Frank Gehry's AGO Springs a Leak
The new and improved Art Gallery of Ontario opened to much fanfare following major renovations by famed architect Frank Gehry - and justifiably so. The visually stunning staircase that winds and curves through the heart of the gallery is truly remarkable. But just months after opening to the public, we're already seeing a problem.
A few days ago, the Globe and Mail reported that condensation and leaks were becoming an issue in the stair well. Yesterday (on an awwwwesome rainy day first date), I went to the AGO and saw it first hand.
There's a hole in your building, dear Gehry, dear Gehry.
With what shall we fix it, dear Gehry, dear Gehry?
With a bucket, dear Gehry, dear Gehry...
And some fans, dear Gehry, dear Gehry...
And some towels, dear Gehry, dear Gehry...
And a lawsuit? Dear Gehry?
The problem begets several questions...
Who is responsible for the flaws that led to leaks? Are there drainage flaws in the design itself? Flaws in the construction or materials used in construction? Are Gehry's wild and imaginative architectural concepts simply too difficult to execute? How much of this has to do with our wacky freeze/thaw weather patterns of late?
These questions and more are sure to come up. Much like they did when the Frank Gehry-designed Stata Center at MIT Cambridge (depicted below) had water leak issues that resulted in MIT suing Ghery's firm and the construction company that did the build.
Photos by Photosapience.
Comments (33)
I've always thought that the engineers that make stunt-architectural projects work, like the AGO or the ROM additions, are orders of magnitude more brilliant that the 'geniouses' who take a flight of fancy on their drawings. That these horrible buildings work at all is a testament to the engineers who have to figure this garbae out: like you can't do the ROM Crystal in glass! Now that is an epic fail.
Get a life, folks. This building is no more leaking than your eye glasses are when you come in from the cold, then when you step out of a shower and your bathroom mirror is fogged, when your windshield fogs on a cold day with your heavy breathing in a remote parking space. This building works, better than most in its first months. Stop finding fault and start celebrating something that 99.99% of the time inspires and thrills.
Eh, nothing's immune to pointless hate in this city I guess... Not even a beautiful renovation of our premiere art museum, sitting amidst a sea of some of the ugliest architecture seen in a modern metropolis.
"get a life" is right.
How is this "pointless hate"? It's remarkably beautiful in form, but clearly has issues with function. I recommend going to see it. The buckets and fans are a serious distraction to an otherwise amazing experience. It may very be the most stunning staircase I've ever climbed - until I got closer to the top.
This is an issue with the quick thaw we experienced. Changes in temperature which cause snow to melt, materials to contract, and massive amounts to appear will allow this to occur. Did the Globe point out any other building which experienced this problem? Nope, they were quick to poke at the AGO, as people also poked at the ROM. Are they writing about the ROM this year? NO! People have a new object of interest to complain about.
Take a look at the third picture down and tell me this is mere condensation.
I live in a run down apartment building built in the 1960s. Last week the buildings heat failed during some of the coldest days in the last month. I've also had problems with water leaking in the bathroom from a bad seal on pipes in the apartment above. Not even just dripping. Water coming down in a steady stream. And the damage done to the ceiling is nowhere close to the damage in that third picture.
That MIT building is supposed to be "artistic"?
Looks more like someone took Amy Winehouse's face and turned it into a building.
Most buildings didn't spend just millions of dollars in renovations that took years to complete. The problems you mention are things that tend to occur in buildings with wear and tear, not a structure that has just been completed. The thaw we had really wasn't that bad. How do you think this building is going to hold up to years of rain and snow and thawing if this is how it reacts after a matter of months?
Someone messed up on the construction or design of a Toronto landmark and historic institution, and regardless of the huge amounts of money spent, it is hardly something minor to complain about.
Blaming it on the rapid thaw doesn't really help anything. Obviously rapid thaws occur around here and so buildings need to be designed not to have these kinds of problems. This is something worth being upset about but unfortunately we're also seeing a (typically Canadian) reaction: "Ha ha, that'll teach you to try to do something extraordinary."
PS. Like the old saying goes, there's no "r" in "Stata Center" (except the one at the end).
while we're on the subject of pointless hate, i'm not sure what my needing to obtain a life has to do with a leaky staircase. undoubtedly the staircase was expensive, and you'd think for that kind of money you'd be able to weatherproof a structure that's exposed to the elements. form over function is a matter of taste, but honestly- the water shouldn't be there. i applaud the overall aesthetic, ambition and landmark architecture- but wouldn't you want it built to last?
In the year 1163, they started building the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris France. The 846 year old structure 'never' once had a ceiling leak!
Makes you wonder about who really are these so called architects the Ontario government hires to plan and destroy the façade of our buildings. Also, who are the construction companies that put this crap together? Neither groups have shown no real professionalism whatsoever!
Why buckets - according to the TV guy some strategically and artfully placed Shamwows should do it...
