Urban Shocker
Doyenne
The short-sighted sale of the Planetarium property precludes the possible construction an east-west linking wing - to the south of the heritage buildings and the curatorial centre - unfortunately.
The short-sighted sale of the Planetarium property precludes the possible construction an east-west linking wing - to the south of the heritage buildings and the curatorial centre - unfortunately.
MetroMan
Senior Member
It was sold to UofT was it not? I think that in fact improves the probability of a major new southern wing.
The building directly behind the Planetarium always left that side of the ROM to be a dark loading dock without the possibility of enhancing it in some way.
Now that UofT owns both the Planetarium and the building behind it, they can collaborate with the ROM to build a new south wing, with a learning centre (as originally envisioned), new curatorial spaces, lecture halls, perhaps a UofT Centre for Astronomy and maybe.... just maybe: a new Planetarium.
The building directly behind the Planetarium always left that side of the ROM to be a dark loading dock without the possibility of enhancing it in some way.
Now that UofT owns both the Planetarium and the building behind it, they can collaborate with the ROM to build a new south wing, with a learning centre (as originally envisioned), new curatorial spaces, lecture halls, perhaps a UofT Centre for Astronomy and maybe.... just maybe: a new Planetarium.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
The University has bought the site so they can build there - for the faculties of Law and Business - I believe. There may be an arrangement for the ROM to rent some office and storage space, but that's quite a different thing from retaining the property and building an extension to the Museum.
The ROM hasn't been part of the University for many decades.
The ROM hasn't been part of the University for many decades.
Whoaccio
Senior Member
Yes, it is bland and forgettable. As is 180 Bloor and the retail shops to the West. They're almost the definition of Toronto bland. If you weren't the type of person that finds week old tofu culturally significant that would be obvious.
You can't separate the two. As it is, the Church/Condo set up is bizarre and disjointed. I shudder to quote inbred preservationists like Prince Charles, but one is just a monstrous carbuncle on the other. Rule by committee design at its worst. We just spent 300m building building a fairly ambitious deconstructionist addition to the ROM, long term revitalization of Bloor Street is a City priority, having such an uninspired and derivative intersection is a waste. Maybe we should have opted for a more conventional design, but as it is the Crystal is the most valuable thing at that corner. No sense ignoring it in favor of the third-tier knock offs around it.
paraone
Active Member
I know we don't usually see eye to eye, but yes, that is one of the worst designed websites I have ever seen. How many fundamental rules of design can be broken on one page?
back to the ROM, I agree the final cladding is what really brings this building down, the mismatch of shades of the cladding and the horizontal seams they create that have no relation to the pieces or planes that reside beside it. I find that the night view of the building is a lot better than the day view, it hides the mistakes that are far too prevalent.
Mongo
Senior Member
You may recall that when the cladding mismatch became obvious, we were told that "it's impossible to ensure a perfect colour match" with that kind of cladding. My questions:
1. If this is true, then why was this type of cladding chosen? Did the people who chose it not do due diligence?
2. How could this be true? We are talking about aluminum cladding. I see similar (albeit less expensive) cladding on plenty of residential buildings, and the colour invariably is a perfect match. I know that this is "special" cladding, but fail to see why it would be impossible to match the colour.
3. Is this the worst excuse to not demand new cladding, or failing that to take legal action, that you have ever heard?
4. Why are they not taking action to rectify the cladding? (I recently hosted some out-of-towners, who when they saw the ROM exterior could hardly believe the mismatched cladding.) Was there some sort of "no-fault" clause in the contract, or do they simply not want to admit that somebody screwed up?
1. If this is true, then why was this type of cladding chosen? Did the people who chose it not do due diligence?
2. How could this be true? We are talking about aluminum cladding. I see similar (albeit less expensive) cladding on plenty of residential buildings, and the colour invariably is a perfect match. I know that this is "special" cladding, but fail to see why it would be impossible to match the colour.
3. Is this the worst excuse to not demand new cladding, or failing that to take legal action, that you have ever heard?
4. Why are they not taking action to rectify the cladding? (I recently hosted some out-of-towners, who when they saw the ROM exterior could hardly believe the mismatched cladding.) Was there some sort of "no-fault" clause in the contract, or do they simply not want to admit that somebody screwed up?
Ramako
Moderator
Wow, I just read the comments on the Toronto Star article about the ROM's 8th place finish, and it's pretty depressing.
It seems like most Torontonians have an exceptionally poor opinion of their own city in almost every respect, and consider Toronto a 3rd or 4th rate city. There's absolutely zero civic pride. It makes me wonder how this city isn't vacant.
It seems like most Torontonians have an exceptionally poor opinion of their own city in almost every respect, and consider Toronto a 3rd or 4th rate city. There's absolutely zero civic pride. It makes me wonder how this city isn't vacant.
MetroMan
Senior Member
^ I learned to stop reading the comments on TheStar.com. It's always the same group of negative anti-everything Conservatives who have nothing better to do than comment on topics they're completely ignorant about. They're not proportionally representative of the city's citizens.
adma
Superstar
Something to consider re Whoaccio's venting on the ROM's neighbours a few posts back: from what I can tell from a superficial search, the primary web presence of "Will Hoaccio" is as a serial commentator to the Star, the G&M, etc.
You can read a lot into a person (or persona) by the company kept, the environment chosen, etc.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Isn't the cladding metal? I remember shortly after it opened I tapped and kicked it and it sure didn't sound or feel like aluminum. Not that this excuses the mismatched dyes.
Me too. The comments used to get me all twisted and bent out of shape.
TonyV
Senior Member
So true. I made the decision to stop reading the respones in the journals almost as soon the web-o-sphere started up. The malcontents among us look for the opportunity to vent, and the newspapers have given them an outlet. Best to stay away from them completely. I have similar feelings about the talk radio shows.
It's the same old thing: the positive types are out there enjoying things, taking stuff in. The negative types are the armchair critics.
fiendishlibrarian
Active Member
The ROM hasn't been part of the University for many decades.
Their library is still part of the UTL juggernaut.
Their library is still part of the UTL juggernaut.
taal
Senior Member
It's funny this has come up, I've made several posts regarding this - particularly the Toronto star and how the comments just sadden me ... actually it probably makes me mad more then anything.
As many have mentioned, the only solution is to stop reading the comments although it's hard at times ... you can also treat it as comedic relief but that only goes so far.
All I can hope is this does not represent the majority of opinions, heck even a minority of them in this city.
G
gabe
Guest
The cladding looks better on the Crystal in Las Vegas
TonyV
Senior Member
I firmly believe these malcontents are in the minority, but the whiners really howl, loud and long.
It's a small comfort, but I stumbled on a blog site that many Brits were using to express their hatred for London, sometime after they were awarded the 2012 summer games. It felt so close to home.
It's a bigger comfort to think of what some of my American friends say about Toronto. In particular I am thinking of some friends from Philly who just can't find enough ways to praise T.O.
And I think Toronto is a marvel, and will be more of a marvel in future years. Putting this in context, we seem to be able to absorb things like the controversial ROM remake ... and at the same time say to ourselves "I wonder what's next".
Controversy. We wouldn't be a great city without it.
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