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Transformation AGO (5s, Gehry) COMPLETE

From the Globe:

AGO to open new doors with free weekend
JAMES BRADSHAW

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

May 29, 2008 at 4:28 AM EDT

TORONTO — The Art Gallery of Ontario made the long-awaited announcement yesterday that it will open its new doors to the public on Nov. 14, with a weekend of free admission.

The announcement heralds the final phase of the ambitious $254-million expansion and renovation project designed by architect Frank Gehry, conceived in 2002 and under construction since 2005.

"I feel very inspired by having a real goal in mind and sharing that with the public," said AGO director and CEO Matthew Teitelbaum.

The prolonged wait to set a fixed goal had set some nerves on edge, but the November date falls comfortably within the original timetable and aims to avoid conflicts with other institutions planning major openings or announcements, including the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Mr. Teitelbaum said he felt it was important not to set a date until they reached a certain level of confidence that the building would be complete, with art installed in all 110 galleries.

"Our promise from the very beginning was 'New art, new building.' So we talked about art before we talked about the building," he said.

The development team has overcome a number of stumbling blocks - including one in which an overturned truck dumped a shipment of wood destined for the gallery to the bottom of one of the Great Lakes - and anticipates the project will be close to budget.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include the swearing-in of a group of new Canadian citizens, which Mr. Teitelbaum hopes will symbolize the AGO's efforts to make such a large, imposing building feel accessible and welcoming.

He added that the board unanimously approved the date at a meeting yesterday.

"There are those magical moments when their original excitement and belief they could make a difference aligns with their actual work, and for many people at the AGO, this is one of those moments," he said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080528.wago29/BNStory/Entertainment/home

AoD
 
A truckload of the wood fell in one of the lakes? I didn't know about that, wow, that really sucks! That had to have been quite a bit of money down the drain.

I will be going to the AGO for my first time ever probably for this re-opening.
 
not the AGO's money I'm sure. The company delivering the wood had to take the hit. The AGO is the customer who never saw their goods delivered. At worst, they got delayed by the amount of time that it took to redo and reship the missing wood.

There was a gap in installing glulam beams back in the winter and I recall somewhere on this thread, somebody mentioned the incident.
 
Not quite, the truck went into the lake last Summer and they lost a few of those big ribs that hold everything up in the Galleria. Each one of the ribs has unique curvature and length tho, so the accident meant that the pieces needed to be remade and reshipped before anything could continue.
 
hero_OpeningDate.gif


On Friday, November 14, the fully-transformed Art Gallery of Ontario will open to the public with three days of free admission.

Celebrated architect and Toronto-born Frank Gehry's first Canadian building, the new AGO will welcome the world to 110 light-filled galleries featuring more than 4,000 new and perennial favourite art works.

The public opening day begins with a special ceremony in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony after which some of Canada's newest citizens will be among the first to experience the AGO.

The Gallery's opening celebration will be a distinctive statement of welcome to all - from people across Ontario to Canada's newest citizens, from local artists to international art museum directors, from next door neighbours to tourists from around the world.

http://iw-217.com/v/1/30311098d96c1a19e7a123229d9a5e9c6b7210346658c26c
 
Stunning photos, Tomms! Your photo blog is terrific. Thanks! :)
How did you get up on the roof of the AGO?
 
Those pictures look really surreal. Almost couldn't tell if they were real or not. Not an expected angle.
 

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