The Star: Canadian to design Russian opera house

[ShonTron]

What's wrong with that, adma? It's neoclassical that looks like it was done exceptionally well without cutting corners or using cheap materials. Do you have something against it because it opened in 2006?

I also agree. My problem is with poor quality pomo (lo-po) or zany mismashes or pieces of architectural puke. I have only seen pictures (having no desire to go to Nashville), but the Schermerhorn looks like it was done well. I will agree that it is a bit comical that such a building was opened only two years ago, but I won't hate it, if only to be consistent (as how I like One St. Thomas).

Edit: Not to pick a fight, Urban Shocker (but subconsciously do I want to?), perhaps it is the quality of the performances that draw people in to sell out? Saying that the "beautiful" architecuture results in bums in seats is a bit simplistic, no?

Though the acoustics are amazing. To concede a point, better that the money was spent on the hall than the architecture, though there are some aspects (Queen Street in particular) that could have been better.

 

[TKTKTK]

If they get a building even half as good as Diamond's beautiful and acoustically perfect Four Seasons Centre, the Russians will be blessed indeed. Toronto appears to have set the gold standard for excellence in opera house design, as three sold-out seasons at the FSCPA attest.

Is there a word that describes something beyond hyperbole? Superbole? Ultrabole?

 

[TKTKTK]

Is there a word that describes something beyond hyperbole? Superbole? Ultrabole?

A ha, there is...

adynaton (plural adynatons), n.

1. A form of hyperbole that uses exaggeration so magnified as to express impossibility

Retrieved from "http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adynaton"​

 

[adma]

I also agree. My problem is with poor quality pomo (lo-po) or zany mismashes or pieces of architectural puke. I have only seen pictures (having no desire to go to Nashville), but the Schermerhorn looks like it was done well. I will agree that it is a bit comical that such a building was opened only two years ago, but I won't hate it, if only to be consistent (as how I like One St. Thomas).

Then again, there's a sort of surreally-scary "done well" quality there--like, it could only have been pulled off in the heart of Jesusland (though Nashville's a relatively Democratic part of a Republican state) without setting off toxic cultural alarm bells.

Also consider the optics of pulling something like this off in the land of Stalinist neo-classicism--or more to the point, a certain current political-populist POV that might favour a de-Stalinized retro-Stalin approach.

While this rots.

Given all that, Godspeed, Jack Diamond...

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Edit: Not to pick a fight, Urban Shocker (but subconsciously do I want to?), perhaps it is the quality of the performances that draw people in to sell out? Saying that the "beautiful" architecuture results in bums in seats is a bit simplistic, no?

Don't forget that the new opera house is 1/3 smaller than where they used to play...that's why it sells out.

 

[TKTKTK]

Aesthetics and authenticity are two different things. There's nothing wrong with creating new buildings in old styles - it's only wrong when they're done sloppily or poorly. Don't buy into the false idea that there are only certain kinds of honest architectural expression.

There is no authentic aesthetic. Ever.

 

[MetroMan]

Well now, I guess we get to see what Diamond will build when he has a higher budget. He blamed the low budget of the building for the exterior.

I can't wait to see what Toronto's 4SC could have looked like, had we had more money. </sarcasm>

 

[digi]

Diamond's beautiful and acoustically perfect Four Seasons Centre

What did Diamond have to do with the acoustic engineering? Nothing!

 

[adma]

Aesthetics and authenticity are two different things. There's nothing wrong with creating new buildings in old styles - it's only wrong when they're done sloppily or poorly. Don't buy into the false idea that there are only certain kinds of honest architectural expression.

There is no authentic aesthetic. Ever.

Nevertheless, again--in the broader context, the optics are different when you compare 4SC unfavourably with something old and classicistic versus when you complain it unfavourably with Gehry in LA, Utzon in Sydney, Scharoun in Berlin, etc.

Still, there's a strange and maybe unappetising socio-cultural conundrum here: why is it that the Nashville theatre automatically registers as "reactionary", while something "non-Western" such as the BAPS Temple gets off scot-free...

 

[TKTKTK]

Still, there's a strange and maybe unappetising socio-cultural conundrum here: why is it that the Nashville theatre automatically registers as "reactionary", while something "non-Western" such as the BAPS Temple gets off scot-free...

I think because of a perception of authenticity, and a reluctance to assign the 'inauthentic' to cultures we assume we don't understand.

Which makes the original label of authenticity seem...petty?

 

[Urban Shocker]

Our modest, Toronto Style opera house has been selling out since the COC moved in because it was designed to be a hall for people to hear opera in, unlike the large barn with poor acoustics where they performed previously. They've increased the number of performances and attracted new subscribers as a result.

Given Gergiev's status and committment to excellence, and the fact that he loves our hall, it should come as no surprise if he is inspired to hire Diamond - who worked closely with Bob Essert to get the acoustics ( a design element that took much tweaking ) just right - for Mariinsky 2.

Hyperbole? Hardly. More like stating the obvious.

 

[ShonTron]

Our modest, Toronto Style opera house has been selling out since the COC moved in because it was designed to be a hall for people to hear opera in, unlike the large barn with poor acoustics where they performed previously. They've increased the number of performances and attracted new subscribers as a result.

So it's the acoustics and the atmosphere of the interior (which is certainly top-notch). That's a very reasonable explaination! I can most certainly agree to that.

 

[TKTKTK]

Hyperbole? Hardly. More like stating the obvious.

You're right, it wasn't hyperbole. It was adynaton.

Toronto appears to have set the gold standard for excellence in opera house design

 

[Urban Shocker]

Gergiev wouldn't be hiring Diamond + Shmitt if they hadn't designed one of the great opera houses.

 

[Dan416]

What's wrong with that, adma? It's neoclassical that looks like it was done exceptionally well without cutting corners or using cheap materials. Do you have something against it because it opened in 2006?

Agreed. It looks good. It's not breaking any new ground or anything, but it's design reflects its use and I wish we could build something like that here.