great glossary at the back of Toronto architects):

 

[Urban Shocker]

You boys can't just keep throwing names out for consideration, you know that, don't you? You've got to come up with a list of ten - them's the rules! adHominem still owes us one.

The problem I had was weighing the cause of architects who have designed a few famous, memorable buildings ( Storm, solo from Cumberland, with his uber-Gormenghast Victoria College and St. Andrew's church, for instance ... ) against someone like Diamond, who has designed buildings that fit in so politely they feel as if they've always been there.

 

[adHominem]

You've got to come up with a list of ten - them's the rules! adHominem still owes us one.

Never let it be said I break the rules: add Parkin to my list to make it an even ten. (Although, if I may bend the rules a little, I'd follow adma's excellent suggestion to combine Darling & Pearson (logically enough) to free up another slot for Cumberland.)

I approached the problem a bit more personally – who were the architects responsible for those places that come to mind when I think "Toronto". (Hence my inclusion of Pomphrey, even though there are far more prolific/virtuosic/renowned/etc choices. From an objective standpoint, there are others who had more of an impact on the city, but speaking subjectively, what I think of as Toronto's "personality" would be lesser without his contributions.)

 

[Urban Shocker]

On second thought, thecharioteer was right about John Howard; I can't justify leaving him out, since he was a giant of his time. I've therefore ditched poor old Eden Smith, who never harmed a fly bless him, though I think he was important, not just as an English Arts and Crafts alternative to the Beaux Arts boys, but as a member of the Eighteen Club. And the more famous Cumberland gives way to Storm. Revised list to follow:

* William Thomas ( 1799-1860 )

* John Howard ( 1803-80 ) )

* William G. Storm ( 1826-1892 )

* E.J. Lennox ( 1854-1933 )

* John B. Parkin ( 1911-75 )

* Peter Dickinson ( 1925-1961 )

* Eberhard Zeidler ( 1926- )

* Raymond Moriyama ( 1929- )

* Jack Diamond ( 1932- )

* Peter Clewes ( 1953- )

 

[adma]

I'm wondering whether John B. Parkin should make way for his (curiously unrelated) namesake-in-charge-of-design John C. Parkin, who really was the "face" of the company...

 

[Ladies Mile]

I'm a bit leery of lists like these. The best architect can show shocking discrepancies in product and effect from building to building (think Saarinen, in many ways a marvelous architect but one as apt to produce a stinker as a rose).

Then there's the question of provincialism. For my money the ten "best" architects of New York City are Mies, Breuer, Wright, SOM, Corb (The UN), Raymond Hood, Olmstead & Vaux, George Washington Roebling & Sons, Heins & LaFarge and, arguably, Herzog and de Meuron. The problem should be immediately apparent.

 

[andrewjm3d]

I'm a little surprised none of you have mentioned Hariri Pontarini Architects.

 

[thecharioteer]

I'm a little surprised none of you have mentioned Hariri Pontarini Architects.

I did on January 18th in terms of the Diamond & Myers family tree.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I'd love to see such an architectural family tree. We should assemble one. Frederic Cumberland's career was begat by Sir Charles Barry, apparently.

 

[Automation Gallery]

Strange Here is an architect that never caught much of a break in his hometown.........Frank Gehry turns 83

There seems to be a huge demand for Gehry just about everywhere in the world: Asia, Europe, Paris, Berlin, New York, L.A. Venezuela. Everywhere, that is, except Toronto, where he grew up as Frank Goldberg.

Apart from his remake of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Gehry says the commissions in his hometown always go to other architects. Some prospective clients assume a Gehry building would cost more than they can afford, but he says he can compete with anyone on price, and his buildings turn out to be bargain
http://www.toronto.com/article/714404--frank-gehry-turns-83

 

[buildup]

I`m not qualified to opine here, but I cant help but notice how developers crowd around a tight list of names. 3 years ago it was all Aa, then H&R, now Wallman.

 

[buildup]

Strange Here is an architect that never caught much of a break in his hometown.........Frank Gehry turns 83

There seems to be a huge demand for Gehry just about everywhere in the world: Asia, Europe, Paris, Berlin, New York, L.A. Venezuela. Everywhere, that is, except Toronto, where he grew up as Frank Goldberg.

Apart from his remake of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Gehry says the commissions in his hometown always go to other architects. Some prospective clients assume a Gehry building would cost more than they can afford, but he says he can compete with anyone on price, and his buildings turn out to be bargain
http://www.toronto.com/article/714404--frank-gehry-turns-83

Hard to believe not one of these 60-70 story twin towers in Toronto couldn`t have been given to Ghery. I huge shame, possibly something in the new Cumberland or York Street district would work. Is there anyone on UrbanToronto who could make the introductions...

 

[Automation Gallery]

Hard to believe not one of these 60-70 story twin towers in Toronto couldn`t have been given to Ghery. I huge shame, possibly something in the new Cumberland or York Street district would work. Is there anyone on UrbanToronto who could make the introductions...

Yeah hard to believe, and wonder why
He says it the way it is....................can compete with anyone on price, and his buildings turn out to be a bargain

 

[themarc]

Strange Here is an architect that never caught much of a break in his hometown.........Frank Gehry turns 83

There seems to be a huge demand for Gehry just about everywhere in the world: Asia, Europe, Paris, Berlin, New York, L.A. Venezuela. Everywhere, that is, except Toronto, where he grew up as Frank Goldberg.

Apart from his remake of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Gehry says the commissions in his hometown always go to other architects. Some prospective clients assume a Gehry building would cost more than they can afford, but he says he can compete with anyone on price, and his buildings turn out to be bargain
http://www.toronto.com/article/714404--frank-gehry-turns-83

Good article?

 

[Urban Shocker]

Meanwhile, back to William Thomas.

Here's an ad for a luxury apartment development named after him in Leamington Spa, England:

http://www.projectpontifex.com/wth/