A First Look at the New AGO
Frank Gehry's re-imagined AGO officially opens today at 4pm with free admission all weekend, but yesterday hundreds of local and international media were welcomed for a chance to hear the star architect speak as well as tour the new space.
Initial reviews of the AGO have been very positive (the AGO Art Matters blog has a full round up of coverage) and the Toronto Star's Christopher Hume has gone as far as to call the building profoundly brilliant and a magnificent home for art.
With the positive buzz as a prelude it was difficult not to walk through the new front doors on Dundas West yesterday with some high expectations.
While I definitely agree the changes that have been made are stunning, what surprised me most was the extent to which so many areas of the AGO haven't changed. Many of the galleries in the middle showcasing art that predates the 20th century have only received minor upgrades leaving most of the wow moments to the front and rear of the revamped building.
The Dundas West facade is the part of the reno showing up in most of the initial media coverage. Here's a raw video I took as I walked from the Beverly St. end to the McCaul St. side that's home to the works of Henry Moore.
Much has also been written of the new tinted titanium and glass-faced five-story south wing that overlooks OCAD and Grange Park. When it comes to experiencing the art, this was my favourite addition to the AGO, especially the 5th floor which contains some wonderful work from the likes of Robert Indiana and Andreas Gursky. Here's a brief look at that space as well:
Comments (15)
Great vid, and I think the AGO is intriguing for its unique design and boost in Canadian collection. DigitalJournal.com also did a lil tour of the AGO and we mentioned you guys at BlogTo in our write-up, check it out:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/262308
I'm not sure I'd call it "profoundly brilliant," but then again, I'm not an architecture critic.
That said, the Galleria Italia that faces Dundas is beautiful; the sensation of light and space is profound. But it's unfortunate that there's quite a wide ledge that separates visitors from the glass and it tough to see the street itself.
I liked the ROM crystal too (I'm in the minority there) and I'm glad to see more unique architecture come to Toronto.
I'm excited about these new public buildings and to see what kind of collections will come to be displayed at the AGO. Anything worth while will always cause a stir and get people talking good or bad. You want that emotional reaction because it tells you people care about what happens in this city and to our culture.
The thing I like most about the ROM Crystal is that it is the building, not just a facade, and it works as a museum space. I was a bit disappointed with the new AGO when I realised that all that wood and glass was just bolted on to a regular rectilinear building. It looks great, but it doesn't do anything. But maybe the rest of the revamp is more interesting.
Considering the AGO just did a reno in ... what 1997? I'm totally impressed with this add-on.
From the video I've seen of the interior, the space has been dramatically reformed - the AGO used to suffer from the McMichael's problems, where every room was small and dark and tended to split up collections without rhyme or reason. I think this new layout offers a lot more curatorial creativity :)
Kstop: I guess I haven't been able to see how slanted walls, odd corners, and awkward shapes eating up perfectly good real estate adds up to something that contributes to museum space. It looks interesting, but as far as I've seen, it hasn't functioned terribly well. Not something I'd pay for.
Then congratulations! The new AGO has all the right angles you need, and also provides 30% of your RDA of non-functional decoration!
Be warned. I got there at 10 to 4 pm. The lineup wrapped all the way around the block, past OCAD's stilts and well into the Grange Park. I would say at least a thousand people, maybe even more. Will all those people be able to make it? The patrolmen on duty were not doing numbers, but I'm going to try tomorrow, maybe a couple of hours before official opening - might seem excessive, but the admission price is definitely a deal breaker. Can't say I like what's happening in the back - what's up with the blue walls?
kstop, if you know anything about Gehry, is that he is renowned for his LACK of right angles (or straight lines, for that matter.)
I was at the opening today - got there at 3pm, and found myself lining up just outside the front doors of OCAD. Doors opened late (around 4:30) but the line-up moved swiftly.
The use of wood in the new space is very beautiful (although I wonder how long the pristine and un-scuffed condition of the wood will last, when foot traffic starts to increase.)
Downside: the main staircase located above Walker Court was not finished; people on the upper floors were forced to rely on elevators, which took a LONG time.
Upside: the second staircase overlooking the Grange was open, and the view was breathtaking. From there, I had an amazing view of the city, and I could see the AGO line-up snaking down McCaul, right across the Grange park, and continuing south on Beverly(?) towards Queen.
To answer someone's question: the gift shop was a bit of a letdown - same over-priced housewares combined with junky AGO-stamped trinkets. I used to love perusing their book section, but they've moved this downstairs, which is a bit confusing, as I don't think most people were aware of the lower level store. The book selection itself was underwhelming, and I'm hoping that it will improve once everything is in order and the entire gallery is completed.
It's worth a visit, although the weekend will probably be pandemonium. I recommend visiting when it's completely finished, and visiting on a Wednesday evening, as it's free from 6-8:30pm.
Forgot to add: the AGO website promised "a memorable and special surprise" would happen once the doors would open at 4pm. Perhaps I was too far down the line, but I was half-expecting Gehry to be dropped from a balloon or shot out of cannon, making a surprise appearance. Nothing of the sort happened. Can anyone closer to the front fill me in on what happened?
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