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The first renderings of the latest proposed expansion for one of Toronto’s defining cultural institutions, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), were released today. Launched officially as the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery, the early renderings offer a comprehensive preview of the design from the partnership of Diamond Schmitt Architects, Selldorf Architects, and Two Row Architect.
Contemplating the construction of a complementary addition above the gallery’s existing eastern volume, the project delivers 40,000 ft² of new programmable space across five floors. The structure will effectively increase the AGO’s total floor space by 30%, allowing for the creation of 13 new gallery spaces. Estimated to cost a total of $100 million, an empowering donation of $35 million from Canada Goose CEO and art enthusiast, Dani Reiss, puts the AGO in a strong position to move forward with the project.
“The Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery is more than an expansion project — it’s how we fulfill our mission to bring people together with art, propel global conversations that speak to the issues of our time, and reflect the diversity of Toronto, Ontario and Canada,” said Stephan Jost, CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario. “In the past decade we’ve welcomed more than 20,000 artworks into the collection and now, thanks to both a monumental lead gift from Dani Reiss and the vision of our architect partners, we’re set to display them in a thoughtful, dynamic, and truly beautiful space.”
The siting of the expansion works to intensify the programming potential of the existing eastern wing, a space that is currently used to host the AGO’s rotating slate of marquee exhibitions. Further east is the AGO’s loading dock, another arguably under-utilized portion of the site which permits vehicle access to the building from the eastern frontage of McCaul Street. Situating the expansion here allows the project to join the built context of OCAD University immediately to the south while maximizing the programming potential of the gallery’s eastern wing.
The main impetus behind the expansion is the growing demand for quality spaces to house the AGO’s extensive collection, with a specific focus on modern and contemporary art. The 13 new galleries encompassed in the design are highly flexible spaces that are made to adapt to the varying conditions for displaying current and future art pieces in different mediums. The commonality between these new gallery spaces is a robust structural capacity, with each space engineered to offer dynamic interiors with columnless floorplans, putting emphasis instead on the creative ways the space can be activated to celebrate the work displayed.
Interestingly, the design was informed not by a single harmonious vision echoed by the three partner firms, but by specific objectives from each of them. For Diamond Schmitt, for example, the focus was to design a space that creates opportunities for connection with both the art and the rest of the community, but on a foundation of sustainability. In this way, the building and its systems have been designed to operate without the burning of fossil fuels, and will seek CAGBC Zero Carbon certification upon completion.
With Two Row Architect as a contributing partner, efforts have been made to ensure that the design process is informed by consultation with indigenous communities. In the midst of a transitional period in which museums are being held accountable for their responsibility to represent indigenous knowledge in their collections, the design of the expansion reflects a strategy to incorporate Indigenous knowledge through three key values: adaptability, biophilia, and kinship.
Finally, Selldorf’s approach reflects an effort to respond formally to both the Gehry building and OCAD to the south. The result of these distinct objectives is a generally orthogonal structure featuring a number of step-backs on the north and south elevations, and which is defined by a highly reflective exterior envelope.
The massing draws on the existing character of the AGO, which has become a quilted arrangement of various additions built on over the last century, while the materiality brings a fresh sense of newness that honours the still evolving nature of the institution itself, and the art community more generally.
Construction of the project is expected to begin in 2024, giving the preliminary design time to be advanced and refined through the process of municipal and public review. The project will represent the seventh expansion effort in the AGO’s storied history, once again affirming the central role the gallery has played in the Canadian art community since its inception in 1900.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Blackwell, Crozier & Associates Consulting Engineers, Diamond Schmitt Architects, EllisDon, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, Urban Strategies Inc. |