"Stunt architecture" is really bad when it doesn't work. But we always end up being thankful for it when it does.
The leaks will get sorted out. No big deal.
Thanks for showing some restraint in this design, Mr. Gehry. SO much better than that awful ROM Crystal thingy (Starchitect wank, if you ask me).
*shrug* This means we can look into the problem and fix it for similar buildings in the future. Just because architecture is bold or beautiful doesn't mean it refuses to be functional; any architecture buff will tell you that the best is both.
I'm disappointed this happened to the AGO, but it does mean at least we can deal with it and FIX it, and take the lesson forward for next time. I'd rather we do this and make mistakes rather than stick to what we know, all the time.
Re: Notre Dame ... I don't know if you know, but the original design, during construction, suffered major stress fractures due to the weight of the stone. They had to make serious modifications with flying buttresses so it would not collapse. I guess nobody's perfect.
It's pointless hate Jerrold. The AGO reno was sped up horribly to be able to open up on time(*maybe it should have had more construction time, i don't know)
This is a perfect post for haters of both the ROM and AGO to come crashing Toronto's leap forward into architecture. Are you all saying that standard looking buildings don't have their flaws also?
Give me a break.
Thanks for the "heads up" on the leak though.
BTW- These leaks must have not gone well with your "date" eh Jerrold. Looks like we'll have another Gehry hater on our hands.
The great pyramid of Giza, still standing 4000 years later also had a last minute design change during construction. They believe the burial chamber was intended to be underground, but the builders were worried about the immense weight of the stone and added a new chamber higher up inside the structure.
I'm more concerned about the posibility that this wasn't a simple oversight, but linked to shoddy design or construction. In which case a simple fix might not be enough if more problems arise in other areas in the building.
@Parkdalian
I think you're totally misunderstanding this. I absolutely adore Gehry's work. I even make a point of seeking out his buildings when I travel (hence the photos of his work at MIT). I LOVE what he's done at the AGO.
BUT his AGO renos are clearly BROKEN. And that's a problem. One definitely worthy of discussion, I think.
PS. I'm also a fan of the ROM Crystal. You're barking up the wrong tree. :)
Pointless hate? They have moisture detectors in every room because it's imparitive for preserving the art work.
They can try and shrug it off as much as they like ("the building is settling"), but a major moisture problem in an art gallery that can't be fixed for months is a big problem.
And the "it's just normal amounts of condensation" argument is pretty sad. If the design of the place was expected to produce that much moisture buildup it would never have been approved for an art gallery.
And I for one don't care much for staircases, or cultural elitists shitting all over everything else in Toronto in their desperate defense of this renovation. Just because not everyone thinks its the greatest thing to ever happen to Toronto doesn't make them bitter shallow hate filled philistines.
This reminds me of Olympic ice skaters who try impossibly tricky routines, fall, and get points for technical difficulty. Um. No. You're at the Olympics and... you fell.
If it leaks, it leaks. Architecture FAIL.
This guy's blog post in early November after his visit to the newsly re-opened AGO now seems prophetic!
Art Gallery of Ontario: Transformation rush job
http://lifeoneight.blogspot.com/2008/11/art-gallery-of-ontario-transformation.html
I kind of wonder if it was design flaw or construction flaw. And while not ideal, stuff happens... how and when it's fixed will be a good test of what the root problem really is.
I attended the same free opening weekend as that blog writer, and parts of the AGO were indeed still under construction and inaccessible - including the same staircase that appears to be leaking now.
Apparently Gehry was very unhappy with the rushed construction deadline as well.
It's not a leak, it's condensation - probably some sweaty studs, or what happens when you stick insulation in the wrong places. Mostly do to the fact that the construction industry fails to progress with design. Especially in Canada. Builders are too hung up on tradition, what they're used to doing, and not what makes sense from a building science stand-point. People should listen to architects. We generally know what we're talking about. Even Frankie.
'Yes hello, roofer? I've got a lea... er condensation.. a lot of it.'
Speaking from a layman's perspective - something I do well - when I'm indoors and the rain from outdoors is coming INdoors - that is a leak.
All the defense is nice, but you can't redefine "leak" simply because you know what might have caused it down to a science.
Now if someone would get down there and fix this, we can let this little problem dry up. :)
Builders generally know what they're talking about too, Architorture. I would bet that the builders, the architect & the timeline all carry some responsibility for the problems.
To suggest that issues like this are soley due to builders that are too hung up on tradtion shows a surprising lack of professional respect. I find it hard to believe that anyone with actual experience on projects of this scope and complexity would take that attitude.
Phone rings....
Client: Hey Frank my roof is leaking!
Frank: What color is it?
Client: What color is what?
Frank: The bucket!
Frank hangs up....
and that was Frank Loydd Wright! 70+/- years ago...
What is it with these Architects named Frank?
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