Hume: Toronto a few bricks short of a cultural renaissance

[M II A II R II K]

Hume: Toronto a few bricks short of a cultural renaissance


Jan 07 2011

By Christopher Hume

Read More: http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen...-a-few-bricks-short-of-a-cultural-renaissance

Whether it will be the long goodbye or the big sleep, 2011 could well go down as the year architecture in Toronto ran out of energy and out of town. Aside from the waterfront, the Ismaili Cultural Centre, Ryerson University, Regent Park and a few projects here and there, the excitement and frenetic pace of the last decade has all but ground to a halt. Though the city's new mayor, His Worship Rob Ford, has nothing to do with it, his appearance on the civic stage sums up what the next few years will be all about: Two steps forward, three steps back; right now we're taking the three steps back.

Architecture is what economists might call a lagging indicator; fewer buildings get built in recessionary times, but the backlog of projects keeps construction going for years after the axe has fallen. In other words, the effect of the most recent economic debacle won't become evident until later in the decade.

But it's clear that the days of a phenomenon such as Toronto's cultural renaissance are over, at least for the time being. Fuelled by the SuperBuild infrastructure program, a cost-sharing arrangement between federal and provincial governments, the cultural renaissance changed the face of the city. Important institutions — the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, the National Ballet School, etc. — were expanded and reinvented by some of the world's most admired architects, including Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind and Will Alsop.

Toronto even managed to build its first real opera house, a feat that had eluded the city for decades.

Though many have cheered the demise of so-called starchitecture, the criticism is mean-spirited or beside the point. For a city such as Toronto to have works by some of the finest practitioners on the planet has been transformative. Not everybody loves everything, it's true, but that hardly matters. The point is that architecture, and beyond that culture and design, is more ingrained in the urban fabric than ever.

But in the era of Rob Ford, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Opposition Leader Tim Hudak and the like, these sorts of projects are just more evidence of elites running amok. Elites, as we all know, are the new enemy, responsible for the social and economic ill that plague us. Whether they're talking about the five-cent plastic-bag fee, the long-gun registry or public transit funding, it adds up to an elitist conspiracy to rob the little guy of what's his.

.....




The National Ballet School at 400 Jarvis is part of an unfinished revolution in the city's landscape.

 

[old boy]

Hume: Toronto a few bricks short of a cultural renaissance


Jan 07 2011

By Christopher Hume

Read More: http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen...-a-few-bricks-short-of-a-cultural-renaissance

Whether it will be the long goodbye or the big sleep, 2011 could well go down as the year architecture in Toronto ran out of energy and out of town. Aside from the waterfront, the Ismaili Cultural Centre, Ryerson University, Regent Park and a few projects here and there, the excitement and frenetic pace of the last decade has all but ground to a halt. Though the city's new mayor, His Worship Rob Ford, has nothing to do with it, his appearance on the civic stage sums up what the next few years will be all about: Two steps forward, three steps back; right now we're taking the three steps back.

Architecture is what economists might call a lagging indicator; fewer buildings get built in recessionary times, but the backlog of projects keeps construction going for years after the axe has fallen. In other words, the effect of the most recent economic debacle won't become evident until later in the decade.

But it's clear that the days of a phenomenon such as Toronto's cultural renaissance are over, at least for the time being. Fuelled by the SuperBuild infrastructure program, a cost-sharing arrangement between federal and provincial governments, the cultural renaissance changed the face of the city. Important institutions — the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, the National Ballet School, etc. — were expanded and reinvented by some of the world's most admired architects, including Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind and Will Alsop.

Toronto even managed to build its first real opera house, a feat that had eluded the city for decades.

Though many have cheered the demise of so-called starchitecture, the criticism is mean-spirited or beside the point. For a city such as Toronto to have works by some of the finest practitioners on the planet has been transformative. Not everybody loves everything, it's true, but that hardly matters. The point is that architecture, and beyond that culture and design, is more ingrained in the urban fabric than ever.

But in the era of Rob Ford, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Opposition Leader Tim Hudak and the like, these sorts of projects are just more evidence of elites running amok. Elites, as we all know, are the new enemy, responsible for the social and economic ill that plague us. Whether they're talking about the five-cent plastic-bag fee, the long-gun registry or public transit funding, it adds up to an elitist conspiracy to rob the little guy of what's his.

.....




The National Ballet School at 400 Jarvis is part of an unfinished revolution in the city's landscape.

If the effect of the cultural renaissance has been as " transformative ", as Mr. Hume suggests, then what do we have to fear ? It's up to the people who love the city, not just the so-called elites, ( whoever the hell they are ), to see that the place continues refining itself into simply a great place to be, and that has as much to do with further enhancing our public spaces, along with preserving/re-using what remains of the old architectural stock. And what about the vision of Toronto as a leader of green urbanism ? The evidence of Toronto's success exists in bits and pieces, be it as the financial, medical, entertainment, university, government etc... hub it is. Toronto has quite a future.

 

[Redroom Studios]

both points are true... we are not saddled to our leaders but we could be inspired by them. The tone being set by the list of suspects mentioned by Hume is that culture is the enemy of the common man. With funding being reduced or cut off it becomes much more difficult for culture to thrive freely as it has for most of the last decade. Or more specifically to architecture, fewer and lesser public venues will be built if those in charge find them as offensive to their sensibilities.

 

[old boy]

both points are true... we are not saddled to our leaders but we could be inspired by them. The tone being set by the list of suspects mentioned by Hume is that culture is the enemy of the common man. With funding being reduced or cut off it becomes much more difficult for culture to thrive freely as it has for most of the last decade. Or more specifically to architecture, fewer and lesser public venues will be built if those in charge find them as offensive to their sensibilities.

In the end isn't it the so-called " common man ", who is the arbiter of culture, and not government. Culture and the common man are not antithetical at all. These are superficial terms , meant to divide. The rhetoric doesn't make the reality, although some of our political class will never stop trying to make it so. Finally, I consider myself a " common man ", living outside Toronto. I visit when I can and have distance memberships in the ROM and AGO, and others, as my support for these great institutions . In a city like Toronto there's also a well-heeled class that seems willing to contribute.

 

[Redroom Studios]

all good stuff! I truly hope that you are correct that our cultural venues will remain vibrant... I appreciate your positive outlook and I am generally positive myself but I try to be a realist as well and observe possible threats. It troubles me that the 'elites' rhetoric seems to have traction with a large enough segment of the population to help get people elected. Anyways, we'll stay tuned and see how things play out. I think the point stands that culture could be even more vibrant if it was supported both in spirit and with dollars by our elected officials (as it has been over the previous 8 years).

 

[junctionist]

It doesn't help that the crown jewels of this cultural transformation charge at least $20 a person to get in. The culture should be made affordable to see and that fact should be advertised. The rhetoric about this being an issue concerning elites is false as there aren't nearly enough elites to explain the numbers of people who visit places like the ROM and AGO. It may be a matter of better reaching out to ordinary people to ensure a wider support base.

When 80% of funding for the grand cultural facility expansion projects we've seen so far comes from private, affluent (and generous) donors, it's understandable that accessibility for the "common person" gets lost in the translation. The government should come in to democratize the experience of taking in at least some of what these institutions have to offer. Rather, what we see from some politicians, notably some conservative leaders, is an attempt to keep out ordinary people by telling them that this culture isn't something for them, which is pathetic. The reality is that we've transformed the architecture, and now we have to transform the attitudes or this cultural growth won't be sustainable.

 

[pman]

Hume's right about the new era for cultural institutions, but I wonder if we could get some significant federal funding for new medical research facilities associated with the UofT and downtown hospitals. Everybody loves medical research and it actually makes some sense to spend a few bucks to increase the level of activity in an area with so many hospitals and a decent research university. Harper needs to do something to reward Toronto and maybe this wouldn't be political suicide for him in the rest of the country.

 

[Urban Shocker]

It doesn't help that the crown jewels of this cultural transformation charge at least $20 a person to get in.

Memberships, which give unlimited access for a year, including to special exhibitions, run about $60 to $90 for most of our cultural institutions and soon pay for themselves.

Last week, when I was in England, my admission to Blenheim Palace cost a whopping 19 Pounds ( about $30! ), but for that I got a little plastic i.d. card with my photo on that gives unlimited return visits within the year, which I'll probably make.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Memberships, which give unlimited access for a year, including to special exhibitions, run about $60 to $90 for most of our cultural institutions and soon pay for themselves.

We're members at both the AGO and ROM (AGO for the first time this year) and it's a great deal. The fact that you can 'pop in', spend an hour, and not feel obligated to spend a whole day, is a great enabler to actually enjoying the exhibits. Mrs. RRR and I went for a quick look at the Brian Jurgen and modern Inuit exhibits Saturday afternoon, enjoyed both and a pint at the Village Idiot, and it makes for a fun and relaxed way to spend an hour or two on a rainy Saturday.